Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role Purpose

The DC business comprises c.50 professionals across consulting, analyst and technical functions, operating across multiple market specialism. 

The DC Business Manager eases the operational performance of the DC business, ensures the effective management of consultants and analysts, tracks delivery against commercial objectives, and supports the provision of high-quality management information to senior stakeholders. The role partners closely with Market Leads, Head of Pension Client Services, Finance, HR, Compliance and the DC Senior Leadership Team to drive performance, operational excellence and business growth. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Performance, Reporting & Financial Management

• Own operational reporting across the DC business, delivering accurate and timely management information on pipeline, revenue, utilisation, invoicing, profitability, work in progress and delivery performance.
• Act as the primary operational liaison with Finance, ensuring robust forecasting, reporting and financial controls.
• Partner with Market Leads to ensure correct reporting on business performance, assumptions, identify risks and implement actions to improve commercial outcomes.
• Undertake regular performance reviews with Market Leads and the DC Senior Leadership Team, providing insight-driven recommendations and clear accountability for delivery.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide visibility of team, market and individual performance.
• Review consultant and analyst accountability for commercial and delivery objectives through robust performance monitoring and reporting.

2. Leadership, People Management & Resource Planning

• Provide data and metrics for Market Leads to direct leadership and management of consultants and analysts, establishing a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration and delivery excellence.
• Monitor clear objectives, priorities and performance expectations aligned to business strategy and market plans.
• Schedule and help prepare regular one-to-one meetings, workload reviews and performance discussions.
• Feed in to performance management activity, recognising high performance and addressing underperformance swiftly and constructively.
• Monitor resource planning, workload management and client allocation across the DC business to optimise utilisation and service delivery.
• Partner with Market Leads and support function managers to ensure resources are aligned with business demand and growth objectives.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding and integration of new consultants and analysts.
• Coordinate succession planning, talent development and workforce planning across the team.

3. Learning, Development & Capability Building

• Build the capability framework of consultants and analysts through structured development, coaching and mentoring programmes.
• Work with Market Leads to identify capability gaps and deliver targeted development plans.
• Monitor technical, regulatory and professional training is completed and maintained.
• Support the development of consultants and analysts within the DC business with completion of skills matrix

4. Operational Excellence, Governance & Quality

• Own the operational framework for the DC business, ensuring efficient, scalable and well-controlled delivery models e.g. Hubspot, Epic etc
• Monitor adherence to internal policies, regulatory requirements and quality standards.
• Work closely with Compliance to ensure FCA and internal governance requirements are met consistently.
• Monitor operational risks, service quality and client outcomes, highlighting corrective action where required.
• Drive consistency of operational processes, invoicing practices, service delivery standards and ways of working across all market teams from a consultancy perspective
• Simplify and standardise processes to improve efficiency, resilience and client experience from a consultancy perspective

5. Change, Projects & Continuous Improvement

• Manage operational change initiatives, process improvement programmes and system enhancements.
• Identify opportunities to improve productivity, scalability and commercial performance.
• Act as the operational lead for business transformation initiatives affecting the DC business.
• Establish clear ownership, governance and delivery plans for change activity.
• Track benefits realisation and ensure improvements are embedded and sustained.

6. Stakeholder Management & Senior Leadership Support

• Act as the principal operational partner to DC Market Leads.
• Translate strategic objectives into practical operating plans, priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Provide operational leadership and informed challenge to senior stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships across Finance, HR, Compliance and Operational Support teams.
• Act as a senior escalation point for operational, people, client and delivery issues.
• Contribute to strategic planning and decision-making as a member of the wider DC leadership community.

7. Provider Data Management

• Plan and develop framework to automate data feeds from providers
• Capacity management of data from different providers for our consultancy and governance projects
• Liaise with internal Howden teams as required and external parties
• Project manage and liaise with DC operations and support team

 

Leadership Expectations

The Head of DC Operations will demonstrate:

• Commercial leadership – using financial and operational insight to drive business performance.
• Operational excellence – building scalable, efficient and controlled delivery models.
• People leadership – developing high-performing consultants and analysts through clear expectations, coaching and accountability.
• Influencing skills – constructively challenging and partnering with senior stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking – translating business objectives into operational execution.
• Ownership and accountability – taking responsibility for outcomes and ensuring delivery.
• Continuous improvement mindset – driving simplification, innovation and efficiency.
• Resilience and pace – maintaining momentum and focus in a fast-moving environment.
• Clear communication – presenting information and recommendations with confidence and clarity.
• Collaborative leadership – building strong relationships and aligning teams behind common goals.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new

• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges

• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.  Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.

Permanent