New Business Account Handler

Job Description

Who are we?

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. We're experts helping clients adapt and thrive in a changing world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 23,000 employees and spanning 56 countries.

Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.

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 disappointed head-hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

The Role

We are looking for Commercial New Business Account Handlers to support Howden’s plans for business growth and expansion within our Bristol office. The Bristol based team focus on exceeding the expectations of our clients and are capable of supporting their insurance needs across the range of commercial general insurance classes, targeted in the Care Sector, this includes, Social Care, Primary Care and Medical Malpractice clients.

The role offers the successful candidates the opportunity for a career within the insurance and financial services profession with one of the most respected names in insurance broking. The New Business Account Handler will provide technical and qualitative service in order to win new clients and provide wider support to Howden Bristol clients. Ensuring that responsibilities are completed in accordance with Company and/or Group policies to achieve targets, develop the business and deliver an excellent and comprehensive service.

What you'll do

• Develop strong relationships with prospects in order to develop and win new clients
• Ensure transactions are conducted with full transparency & accuracy
• Deal with incoming mail from prospects, clients, insurers and third parties
• Operate with all prospects/clients (both internal and external) fairly and ethically
• Supporting key initiatives & campaigns, developing new client opportunities
• Support management and team, if and when directed, with renewal, mid-term adjustment or any other activity as required
• Develop strong relationships with insurance markets and other service providers
• Maintain any ongoing delegated authority contracts appropriately and cost effectively
• Creating the most appropriate insurance program for the prospect’s/client’s demands and needs
• Producing comprehensive client and broking documents
• Processing of quotes, indications and endorsements
• Technical duties (including accurate data entry, credit control, chasing subjectivities)
• Ensure up to date records are maintained at all times on the Company systems
• Ensure compliance with all applicable Company and/or Group policies and procedures
• Ensure correct authorization is obtained and processes followed when required by the Company and /or Group policies and procedures
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements
• Ensure that own performance, HR and T&C records are up to date and meet the Company and/or Group’s requirements
• Maintain accurate records and deal with correspondence appropriately
• Ensure compliance with Anti Bribery and Corruption policy and procedures

Who were looking for

• Commercial Insurance – sound knowledge and broking experience (underwriting experience will be considered), ideally some experience with Care Sector business
• Product and client handling experience from a commercial insurance background (MD/BI, Liabilities, Medical Malpractice, PI)
• Some Engineering/Motor Fleet/Cyber experience
• Knowledge and placement of ancillary commercial products
• Confident, with strong communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Professional and personable – client focused
• Drive and enthusiasm – motivated to achieve targets
• Good negotiating skills; able to influence and persuade others
• Organised, able to plan and be methodical - proactive when necessary
• IT Literacy with a working knowledge of Word and Excel required
• Strong attention to detail and ability to be resilient, produce accurate work under pressure
• Qualified to CERT CII level or above or progression towards gaining professional qualifications is desired.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define.

Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges.

And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality 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

We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

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.

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.