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.

At Howden - Commercial & Schemes, commercial insurance isn’t just what we do – it’s who we are. We support our clients through the complex landscape of commercial risk. We understand the diverse needs of businesses from large corporates to emerging ventures, meticulously crafting bespoke solutions to empower businesses to navigate uncertainty and achieve unwavering growth.  Our depth of commercial insurance expertise allows us to protect client’s assets and fuel their progress.  When our clients prosper, we celebrate success with them; when challenges arise, we provide unwavering support.

Do you have a passion for sales and already have some Insurance experience?  If so, talk to us about joining our New Business Education team as a Client Executive. 

We are transforming the way we support our customers with new products and ways for customers to trade with us and you will be a key part of our success as a team.  You will be customer orientated and enjoy prospecting, generating leads, developing business and winning clients. Customers are at the heart of everything we do at Howden, and you will have the ability to build long-lasting relationships and identify new business opportunities.  You will enjoy working to targets and be looking to exceed these whilst also recognising the importance of regulation and putting the customer first.

We will provide training on our products and the sector if you haven’t worked within Education before and we will offer full financial support for the Chartered Insurance Institute exams too. 

If this sounds interesting, we’d love to hear from you!

Overview:

• This is a full-time, permanent opportunity to join a fast-paced sales team

• The role can either be based in our Cheltenham Office or can be home based with a need to be in our Cheltenham office once every fortnight to work alongside other team players

• We love meeting our customers face to face as well as collaborating in our Cheltenham office so some travel and overnight stays might be needed

• Responsible for prospecting and securing new clients of all sizes (dependent on experience)

• Speaking with clients and providing solutions for Schools over the phone, by teams or video call and most importantly face to face

• Attending relevant key conferences to generate new opportunities

• Providing accurate sales forecasts to the Client Director using pipeline reporting and CRM systems

• Supporting the wider team with managing relationships with key partners

• Working with Service and Renewal teams to deliver an exceptional new business customer experience

• Provide insurance to clients and model effective protection through the provision of appropriate insurance products

• Identifying opportunities for leads to other areas, providing introductions and supporting the cross-sell process

Knowledge:

• Good understanding of general and legal principles of insurance

• Understands the relevant regulatory and legal frameworks

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience working in the insurance industry in an insurance broking or an insurance sales role

• Good understanding of sales techniques and processes for selling to customers

• Knowledge of Education Insurance gained at an Insurance Broker or Insurer environment – desirable, but not essential

Skills:

• Customer focused approach

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills

• Able to work independently and use initiative and to work as part of a high performing sales team

• Able to work flexibly to achieve tight deadlines/targets with good organisation skills

• The ability to manage your own diary and workload effectively and work to tight deadlines with accuracy

• Ability to understand people and build rapport and adapt styles of communication

• Attention to detail and willingness to learn

• Calm and resilient under pressure

Qualifications:

• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent)

• Cert CII (desirable)

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.