Senior Business Development Manager – Employee Benefits

Carter Murray; Dubai; On-site; AED 310,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Carter Murray client seeks a Senior Business Development Manager – Employee Benefits based in the UAE to drive profitable growth across broker channels, secure new business, maximize renewals, and build lasting broker partnerships that expand market share.

The role demands deep UAE insurance market knowledge, proven broker management experience, and the ability to lead cross‑functional teams across SME, retail, and large corporate segments while delivering commercially competitive solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field; master’s or professional qualification is a plus.
• Demonstrated success in creating and growing profitable insurance portfolios.

Responsibilities

• Drive new business acquisition, portfolio growth, renewal retention, and profitability for employee benefits.
• Develop and execute business development strategies aligned with commercial objectives.
• Build and strengthen broker/intermediary relationships to grow market share.
• Identify and convert opportunities across SME, retail, and large corporate segments.
• Lead renewal and retention strategies with underwriting teams to maximize retention.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and service requirements in complex deals.
• Oversee portfolio performance, claims trends, and profitability metrics.
• Coordinate with underwriting, claims, operations, and finance to meet client/broker needs.
• Lead bids, tenders, RFPs, and renewal submissions for strong commercial positioning.
• Monitor market trends and broker dynamics to identify growth opportunities.

Skills

Broker management

New business growth

Renewal retention

Profitability drivers

Pricing & portfolio mgmt

Tenders & RFPs

Leadership & stakeholder mgmt

English proficiency

Arabic advantage

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Insurance, Finance, Economics

Master’s degree or professional insurance qualification

Job description

Our client is a leading regional insurance provider with a strong presence across the GCC, offering a comprehensive portfolio of employee benefits and health insurance solutions to corporate, SME, and retail clients. They are seeking a Senior Business Development Manager – Employee Benefits to be based in the UAE, responsible for driving profitable growth across broker and intermediary channels. This role is critical in expanding market share, strengthening strategic broker relationships, and delivering sustainable portfolio performance. Success will be defined by the ability to secure new business, maximize renewal retention, and build long-term partnerships that contribute to profitable growth.

This is a senior commercial leadership role with responsibility for developing and executing growth strategies across both SME, retail, and large corporate segments. The role will work closely with underwriting, claims, operations, and finance teams to deliver commercially competitive solutions while maintaining profitability and governance standards. The successful candidate will bring deep knowledge of the UAE insurance market, strong broker management experience, and the ability to drive performance across complex portfolios and distribution channels.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive new business acquisition, portfolio growth, renewal retention, and profitability across employee benefits portfolios
• Develop and execute business development strategies aligned with overall commercial objectives and market opportunities
• Build, manage, and strengthen relationships with key brokers and intermediaries to increase market share and share of wallet
• Identify and convert new business opportunities across SME, retail, and large corporate segments
• Lead renewal and retention strategies in partnership with underwriting teams to maximize profitable retention
• Manage complex commercial negotiations involving pricing, benefits, terms, and service requirements
• Maintain oversight of portfolio performance, claims trends, profitability, pipeline activity, and key account movements
• Coordinate closely with underwriting, claims, operations, finance, and other stakeholders to deliver client and broker requirements effectively
• Oversee complex quotations, tenders, RFPs, and renewal submissions to ensure strong commercial positioning
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, broker dynamics, and customer needs to identify growth opportunities and support strategic decision-making
• Drive service excellence by ensuring high-quality broker and client experiences across the end-to-end customer journey
• Lead strategic initiatives focused on improving distribution capabilities, commercial performance, and operational efficiency

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Insurance, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline; a Master’s degree or professional insurance qualification is an advantage
• Proven experience in business development, sales, account management, or distribution within the insurance industry
• Strong knowledge of the UAE insurance market, particularly employee benefits and medical insurance products
• Significant experience managing and developing broker and intermediary relationships
• Demonstrated success in delivering new business growth, renewal retention, and profitability targets
• Strong commercial acumen across pricing, portfolio management, claims performance, and profitability drivers
• Experience handling complex tenders, RFPs, renewals, and commercial negotiations
• Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, communication, and presentation skills
• Strong analytical and strategic planning capabilities with the ability to make data-driven commercial decisions
• Excellent written and spoken English; Arabic would be an advantage