Finance Director for Protection & SunLife

Phoenix; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 175,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm is seeking a Finance Director to oversee the financial management of their Protection and SunLife businesses. You will support the CEO and CFO in delivering financial strategy, lead a high-performing finance team, and drive profitability and growth. The ideal candidate has significant experience in financial leadership within the UK financial services sector, especially in life insurance. This role offers a hybrid working model with a competitive salary.

Benefits

Private medical cover

38 days annual leave

Excellent pension

Income protection

Volunteering days

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience in the UK financial services sector.
• Proven track record in life insurance or protection markets.
• Extensive experience managing P&L, budgets, and financial controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning, analysis, and reporting for Protection and SunLife.
• Support CEO and CFO with strategic advice to drive growth.
• Develop commercial and pricing strategies for profitability.

Skills

Financial leadership

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Education

Qualified Accountant or Actuary

Job description

Overview

Job Type: Permanent

Location: The role can be based from any of our offices across the UK with time spent working from home and in the office. Travel will be required to Bristol and Edinburgh each month for 2 days.

Flexible working: All of our roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about Phoenix Flex here.

Closing Date: 13 October

Salary and benefits: £175,000 - £200,000 plus an indicative bonus range of 40%-80%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, excellent pension, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more.

The role

Are you a visionary finance leader with a passion for driving commercial success and sustainable growth? Phoenix Group is seeking a dynamic Finance Director to lead the financial management of our Protection and SunLife businesses. This is a pivotal role, supporting the CEO and CFO in shaping and delivering our financial strategy, and ensuring robust financial performance across both business units.

You’ll lead a talented team, develop and implement commercial strategies, and play a key role in driving profitability, revenue growth, and cost efficiency. As part of the wider Phoenix Group, you’ll ensure our financial metrics are accurate, forecasts are realistic, and our financial control environment is strong.

Responsibilities

• Lead the financial planning, analysis, and reporting for Protection and SunLife.
• Support the CEO and CFO with strategic advice, insight, and guidance to drive business growth.
• Develop and implement commercial and pricing strategies to maximise profitability and ensure sustainable growth.
• Oversee the delivery of financial plans, budgets, and forecasts, ensuring alignment with Group objectives.
• Champion a strong financial control environment and ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing finance team, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with senior leaders across the business to deliver commercial objectives and support key projects, including M&A and contract negotiations.
• Attend and contribute to key committees, including Board and Committee.

About You

• Qualified Accountant or Actuary, with significant post-qualification experience.
• Proven track record of financial leadership within the UK financial services sector, ideally in life insurance or protection markets.
• Extensive experience managing P&L, budgets, and financial controls at scale.
• Strong commercial acumen, with experience in pricing, reinsurance, and commercial management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, influence, and deliver at a senior level, including Board exposure.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
• Deep understanding of UK regulatory requirements and financial frameworks.
• Resilient, delivery-focused, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, constantly evolving environment.

We Want To Hire The Whole Version Of You. We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

Please note that we reserve the right to remove adverts earlier than the advertised closing date. We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity.

Further information

• Guide for Candidates: thephoenixgroup.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates
• Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.thephoenixgroup.com/careers/talk-to-us

Regulatory

This role is covered by the Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SM&CR) as a certified role. Therefore this role is subject to annual certification by Phoenix Group, as well as regulatory compliance standards. Anybody performing this role will be subject to:

• PRA Individual Conduct Standards
• FCA Senior Individual Conduct Rules

Further information on the Senior Managers & Certification Regime can be found on the FCA website.