Finance Director for Protection & SunLife

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

Job summary

A leading financial services company is seeking a Finance Director to manage the financial aspects of their Protection and SunLife businesses. This role involves leading a finance team, shaping financial strategy, and ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks. Candidates should be qualified accountants with extensive experience in the UK financial services sector. The position offers a competitive salary and flexible working options.

Benefits

Private medical cover

38 days annual leave

Excellent pension

Career breaks

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualification experience in a financial role.
• Proven track record in the insurance or protection markets.
• Experience managing P&L, budgets, and financial controls.

Responsibilities

• Lead financial planning and analysis for Protection and SunLife.
• Support CEO and CFO with strategic advice.
• Develop and implement commercial strategies for profitability.

Skills

Financial leadership

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Regulatory knowledge

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: 13th 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.

Who are we?

We want to be the best place that any of our 6,600 colleagues have ever worked. We're Phoenix Group, we're a long-term savings and retirement business. We offer a range of products across our market-leading brands, Standard Life, SunLife, Phoenix Life and ReAssure. Around 1 in 5 people in the UK has a pension with us. We're a FTSE 100 organisation that is tackling key issues such as transitioning our portfolio to net zero by 2050, and we're not done yet.

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.

Key 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.

Find out more about Life At Phoenix

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Senior Managers Certification Regime (SMCR)

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.