Head of Applications - UW, Pricing, QA & Testing

AXA; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in the UK is looking for a Senior Manager of Applications to oversee the delivery of services across a large group of application assets. The successful candidate will be accountable for improving service efficiency, managing budgets, and fostering stakeholder relationships. Extensive IT management experience and strong problem-solving abilities are crucial for this role. Additionally, the position offers supportive benefits promoting diversity and inclusion.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Enhanced family-friendly leave benefits

Volunteering and charitable giving programs

Qualifications

• Significant IT and business work experience managing cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrable ability to solve complex issues.
• Adaptable to new strategies and comfortable with change.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the delivery of applications within Underwriting and Pricing.
• Establish and drive best practices for testing and QA.
• Control and manage the budget for Application Solutions.

Skills

IT management experience

Problem-solving abilities

Excellent communication skills

Vendor management expertise

Analytical abilities

Stakeholder management

Planning and organisation skills

Tools

.Net technology stack

Cloud technologies

Job description

Senior Manager of Applications

Senior Manager of Applications owns the end‑to‑end delivery of services for a large group of application assets. This role is heavily involved with strategic management, planning and the group’s budget owner. Responsible to drive continuous service improvement, efficiencies and effective delivery for all standard change work within the portfolio. Creates and maintains stakeholder relationships, understands the business strategy and the technology needs and challenges of the business. Ensures the cost efficient delivery of applications and support business transformational change.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the end to end delivery of applications within Underwriting and Pricing for AXA XL Reinsurance.
• Responsible for establishing the testing & QA team and driving best practice including test automation.
• Partners with the Change Delivery Function and the business to ensure effective Project Delivery – on time, to budget, to scope.
• Good understanding of the business strategy, architectural strategy and accountable for the delivery of the technical strategy to support the ambitions.
• Collaborates with business stakeholders on opportunity identification, issue resolution and governance.
• Creates high‑level organisational goals and objectives for the function. Ensures synergy with the broader business and Global Technology vision.
• In collaboration with Vendor Management & Procurement, support RFI/RFPs, contract negotiations and delivery of contract terms.
• Ensures that business cases for application investments, such as technology upgrades, productivity tools, and continuous service improvement initiatives are developed and adequately funded.
• Ensures that Application Solutions adheres to Information Security policies, DPO and Audit standards through the SDLC.
• Define and execute action plans for concerns raised as a result of audits.
• Support delivery through escalation of risks and issues.
• Control and manage the budget for Application Solutions.
• Share best practices across vendors.
• You will report to the Global Head of IT.

Qualifications

• Significant IT and business/industry work experience, including experience in managing multiple, large, cross‑functional teams or projects, and influencing senior level management and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrable ability to solve complex problems/issues.
• Excellent communication skills adapted to different audiences and can effectively drive consensus within the delivery team(s).
• Adept at vendor management, both commercially and inter‑personally, with a clear understanding of T&M, Managed Services, and Managed Outcome commercial models through both waterfall and agile delivery models.
• Ability to articulate problems, create solutions, and present analysis with proper detail and rigor for the target audience.
• Thought leader in implementing best practices with experience leading teams through change.
• Expert knowledge of application development and testing process using various software delivery methods (waterfall, agile, etc.) with a significant background in application development.
• Adaptable to new/different strategies, programs, technologies, practices, cultures, etc. Comfortable with change, able to easily make transitions.
• Advanced experience/capability in financial forecasting and business case justification.
• Previous experience leading development and delivery teams in delivering high quality, low defect solutions.
• Experience in planning and executing multiple complex, large‑scale initiatives or operational areas.
• Highly advanced analytical abilities with operational vision.
• Stakeholder management.
• Proven planning and organisation skills, creating own work schedules, prioritising workload, preparing in advance and setting realistic timescales.
• Familiarity with Microsoft .Net technology stack, Cloud, and testing frameworks for efficient technical decision making.
• Adaptable to new/different strategies, programs, technologies, practices, cultures, etc. Comfortable with change, able to easily make transitions.

Benefits & Diversity

• Five Business Resource Groups focused on gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity and origins, disability and inclusion.
• Robust support for Flexible Working Arrangements.
• Enhanced family‑friendly leave benefits.
• Named to the Diversity Best Practices Index.
• Signatory to the UK Women in Finance Charter.
• AXA Hearts in Action volunteering and charitable giving programs – matching gifts, volunteering leave, annual volunteering day.

AXA XL is committed to equal employment opportunity and will consider applicants regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and origins, marital status, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic. At AXA XL, we create an inclusive culture that enables business growth and is critical to our success. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Learn more about our inclusion and diversity initiatives at axaxl.com/about-us/inclusion-and-diversity.