Head of Outsourcing

Zurich Insurance Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider is seeking a Head of Strategic Offshore Outsourcing to develop and implement outsourcing strategies. This role involves managing vendor relationships, ensuring compliance, and driving innovation across insurance processes. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in insurance operations, significant leadership skills, and a proven track record in managing offshore partnerships. This position offers a flexible work environment, competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package including a pension scheme and health insurance.

Benefits

12% defined non-contributory pension scheme

Annual company bonus

Private medical insurance

Flexible holiday options

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in the insurance industry.
• Senior leadership experience in outsourcing.
• Strong knowledge of compliance and data security.

Responsibilities

• Create and implement outsourcing strategy.
• Manage vendor relationships and performance.
• Negotiate contracts and ensure compliance.

Skills

Insurance operations experience

Leadership skills

Negotiation skills

Communication skills

Relationship management

Project management

Knowledge of outsourcing models

Risk management

Innovation and improvement focus

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Working hours: This role is available on a part‑time, job‑share or full‑time basis.

Salary: Lucrative salary and benefits package

Location: Flexible on location in the UK with occasional travel to Swindon, London, Fareham offices.

Closing date for applications: 19/12/2025

The opportunity:

We’re looking for a strong leader to head our Strategic Offshore Outsourcing – Insurance team.

In this role, you’ll shape and deliver Zurich’s offshore outsourcing strategy including managing key contracts and partnerships to help us boost productivity and quality.

You’ll be the expert for all major outsourcing arrangements, making sure our operations support Zurich’s goals.

If you’re ready to make a difference and build trusted global partnerships, we’d love to hear from you. Many of our employees work flexibly in a variety of different ways, including part‑time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full‑time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may need.

What will you be doing?

As the Head of Strategic Offshore Outsourcing – Insurance, your role will include:

• Creating and implementing an offshore outsourcing strategy that supports Zurich’s insurance goals.
• Finding and evaluating offshore partners to ensure they meet our high standards for quality, compliance, and operational excellence.
• Leading contract negotiations and managing agreements with both new and current offshore vendors.
• Building strong relationships with service providers, monitoring their performance, and improving services using KPIs and SLAs.
• Carrying out regular reviews and audits to ensure compliance with regulations and data security.
• Promoting standardised processes, continuous improvement, and effective knowledge sharing across offshore teams.
• Working closely with internal teams to streamline workflows and ensure smooth operations.
• Managing risks by creating mitigation plans and ensuring compliance with data privacy laws and industry regulations.
• Overseeing budgets, forecasting financials, and measuring the return on investment from outsourcing projects.
• Collaborating with senior management and encouraging teamwork between onshore and offshore colleagues to foster innovation and improvement.

What are we looking for?

We’re after a strategic leader who can deliver results and build strong global partnerships. To thrive in this role, you’ll need:

• Extensive experience in insurance operations, outsourcing, with significant experience in a senior leadership role.
• A solid understanding of insurance processes, products and customer needs, plus hands‑on experience managing large‑scale offshore outsourcing.
• Knowledge of offshore outsourcing models and the ability to handle complex regulatory environments across multiple jurisdictions.
• A proven track record in negotiating, structuring and managing contracts that deliver value, efficiency and quality.
• Experience building and maintaining strong relationships with external partners, using KPIs and SLAs to drive improvement.
• Expertise in leading process standardisation, transformation and knowledge transfer across diverse teams.
• A good understanding of data privacy, security and regulatory requirements in insurance, with the ability to spot and manage risks.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work well across functions, cultures and geographies.
• A passion for innovation, continuous improvement and inspiring teams to perform at their best.

If you’re ready to make a real difference and help shape the future of insurance outsourcing at Zurich, we’d love to hear from you.

What will you get in return?

Everyone’s different. That’s why at Zurich we offer a wide range of employee benefits so our people can choose what fits them and their life. Our benefits provide real flexibility so our people can make considered choices and tailor their benefits throughout the year. Our benefits include 12% defined non‑contributory pension scheme, annual company bonus, private medical insurance and the option to buy up to an additional 20 days or sell some of your holiday.

Follow the link for more information about our benefits – Employee benefits | Working at Zurich Insurance UK

As an inclusive employer we want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview.

You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply.

Who we are:

At Zurich we aspire to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world and the best global insurer. Together we’re creating a brighter future for our customers, our people and our planet.

With over 55,000 employees in more than 170 countries, you’ll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company who are long‑standing players in the insurance industry.

We’ve made a promise to each other and every employee; to focus on sustainable impact, to care about each other’s wellbeing, to use our diverse expertise to be curious and optimistic and to develop the skills needed for our future.

If you’re interested in working in a dynamic and challenging environment for a company that recognises and rewards your creativity, initiatives and contributions - then Zurich could be just the place for you. Be part of something great.

Our Culture:

At Zurich, our sense of community is strong and we’re particularly passionate about diversity and inclusion, which we’ve won numerous awards for. We want our people to bring the whole of themselves to work and ensure everybody is made to feel welcome, regardless of their background, beliefs and culture. We want our employees to reflect the diversity of our customers, and so are committed to treating all of our applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We’ve an environment that places a real importance on our people’s wellbeing from a physical, mental, social and financial perspective. We work with our wellbeing partners and industry experts to provide the best advice and access to a wealth of lifestyle support. We’re also committed to continuous improvement and we offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities.

We’re passionate about supporting employees to help others by getting involved in volunteering, charitable and community activity. Our charitable arm, Zurich Community Trust, is one of the longest‑established corporate trusts in the UK. In that time, we’ve awarded grants and volunteered time to deserving causes in the UK valued at over £90 million.

So make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported, Love what you do. Work for us. #LI-REMOTE