Insurance Development Lead

John Lewis Plc; City of Westminster; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading employee-owned business in the UK seeks a Head of Insurer Development to enhance insurer partnerships and drive growth in personal lines insurance. You will lead strategic relationships, develop commercial strategies, and manage performance metrics while ensuring compliance. The ideal candidate has experience in insurer relationship management and strong negotiation skills. The role supports a hybrid working pattern, promoting a good work-life balance and flexibility for all Partners.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Hybrid working model

Employee ownership benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in insurer relationship management and commercial roles.
• Demonstrates existing relationships at insurers to at least Head of level.
• Deep understanding of personal lines insurance market.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage strategic relationships with insurer partners.
• Optimize commercial outcomes while supporting customer value.
• Develop and drive commercial developments leveraging market advantages.

Skills

Insurer relationship management

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder management

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Job description

The Head of Insurer Development will be responsible for leading and managing strategic relationships with insurer partners to drive profitable growth, enhance commercial performance, and secure market‑leading propositions for personal lines insurance products in order to deliver the JLP P&L. This role will ensure the broker maintains strong, collaborative partnerships with key insurers, optimising commercial outcomes while supporting customer value, product quality, and compliance standards across the retail and financial services arms of the business. This role will own, develop and drive commercial developments that leverage JLP USP's in the market and gain rating advantage versus peers for our customers. Ensure the appropriate governance is delivered by the team and work with the insurance leadership team in the design and implementation of acquisition and retention strategy.

Insurer/Partner Relationship Management

• Develop, implement, and maintain strategic relationships with key insurer partners.
• Serve as the principal contact and escalation point for insurers and partners, fostering collaboration and transparency.
• Lead negotiation on commercial agreements, net rates, and partnership terms.
• Lead quarterly and annual business reviews with insurer partners.
• Gain market knowledge and insight to support the Head of Insurance Broker with strategic planning.

Commercial Strategy and Performance

• Lead the delivery of insurer/partner joint development plans that drive continuous improvement and that also take into account the need to manage insurer/partner profitability.
• Identify and secure growth opportunities across personal lines products for Car & Home Insurance, including ancillary products.
• Monitor insurer performance and profitability metrics, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate with pricing, marketing, and product teams to optimise pricing, conversion, retention strategies and customer outcomes.
• Accountable for ensuring partners selected delivery against expectations set out in the TOBA and performance metrics including quotability, competitiveness and retention.

Product and Proposition Development

• Work with insurers to co‑develop or enhance personal lines insurance propositions that meet customer needs and market trends.
• Ensure competitive pricing, coverage, and product differentiation within the broker's portfolio, including utilisation and leverage of JLP data for the benefit of the customer.
• Support product governance and conduct reviews to maintain compliance with FCA and Consumer Duty requirements.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the Commercial, Technology, Marketing, and Operations teams to ensure insurer propositions are effectively communicated and delivered.
• Provide insight and training support to frontline teams on insurer product features, processes and value propositions.
• Work closely with the Financial Services arm to identify cross‑selling opportunities and integrated customer journeys.

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead and develop an Insurer Development team, setting clear objectives and performance standards.
• Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, and commercial excellence.
• Represent the business externally at insurer forums, industry events, and market roundtables.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in insurer relationship management, business development, or commercial roles within insurance broker.
• Demonstrates existing relationships at insurers and partners, to at least Head of level.
• Deep understanding of the personal lines insurance market, including motor, home, and related products.
• Demonstrates experience in stakeholder management, communication, negotiation and conflict management skills including proven ability to influence at senior management level both internally and externally.
• Proven track record of negotiating net rates, CPA's and delivering profitable insurer partnerships.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to interpret financial data and manage P&L outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and influencing skills at senior stakeholder level.
• Knowledge of FCA regulatory environment, particularly Consumer Duty and product governance requirements.
• Excellent Leadership and organisational skills.
• Successfully manages multiple stakeholders at senior levels, and excellent influencing skills.

About the Company

We're the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We're not just employees, we're Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there's never been a more exciting time to join us.

We're ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never knowingly undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food‑lovers in Waitrose. As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we're free to be ourselves and can thrive. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.

Working Pattern / Flexible Working

Working pattern/flexible working - The Partnership has adopted a hybrid working approach, meaning you'll be able to work a mixture between the office and home based upon your personal needs whilst balancing the needs of the business. The xx team aim for around xxx days a week in the office to connect and on a more ad‑hoc basis to attend key meetings.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work‑life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.