Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement Lead

Howden; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 125,000 - 175,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Flexible Paid Time Off

Parental leave

Life and Disability insurance

Job summary

Howden in the US is seeking a Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement Lead for the US Retail business. You will design and govern end-to-end processes, translating strategic change into practical, auditable workflows.

Reporting to Head of Continuous Improvement & Change, you will drive standardization, scale operations, and ensure controls, KPI tracking, and audit readiness across teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years designing, governing, or improving processes in insurance or financial services.
• Strong knowledge of brokerage operations and core workflows.
• Lean/Six Sigma training is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree required; professional certifications a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, document, and govern end-to-end operational processes.
• Develop SOPs, process maps, RACI models, and handoffs.
• Define KPIs and partner with Operations for measurement.
• Drive adoption and enablement with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Process design

Process governance

Operational excellence

Insurance brokerage knowledge

Stakeholder collaboration

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Operations or related field

Tools

Epic AMS

Process mapping tools

Job description

At Howden, we're not just building a business- We're rewriting the rules of what a global insurance broker can be. And now, it's your turn to be part of something extraordinary. From three people and a dog to over 22,000 employees across 56 countries, we've grown into a $4bn revenue powerhouse with bold ambition: to become a $13bn business with 40,000 people by 2030.

We're launching our US retail platform with the same entrepreneurial spirit that's driven our success worldwide- and we're looking for trailblazers to help shape the future.

Why Howden?

• You'll Own It
  With 6,000 employee shareholders owning 34% of the company, our unique ownership model means you're not just joining a team-you're building a business you truly own.
• You'll Be Empowered
  We're a destination for talent where people are trusted to look after their clients and grow together. You'll have the freedom to lead, backed by global scale and local expertise.
• You'll Be Part of Something Bigger
  Our integrated platform spans broking, reinsurance, and MGA capabilities-giving you access to everything you need to deliver for clients and build something remarkable

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.

What is the role?

We are seeking a Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement Lead to support the design, documentation, and governance of end-to-end operational processes and target operating model elements across the US Retail business. This role will play a critical part in translating strategic change into clear, executable processes while ensuring appropriate controls are embedded.

Reporting to the Head of Continuous Improvement & Change, you will act as a hands-on process and standards leader - driving consistency, enabling scale, and reinforcing operational discipline across teams. This role is an exciting opportunity for a process leader who can translate strategic priorities into clear, governed, and executable ways of working.

What will you be doing?

Process Design and Standardization

• Support the design, documentation, and maintenance end-to-end operational processes.
• Develop clear SOPs, process maps, RACI models, and handoffs.
• Ensure processes are scalable, repeatable, and aligned to business strategy and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with business and functional leaders to simplify workflows and eliminate inefficiencies.

Process Governance

• Help maintain clear process ownership, documentation, and change control standards.
• Maintain process documentation and ensure updates are reflected accurately and consistently.
• Define KPIs and partner with Operations on measurement and reporting.
• Support audit readiness by ensuring processes are well-documented and consistently executed.

Adoption and Continuous Improvemen t

• Ensure processes, SOPs, and controls are clear, complete and ready for adoption, partnering with Capability & Change on enablement.
• Partner with Capability & Change to support enablement where process changes require training or reinforcement.
• Identify improvement opportunities using operational data, performance metrics, and stakeholder feedback.
• Partner closely with industry practice groups, Operations, Technology, and Learning & Development to align process designs with day-to-day execution.
• Provide practical input to leaders and teams on process clarity, consistency, and operational readiness.
• Strong experience in process design, documentation, and governance within complex environments.
• Experience in insurance brokerage, with a strong understanding of core brokerage and client service processes.
• Ability to translate complex operations into clear, executable processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Highly collaborative, detail-oriented, and execution-focused.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in process design, process governance, or operational excellence roles within an insurance brokerage or related financial service environment.
• Strong understanding of brokerage operations, systems (e.g., Epic or other AMS), and core workflows (e.g., client service, policy administration, certificates, billing).
• Proven ability to design, document, and govern end-to-end operational processes that improve efficiency, consistency, and control.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, or related field.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or similar continuous improvement training is a plus.
• Experience with process mapping and documentation tools is an advantage.

What do we offer in return? A career that you define.

Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society's greatest challenges.

And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work - and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Compensation and Benefits

The expected base salary range for this role is $125,000 - $175,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

In addition to a competitive base salary, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. Howden also offers a variety of benefits and programs, subject to eligibility, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
• Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
• Life and Disability insurance

Our sustainability promise

We're on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.