Business Development Consultant

Santam Insurance; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500 000 - 700 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider is seeking a Business Development Consultant to drive strategic growth initiatives in Johannesburg. The role involves building and managing partnerships to enhance competitiveness and market share, necessitating strong relationship management skills and experience in short-term insurance. Candidates should have at least 5 years of relationship management experience and be fluent in English and Afrikaans. This position offers a dynamic work environment in a rapidly evolving company.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years relationship management experience.
• Minimum of 3 years short-term insurance experience.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Fluent in English and Afrikaans.

Responsibilities

• Build competitiveness and market share through partnerships.
• Identify and maintain business relationships with Direct Partners.
• Ensure compliance with governance and legislative requirements.
• Proactively manage operational issues and solutions.

Skills

Relationship management

Negotiation

Technical insurance knowledge

Microsoft Office

Stakeholder management

Education

Matric

FAIS compliance

Job description

We remind all clients that Santam will only communicate through official channels or the authorised broker.

What will you do?

This role fulfils the execution of strategic business development initiatives (new and existing) to achieve the Business Unit's current and future growth opportunities in the direct insurance market. You will build our competitiveness and future market share through existing and new distribution channels, including strategic business partners, traditional lead providers, brokers, dealerships, etc.

The BDC will take full accountability for identifying potential business partnerships, maintaining good and solid relationships, securing new business opportunities, and promoting the Santam brand and product offerings for Personal and Commercial Insurance to achieve business growth targets set. The BDC will be responsible for all due diligence linked to the onboarding of new Direct Business Partners, ensuring that all compliance and legislative elements pertaining to NDAs, contracting, SLAs, and reporting are executed timely and accurately.

This role will also be responsible for maintaining strong business relationships with all Direct Partners in line with Santam's values, mission, and vision strategy.

What will make you successful in this role?

• Sourcing high‐intent sales opportunities, in line with Santam's risk appetite.
• Achieve/maintain all partnership strategies to deliver on all contracted targets.
• Maintain a healthy business relationship at a strategic and operational level.
• Responsible for negotiating capacity and support from other teams within Santam to support new and existing Business Partnerships.
• Keep abreast of any developments within our partners and manage the portfolio of business through analysis, interpretation and decision making.
• Responsible for all Direct Business Partner contracting and adherence to any governance and legislative requirements.
• Also responsible for annual renewed contracting where required.
• Constant communication and pointers to the Business Development Manager in order to achieve targets, maintain relationships, adhere to any legislation changes etc. that may apply.
• Proactively identify operational or procedural obstacles and problems, determine impact patterns and trends analysis by identifying best fit alternatives design best practice solutions.
• Manage effective SLAs with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proactively identify operational or procedural obstacles and problems, determine impact patterns and trends analysis by identifying best fit alternatives design best practice solutions.

Qualification and Experience

• Matric.
• FAIS compliant, including RE certificate.
• Minimum 5+ years relationship management experience.
• Minimum of 3 years short‐term insurance experience essential.
• Experience in a direct non‑life OR short‑term insurance environment preferential.
• Valid driver's licence.
• Fluent in English and Afrikaans.

Knowledge and Skills

• Microsoft Office – Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Proven ability to manage relationships with partners.
• Ability to negotiate and conclude partnerships.
• Technical insurance knowledge essential – Sales, Underwriting, QA, Rating and Loss Ratio (high level information).
• Effective internal and external stakeholder management.
• Administration function in ensuring that contracts are in place, compliance and legislative requirements are being met and reports to Business Partners are timely and value adding.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills.

Personal Attributes

Directs work plans and aligns.

Who are we

Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. We are a large, diversified, expanding and transforming company and whilst based in South Africa, we are rapidly moving into a number of emerging markets, both in Africa and Asia. Our success is rooted in our passion for our clients and everything we do is centered on our delivery of Insurance Good and Proper.

We're about people.

People drive our business so it follows that we want to recruit the best people possible whether they work for us permanently or for a short time as temporary employees. At Santam we are committed to transformation and embracing diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse workplace with employment equity as a key goal to create an inclusive workforce, representative of the demographics of our society. In achieving our employment equity goals we give preference to applicants from the designated groups in alignment with the Divisions Employment Equity targets.

Recruitment Process

1. Our vacancies are advertised between 3‑5 days depending on the market availability of the skills required.

2. Screening may take a couple of days depending on the volume and the screening process, which varies according to the complexity of the role.

3. Long‑listed candidates are sent to the hiring manager to review and consider for the next stage of the selection process.

4. Candidates may be contacted for a short screening interview to get to know them better and to ask any clarification‑seeking questions.

5. We use a competency interview model.

6. Should we like what you bring to the table, depending on the job you are being considered for, you may be invited to complete a psychometric assessment.

7. Prior to an offer being made, there may be a second interview to meet with the Head of Department. If further interviews are required, bring the same charm that got you through your first interview.

8. Once an offer is made, we conduct further employment checks to ensure the validity of your credentials, and proceed with onboarding.

TIPS & TRICKS – Getting ready for your interview

There is not just one way to be successful at Santam, nor is there one way to interview with us. Interviewing is a two‑way process – it helps us learn about you, and it helps you learn about us, our people, and what you could do here. Santam has been officially recognised by the Top Employers Institute as a Top Employer for excellence in people practices. This is the ninth consecutive year that we have achieved this accolade.

• Top Employer – Excellence in People Practices (ninth consecutive year).