Head of Strategic Partnerships Remote-UK

As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a driven and dynamic Head of Strategic Partnerships to take the lead in identifying exciting new business opportunities, develop strong partnerships, and drive our commercial success. If you’re a strategic thinker with a passion for business development (and maybe a love for furry friends too) this could be the perfect opportunity for you.

What’s on offer?

Not only do we offer a competitive salary of £88,000 with excellent benefits, but we also firmly believe that your postcode should never be a barrier when it comes to finding the pawfect role – that’s why we’re flexible on your working location. At Animal Friends, you can choose to be based remotely within the UK, within our Amesbury office, or hybrid (a mixture of both).

At Animal Friends Insurance, we’re all about empowering our colleagues to make work work for them wherever possible, which is why we also welcome applications from candidates looking to work part-time or condensed hours.

What you’ll do

This is a key leadership role which will be instrumental in shaping and determining the next chapter of successful partnership growth and relationships. Manage the Partnerships team to identify new areas of business opportunity / partners:

• Lead meetings/workshops with stakeholders across the business to understand commercial requirements to help develop new opportunities.
• Work with the Compliance team to oversee risk and issue management of potential business opportunities.
• Support stakeholders with business case development and buy-in.
• Management of large scale, end to end high-value tender process.
• Ensure spend data is consolidated to inform the ongoing development of the commercial strategy.
• Act as the lead in market knowledge providing intelligent management information to support decision making and benefits realisation.
• Set up and/or strategically manage frameworks, routes to market and associated contracts over the full commercial lifecycle, including negotiations dispute resolutions and contract variations to ensure value for money.
• P&L ownership, develop and manage budgets, forecasts, and financial performance metrics.
• Implement strategies to optimise pricing, contracts, and overall profitability.
• Drive innovation and review current commercial processes and general ways of working to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Stay informed about industry trends and the competitive landscape.
• Develop and present regular reports on commercial performance, market trends, and business development activities.
• Use data and analytics to drive decision-making and refine commercial strategies.

Who you are

• Proven track record of excellent people management.
• Excellent commercial and financial awareness.
• Proven experience of delivering new business, leading commercial negotiations and able to demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of standard legal and financial mechanisms with commercial contracts.
• Proven ability to analyse commercial financial outcomes and plan a negotiation to deliver within agreed tolerances.
• Experience developing complex business solutions and counterparty engagement with large complex organisations.
• Highly developed solution selling, customer relations and negotiation skills with the ability to effectively consult and influence at Board level.
• Ability to manage multi-faceted issues, complete in-depth analysis and where there may be significant levels of risk and ambiguity.
• Experience of implementing contract variations through change control process and procedure improvements.
• Technical and commercial B2C/B2B experience.
• Results orientated with the ability to drive creative/innovation plans and activities to deliver against targets.
• Strong data analysis skills and use in solving problems and monitoring performance.
• Able to easily work from home with a quiet space and good internet connection.

Why choose Animal Friends

Animal Friends has been supporting UK pet owners for more than 25 years with our comprehensive and meaningful pet insurance. We are not only an award-winning business but one of the largest pet insurance providers in the UK. But we’re not like other leading UK pet insurers, we were built to be unmistakably different – giving back to incredible animal welfare and conservation charities, at home and around the world, as they fight to support and care for vulnerable pets, wildlife, and habitats. So far, we’ve helped support over 800 charities and conservancies across the UK and worldwide and donated over £8.5 million and continue to use our voice and platform to fight for positive change. We believe that even the smallest act can make a big difference.

We understand that our success is only possible because of how we work together, which is why our company values of being courageous, kind-hearted and passionate are the heart of what we do – and we simply wouldn’t be who we are today without our colleagues, who embody these values every day.

We are part of the Pinnacle Pet Group (PPG) – a pan European fully integrated pet insurance and pet health services provider. On a mission to help pets live happy, healthy lives with their pet parents, PPG are committed to supporting the diverse needs of their customers and colleagues with a clear ambition to become the world leader in pet insurance and healthcare services.

What you’ll get

We recognise that your hard work shouldn’t come without its perks, so here’s a little list of some of the things you can expect to get from us:

• 25 days annual leave, which increases with service, plus bank holidays.
• A day off for your birthday.
• One paid day off per year to volunteer with a UK-registered animal charity of your choice.
• Access to 50% off insuring pet companions with Animal Friends.
• Free access to our expert vet partner, Joii Pet Care, for your cat and/or dog.
• Your mental and physical health is incredibly important to us. That’s why we offer discount on gym membership, access to a dedicated Wellbeing Hub and a healthcare cash plan / private medical insurance and Group life assurance.
• We like to celebrate success and recognise excellent employee performance; we will donate £3k to the charity of our employee of the quarter’s choice.
• Most importantly, you’ll be working with, and supported by, a team of courageous, passionate, and kind-hearted individuals – we might be biased, but we think that they’re a pretty pawsome bunch!

Inclusion, Diversity and Belonging at Animal Friends

At Animal Friends, we take inclusion seriously. This means nurturing a culture that respects everyone as an individual and values the unique perspectives we all bring through our background, characteristics, and lived experiences.

We know that harnessing our differences makes us stronger and helps us to deliver better outcomes for our customers and each other. That’s why we are committed to ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and without discrimination, and we are passionate about creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong.

Our recruitment process

As an FCA regulated business, we require successful applicants to clear our pre-employment screening process which includes a credit check and references checks. Under the latest UK Right to Work regulations, we will require successful applicants to evidence their right to work in the UK, either in person, online, or digitally via a third party subject to circumstances.

Please be aware this advert will remain open until the vacancy has been filled rather than the advertised closing date. Interviews will take place throughout this period; therefore, we encourage you to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Hours: 37.5

Competitive

Job attachments:

Head_of_Strategic_Partnerships_Feb_2025.docx

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