Channels Manager in Birmingham

CHANNELS MANAGER

ROLE PROFILE | COMMERCIAL & DISTRIBUTION

Role information

Details Employer Diaspora Insurance Reports to Channels Director Department Channels / Commercial Scope Assigned sales channels, markets and corridors People responsibility Assigned channel teams in accordance with the approved organisational structure Document status Draft for approval | 6 October 2026

Role purpose

Translate the Channels Director’s commercial strategy into effective day-to-day delivery across assigned distribution channels. Drive sustainable growth in policy sales and gross written premium, strengthen productive sales capacity, and improve conversion, retention and customer experience through disciplined execution, coaching and performance management.

Scope and working relationships

The role coordinates assigned Business Development Managers, sales executives, Super Introducers, lead generators, call centres, BPO partners and direct or digital sales activity. Geographic coverage and direct reporting lines will be confirmed by the Channels Director within the approved structure.

Works closely with Marketing, PR & Events, Finance, Compliance, Human Resources, IT, New Business, Policy Services and Claims to remove operational barriers and support consistent customer outcomes. The Channels Director retains strategic direction and approval authority for matters outside delegated limits.

Key responsibilities

• Convert approved sales objectives into monthly and weekly channel plans, with clear owners, activity requirements and delivery milestones.
• Monitor policy sales, gross written premium, average premium and budget attainment by channel and corridor; implement corrective action for underperformance.
• Identify market opportunities, assess channel capacity and recommend practical growth initiatives to the Channels Director.

Sales force and partner development

• Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, training and activation of sales executives, Super Introducers and lead generators with relevant managers and HR.
• Improve the proportion of active producers through coaching, structured reviews and time-bound recovery plans.
• Monitor BPO and distribution partner delivery against agreed service levels; elevate persistent shortfalls and recommend remediation.
• Ensure referral partners understand their approved role, including restrictions on quoting premiums or selling beyond their authorisation.

Lead management and conversion

• Work with Marketing and channel leaders to maintain sufficient qualified lead supply and assess lead quality by source.
• Implement approved lead allocation, validation, deduplication, consent recording, follow-up and reallocation processes.
• Track the funnel from lead receipt through contact, quotation, application, policy inception and first-premium collection; identify and resolve leakage.
• Enforce accurate CRM use, source attribution and timely pipeline updates, including proper recording of unsuccessful outcomes.

Call centre and BPO productivity

• Review staffing, attendance, activity levels, contact rates, conversion and policies per active agent; agree improvement actions with supervisors.
• Coordinate product, sales and customer service training, call-quality reviews and individual coaching.
• Work with IT and operational teams to resolve dialler, CRM and workflow issues affecting sales delivery.

Customer experience and sales quality

• Promote needs-based selling, accurate product explanations and appropriate disclosures using approved materials.
• Coordinate complete application and KYC handovers, policy activation and timely customer communication with operational teams.
• Monitor complaints, cancellations and early policy lapses by channel; address root causes and improve customer retention.

Governance, reporting and cost control

• Ensure channel activities follow company policies, approved market permissions, data-handling requirements and Compliance guidance.
• Escalate suspected misselling, fraud, customer harm, data incidents and reputational concerns promptly through approved protocols.
• Monitor approved channel budgets, acquisition costs, commissions and campaign returns with Finance; obtain approval for expenditure outside delegated authority.
• Submit accurate weekly performance dashboards and monthly commercial reports, including variances, forecasts, risks and accountable action trackers.

Performance measures

Specific targets and weightings will be agreed with the Channels Director in the annual performance contract and reviewed quarterly. Measures should distinguish submitted applications from incepted policies and reconcile production and premium figures with Finance.

Performance area Measures Commercial delivery Incepted policies and gross written premium against approved budget; average premium; forecast accuracy. Sales capacity Recruitment and activation against plan; active producer rate; productive agent retention. Lead supply and execution Qualified leads against plan; validity and duplication rates; follow-up within approved SLA; CRM completeness. Conversion and productivity Lead-to-policy conversion; quotation-to-policy conversion; policies and premium per active agent; contact rates. Customer outcomes First-premium collection; early lapse and retention rates; sales-related complaints; customer satisfaction. Quality and governance Sales quality results; training completion; KYC handover completeness; compliance issues resolved within agreed timelines. Efficiency and accountability Acquisition cost and campaign return; expenditure against approved budget; timely reports and closure of agreed actions.

Qualifications and experience

• Minimum of a first degree in Business Studies or a relevant field.
• Related professional courses in sales, business development, marketing, insurance or management will be an added advantage.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in Sales or Business Development.
• Demonstrated success in achieving sales targets, developing business pipelines and managing stakeholder relationships.
• Experience coordinating sales teams, distribution partners, call centres or BPO operations is desirable.
• Insurance or financial services experience, and exposure to international or diaspora markets, will be an added advantage.

Knowledge, skills and competencies

• Commercial judgement, sales planning and execution, with strong understanding of distribution channels.
• Leadership, coaching and performance management skills.
• Ability to analyse sales data, explain variances and turn findings into practical actions.
• Strong communication, negotiation, relationship-building and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in CRM systems, Microsoft Excel and performance reporting tools.
• Customer focus, integrity, accountability and sound judgement when handling confidential information.
• Ability to coordinate across functions, prioritise competing demands and work effectively across markets and time zones.

Authority and working requirements

Operates within delegated authority and approved budgets. Recommends recruitment, incentives, partner arrangements and channel changes to the Channels Director. Contract execution, changes to product terms or pricing, and expenditure beyond delegated limits require approval through the company’s established processes.

Travel and occasional work outside standard office hours may be required to support assigned markets, partners and events, subject to company policy.

#J-18808-Ljbffr