Head of Retail Pricing (12 Month FTC)

Location: Haywards Heath, Home Office (Remote) or Manchester

Salary: From £100,000 depending on experience

Department: Commercial

We’re First Central Insurance & Technology Group (First Central for short), an innovative, market-leading insurance company. We protect the things customers love so they can get on with what matters to them in life.

Data drives us. It fuels our outstanding distribution, finance, technology and legal services. Our underwriting skills are built on data expertise; it creates the insights we need to give the right cover to the right customers at the right price. But, it’s the people inside and outside our business that power us. They make us stand out, help us succeed. We’re ambitious. We’re growing. We’ve won awards.

Are you an experienced leader with a strong background in team management and a deep understanding of price optimisation? We are seeking a dynamic individual with proven expertise in the personal lines industry and a keen commercial awareness to join our team. If you have a track record of success as a Head of department or team leader and are proficient in using Radar for price optimisation, we want to hear from you!

We’re looking for a Head of Retail Pricing to join our Commercial & Marketing team either working remotely or based in our Salford Quays, Manchester or Haywards Heath, West Sussex offices.

This is a 12 month fixed term contract position and has potential to extend or become permanent, but we cannot guarantee at this point.

In this role you’ll lead the development/advancement Retail Pricing function, making First Central best in class by ensuring delivery of targets and managing the assessment.

We are passionate about continuous improvement, so you’ll provide thought leadership and people management to enable the development and execution of the group’s retail pricing function, supporting the delivery of the group’s sales and profit targets.

This role is Certified in line with the Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR).

Core skills we’re looking for to succeed in the role:

• Previous Head of / team management experience
• Understanding of price optimisation and use of Radar
• Experience within the personal lines industry

What’s involved:

• Lead the development and iteration of the Retail Pricing strategy
• Optimise First Central\’s trading position, ensuring delivery to targets and embedding a philosophy of continuous improvement
• Responsible for the development and management of new pricing strategies in line with business requirements
• Ensure First Central is at the forefront of advancement in the Insurance market
• Create an innovative approach which drives the business forward by introducing new analytical methods, making use of new data sources and producing reporting suites to track performance
• Support the broader business and commercial and marketing programmes through thought leadership into organisational programmes of work
• Provide input and advice into company analysis strategy and the effective implementation of that strategy to meet company requirements
• Maintain an ethically sound workplace culture of inclusivity, openness, ownership, collaboration, ambition, innovation, agility, and respect
• Responsibility for maintaining department risk registers (as applicable), providing evidence and commentary for controls, updates for Mitigation Actions and maintaining control matrices and attestations. Also, to ensure that your employees are aware of their responsibility to identify and report risk.
• Lead, motivate and develop the Retail Pricing Teams, and define the framework for the team’s goals and objectives. Build a strong network of close relationships across the business. Anticipate stakeholder needs & proactively manage key relationships internally & externally. Lead, influence, motivate and co-ordinate people to deliver enhancements through a multi-disciplined, agile approach.
• Represent the Retail Pricing Director in meetings as and when required
• Comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with, the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times
• Ensure compliance with Company Policies, Values and guidelines and other relevant standards/ regulations at all times, including compliance with the Senior Managers Certification Regime (SMCR) Conduct Rules
• Complete all mandatory training
• Travel to group locations on an ad hoc basis (currently Manchester, Gibraltar and Guernsey)
• Any other reasonable duties as required

Qualifications:

• Minimum 2:1 in a numerical undergraduate discipline

Experience:

• Extensive experience of personal lines insurance pricing or similar
• Strong experience managing a team and project leadership
• Experience developing and executing a best in market pricing vision
• Proven ability to produce outstanding results based on own initiative
• Strong background in statistical methods
• Experience of SAS, Emblem, Radar, Excel and advanced statistical techniques

Skills:

• People and project management skills
• Ability to drive continued Capability development of a team
• Ability to lead and proactively support a team including strong oversight and influencing skills
• Innovative and decisive mind-set – with the ability to react quickly to problems and find effective solutions.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with experience dealing with senior stakeholders
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to adopt a logical approach to solving problems
• Excellent data and statistical analysis skills
• Strong IT skills (including Excel, Emblem, Radar and programming skills)

Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of motor insurance products and the motor insurance industry
• Solid understanding of the business objectives and operations
• Broad knowledge of statistical methods and techniques
• Advanced analytical and quantitative capabilities; programming and data modelling skills

Behaviours:

• Forward thinking – aware of the longer-term implications and keep the big picture in mind, and identify actions to meet future challenges
• Commercially focused and excellent communicator
• Capable of quickly identifying emerging issues and having the ability to ensure the team gains insights and acts
• Consistently high performing over time across multiple leadership scenarios and demonstrate resilience, energy and flexibility to achieve the team goals
• Advanced analytical and quantitative capabilities; programming and data modelling skills
• Commercially focused and excellent communicator
• Able to transfer skills and knowledge to others
• An organised and proactive approach
• Strives to drive business improvements to contribute to the success of the business

Are you the person we’re looking for? If so, we look forward to hearing from you. Apply today!

People first. Always. We’re passionate about our colleagues and know the best people deserve an extraordinary working environment. We owe it to them so that’s what we offer. Our workplaces are energetic, inspirational, supportive.

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