Director of Pricing and Analytics in Haywards Heath

We’re 1st Central, a market‑leading insurance company utilising smart data and technology at pace. Rapid growth has been based on giving our 1.4 million customers exactly what they want: great value insurance with an excellent service. And that’s the same for our colleagues too; we won Insurance Employer of the Year at the British Insurance Awards 2024 and our Glassdoor score is pretty mega too!

We’re looking for a Director of Pricing & Analytics to take the lead in shaping our technical pricing strategy, driving market‑leading capability across the business. In this pivotal role, you’ll set the vision and thought leadership for advanced analytics across the organisation, ensuring data‑driven thinking fuels our growth, innovation and competitive edge.

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

• Technical & Analytical Expertise: Exceptional numerical, mathematical and analytical capabilities, with a strong grounding in statistical techniques for insurance risk analysis. Advanced financial analysis and modelling skills and a high proficiency with analytical and programming tools (e.g., Excel, VBA, SAS, R, H2O, Python, Java, SQL, Emblem, geographic analysis tools).
• Insurance Domain Knowledge: Deep understanding of general insurance, ideally personal lines with the ability to interpret complex issues across underwriting, claims, pricing, reserving and financial analysis.
• Leadership & People Development: Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire, challenge and elevate team performance. Strong coaching, mentoring and development capability. Skilled at planning, prioritising and managing workloads for self and others.
• Communication & Influence: Clear, concise communicator able to engage both technical specialists and non‑technical audiences, strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships at all levels. Influencing skills that foster trust, collaboration and cooperation.
• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Inventive, flexible thinker who can tackle complex problems and create workable alternatives. Able to operate under pressure, meet strict deadlines and maintain accuracy. High emotional intelligence, integrity and sound judgement.
• Personal Qualities & Values: Driven, dynamic and committed to continuous self‑improvement. Professional approach to colleagues and partners.

What’s involved:

• Ownership and delivery of the Technical Pricing Strategy and implementation plan.
• You’ll be responsible for the identification, development and implementation of sophisticated technical modelling and analytical tools, techniques and methodologies to provide business with a competitive edge.
• Ownership of monitoring performance of technical models and identification of changes required to help achieve business plans.
• You’ll lead the iterative development of the Technical Pricing Sophistication component of the Pricing & Proposition Transformation Programme.
• You’ll lead, motivate and develop the Technical Pricing Teams, you’ll 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.
• You’ll plan and utilise company resources effectively to create maximum value for the company's stakeholders.
• You’ll provide input into the Pricing & Proposition Change programme to deliver capability improvements required for financial result delivery.
• You’ll be responsible for review and updates of the Technical Pricing control and risk management framework and environment; and ensure compliance with regulatory rules and requirements.
• You’ll visibly sponsor and drive continuous improvement/change programmes to ensure best practice standards.
• Continual process improvement focus on driving operational efficiencies with minimal tactical workaround requirements.
• You’ll manage key operational relationships with suppliers to optimise business value.
• You’ll be responsible for providing regular updates to Risk & Compliance teams, 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.
• You’ll comply with the requirements, and act in accordance with the Group Code of Conduct and Fitness and Propriety policies at all times.
• You’ll 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).

Experience & knowledge:

• Exceptional numerical mathematical and analytical skills. Degree or post‑graduate in a mathematics related discipline or evidence of equivalent proficiency.
• Coaching and development skills.
• Detailed understanding of appropriate statistical techniques for insurance risk analysis.
• Proven ability to plan and prioritise own work and the work of others.
• Ability to grasp the significance and meaning of a range of technical and complex issues relating to underwriting, claims handling, pricing, reserving and financial analysis of insurance.
• Strong financial analysis and modelling skills.
• Advanced level knowledge of products such as Excel, Visual Basic, SAS, R, H2O, Java, Python, SQL, Emblem and geographic analysis tools.
• Ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines whilst maintaining reliability and accuracy.
• Able to communicate clearly and concisely to a range of target audiences.
• Leader who will constantly challenge their team to raise the bar on performance.
• An outstanding approach towards their work, partners and colleagues.
• A driven and dynamic individual who constantly evaluates their own performance.
• An emotionally intelligent individual with high level of integrity, who accurately gauges situations.
• Excellent appreciation of General Insurance, preferably personal lines insurance.
• Excellent interpersonal skills for interacting with people at all management levels, both internally and externally.
• Communication skills: the ability to engage with technical specialists and layman equally well.
• Relationship building skills: the ability to create and maintain a network of important contacts.
• Leadership and influencing skills: the ability to gain trust and co‑operation.
• Excellent coaching, development and management skills.
• Inventive thinker who is flexible, tenacious with problems and able to create workable alternatives.
• Data literate; knows what data and analysis to ask for; ensures that viable decisions and actions are likely outcomes.
• Aligned to the values of Ambition; Agility; Ownership; Collaboration.

Join us and play a pivotal role in defining the next chapter of our pricing and analytics strategy. Apply today.

What can we do for you?

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. To get a taste of the advantages you’ll enjoy, take a look at all our perks in full here.

Intrigued? Our Talent team can tell you everything you need to know about what we want and what we’re offering, so feel free to get in touch.