Commercial Manager in Manchester

Prima could be the place for you. Since 2015, we’ve been using our love of data and tech to rethink motor insurance and bring drivers a great experience at a great price. Our story began in Italy, where we’ve quickly become the number one online motor insurance provider. In fact, we’re trusted by over 4 million drivers. And now we’re expanding to help millions more drivers in the UK and Spain.

To help fuel that growth, we need a Commercial Manager (Engineering) to join our Claims UK team. We are seeking a highly commercial, astute and technically grounded Commercial Manager to take ownership of the performance, governance and strategic development of our motor claims engineering team and repair network. This pivotal role sits at the intersection of Claims, Commercial, and Technical Engineering, focusing on driving best-in-class performance in cost control (indemnity spend), repair quality, compliance, and key-to-key cycle times, ultimately ensuring excellent customer outcomes. This role will also encompass support as a subject matter expert on technical engineering topics as we build out our Global Claims Platform.

What you’ll do:

• Drive Commercial & Financial Performance Management
• Indemnity Spend Control: Take ownership of the commercial elements related to our Third Party Administrator and its repair network/engineering team, driving cost-saving initiatives, fraud monitoring and ensuring optimal indemnity spend without compromising safety or quality. This may include visiting our TPA and repairers within their network.
• Supplier Negotiation: Lead and manage commercial negotiations with future suppliers, including repair network partners and engineering service providers, ensuring mutually beneficial, market-competitive contractual terms.
• Performance Oversight: Design, monitor and report on key commercials and claims engineering KPIs (eg repair cost, total loss ratios, parts utilisation, cycle time) to identify trends, opportunities and risks.
• Budget Management: Contribute to the claims budget process, providing accurate forecasting and analysis relating to repair and claims costs.
• Strategy & Governance
• Strategic Development: Design, develop and implement the long-term strategy for our Engineering Department, including engagement of a repair network, ensuring adequate capacity, capability and geographical coverage to meet business and customers' needs.
• Process Improvement: Identify, champion and deliver change initiatives across the repair and engineering claims journey to enhance efficiency, drive digital adoption and improve customer experience.
• Relationship & Stakeholder Management
• Key Partner Management: Build and maintain high-performing, long-term relationships with our TPA, repair networks, part suppliers and other associated vendors.
• Internal collaboration: Act as the primary interface between the Claims, Pricing, Underwriting and Finance Teams, ensuring a clear and consistent commercial view of the repair network’s contribution to overall business performance.
• Escalation Point: Act as a final point of technical and commercial escalation for complex, high-value, or high-profile repair and engineering issues, driving resolutions that protect both the customer and the company.

What we’re looking for:

• Commercial Acumen: Proven experience in a Commercial or Strategic Supplier Management role, ideally within the motor repair/automotive sector.
• Technical Engineering Knowledge: Strong background and demonstrable knowledge of motor vehicle claims engineering, repair methodologies, and key industry systems (eg Audatex, Glassmatix/GT Motive).
• Negotiation: Expert-level negotiation and contract management skills with a proven track record of delivering measurable commercial value through supplier relationships.
• Data Analysis: Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to interrogate complex data sets, interpret performance trends and translate insights into actionable commercial strategies.
• Stakeholder Management: Highly effective communicator and influencer with strong influencing skills, capable of building credibility and managing relationships with both internal senior leaders and external partners.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication to effectively represent Prima to external partners (reinsurers and market).
• Can do attitude: Comfortable working in a growing / scale-up business environment. Strong attention to detail, with a problem-solving attitude.
• Quality & Compliance Oversight: Establish robust governance frameworks, including auditing and performance management protocols to ensure our TPA, our repair network and engineering team and other partners comply with contractual agreements, regulatory requirements and our quality standards.

Why you’ll love it here:

We want to make Prima a happy and empowering place to work. So if you decide to join us, you can expect plenty of perks.

• Work Your Way: Enjoy hybrid working, with a mix of home and office days.
• Grow with us: We may move fast at Prima, but we move together. Get access to learning resources, mentorship and a growth plan tailored to you.
• Thrive and perform: Your best work begins when you feel your best. Enjoy private healthcare, gym discounts, wellbeing programs and mental health support.

Apply now. At Prima, we celebrate uniqueness. If you don’t meet every requirement but are passionate about this role, we still want to hear from you. Innovation thrives on diverse perspectives.