Client Service Specialist

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

This opening is a full-time role which is currently home based but will require office-based attendance at least once a month. The purpose of the role is to maintain a portfolio of UK clients from an account management standpoint to ensure excellent client service and the building of strong relationships. You will be expected to build on the knowledge that you have in order to handle a variety of group plans/ employee benefits. There is good variety in the role which comes from looking after multinational clients, typically who rely on us to organise their UK and global benefits, including but not limited to benefits such as; Group Risk, Group Health Insurance, and Retirement plans.

Duties:

• Managing a portfolio of UK SME clients, working alongside a consultant and providing day to day support of client accounts across a range of pensions, group risk and group healthcare.
• Direct contact with clients to resolve queries, support relationship development and ensure timely delivery of services.
• Obtaining and managing information relating to the client’s existing benefits and sourcing the appropriate information to carry out any necessary analysis. This includes liaising with insurance providers to organise the completion of renewal exercises in a timely manner and obtaining quotes from the market.
• Obtaining new business quotations and supporting the market review process and end to end onboarding of new business clients.
• Manage and prepare client data for reports and to issue to providers.
• Working with clients on their benefits strategy to ensure it aligns with their business strategy.
• Merger & Acquisition data gathering, analysis and report writing.
• Client liaison regarding communication of benefits, paperwork completion e.g., Application forms.
• Producing draft renewal recommendation reports.
• Managing client membership changes in a timely manner.
• Contributing towards internal provider panel maintenance, including provider feedback.
• Ensuring the back-office system is maintained with relevant client/ plan information and appropriate management of the scheme tasks including proactive follow up with clients and keeping your consultant updated at all times.
• Supporting the maintaining of compliance documents and processes within the firm.
• From time-to-time employees in this role may be required to travel.
• Any other duty as required by the line manager commensurate with the post.

What’s needed for me to do this role?

• Minimum of 3 years Employee Benefits experience from either a large insurer or similar consultancy practice.
• Strong technical understanding of employee benefits design and products across group healthcare, group risk and pensions.
• Proven experience of providing quality support and building credible client relationships.
• Evidence of using an internal client relationship management database.
• Ability to prioritise, organise and carry out tasks within deadlines.
• Strong IT skills – Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Strong decision-making ability.
• Time management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and being process driven.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely via email, video call, phone or face to face.
• Proactive and team player.
• Hold professional qualifications GR1 and/or IF7 preferred but not essential.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.