Director - RFP Leader

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. 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 18,000 employees spanning over 100 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.

At Howden Re, we’re on a mission to do things differently. Our no silo approach, elite team, and clear focus on innovation and relentless execution means our clients are at the heart of all we do. As a big 4 global reinsurance broker, we deliberately avoid the one-size-fits-all approach, committing to creating bespoke solutions that address the unique challenges of a modern and dynamic marketplace. Our team is empowered to drive progress, creating opportunities for career and personal development, unlocking new value for clients, fostering long-term partnerships, and using the collective power of Howden to change how the world sees risk and insurance.

When you join Howden Re, you become part of a vibrant and entrepreneurial workplace culture that prioritises collaboration, ownership, and shared success. Here, your contributions will directly impact our mission to be the global partner of choice in reinsurance and strategic advisory.

What are we looking for?

Are you a visionary leader and seeking to build a team from the ground up? Have you held a senior RFP role in the (Re)Insurance sector? We’re on the lookout for someone to bring this to life through our RFP process. This is a global role and an incredibly exciting opportunity for someone with a passion for winning, and the leadership and vision to build an exciting and compelling RFP process and proposition. In the role you will work closely with colleagues across the business and with our Markets and Marketing teams to really bring the best of Howden Re together.

Main Responsibilities:

• Development of a clear RFP process and governance framework
• Accountable for the identification, capture, management and triaging of all relevant opportunities
• Influencing cross functional stakeholders to determine bid / no-bid decisions and the strategic fit and tender response proposition for opportunities
• Project management of RFP responses, from pre-invitation through to post-decision, in close collaboration with broking account executives, to ultimately maximise case by case probabilities and ensure widespread adoption of best practice
• The creation of high-quality RFP collateral, including the development of a best-in-class RFP library
• Designing and implementing a post-tender review process for wins and losses, capturing key learnings to enable continuous improvement
• Implementation of technology to drive innovation across the RFP process
• Development of a team (in-house and outsourced as needed) to ensure exceptional design, proof reading, storytelling and project management capabilities. This team will be a critical function in our sales operation that will be embedded in the reinsurance business and production lifecycle
• Design of RFP training and education to support the development of embedded RFP champions across the business

Who are we looking for?

• Collaborative with the ability to build relationships across a matrixed environment
• Confident to influence senior stakeholders
• Experienced in leading RFP processes across a variety of audiences
• A re/insurance industry expert with a clear understanding of evolving reinsurance client needs
• Comfortable engaging with a range of stakeholders across broking, analytics, operations and leadership
• Excited by a fast paced and dynamic environment
• Tenacious and resilient - we’re in build mode!

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.