Manager - Corporate Investigations in London

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 23,000 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.

Overview

The Manager of Corporate Investigations & Whistleblowing is a new role that will be responsible for establishing a framework for overseeing, conducting, and coordinating sensitive internal investigations across the Howden Group. This role is responsible for ensuring that allegations – ranging from misconduct and policy breaches to complex whistleblowing disclosures – are handled with integrity, consistency, and discretion. The manager will also design, implement, and continuously improve the organisation's investigation framework, ensuring it meets legal, regulatory, and ethical standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead and develop a high-performing investigations team, providing coaching, guidance, and oversight on complex and sensitive cases.
  • Allocate and prioritise casework to ensure timely, fair, and consistent handling of all investigations.
  • Foster a culture of professionalism, confidentiality, and ethical decision-making within the team.
• Investigations Oversight
  • Oversee end-to-end investigations, including intake, triage, planning, evidence gathering, interviews, analysis, and reporting.
  • Ensure investigations are conducted impartially, in accordance with internal policies, legal requirements, and best practices.
  • Where required, manage high-risk or high-profile cases, including those involving senior leaders, regulatory exposure, or significant reputational risk.
  • Partner with Legal, HR and Compliance to ensure coordinated and consistent responses to allegations.
• Whistleblowing Programme Management
  • Oversee the organisation's whistleblowing channels, ensuring they are accessible, trusted, and compliant with relevant legislation.
  • Ensure timely and appropriate responses to whistleblower disclosures, including safeguarding confidentiality and protecting individuals from retaliation.
  • Monitor trends and themes emerging from whistleblowing reports and escalate systemic issues to senior leadership.
• Framework & Policy Development
  • Design and maintain a robust investigation framework, including policies, procedures, templates, and quality standards.
  • Implement continuous improvement, incorporating lessons learned, regulatory changes, and industry best practices.
  • Develop training and awareness programmes to operate across all levels of the Howden Group on reporting concerns and understanding the investigation process.
• Reporting & Governance
  • Prepare clear, evidence-based investigation reports for senior leaders, committees, and external authorities where required.
  • Provide regular metrics and insights on case trends, root causes, and risk indicators.
  • Support governance bodies by presenting findings and recommending corrective actions or control improvements.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, ensuring transparency and confidence in the investigation process.
  • Act as a subject-matter expert on investigations, whistleblowing, and ethical conduct.

Skills & Experience

• Proven experience managing complex corporate investigations, ideally in a regulated or multinational environment.
• Good understanding of employment law, regulatory requirements, and whistleblowing legislation.
• Exceptional judgement, discretion, and ability to handle highly sensitive information.
• Skilled interviewer, potentially with experience in trauma-informed or advanced investigative techniques.
• Excellent written communication, capable of producing clear, defensible reports.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate ambiguity.
• Experience developing frameworks, policies, or governance structures.

Personal Attributes

• High integrity and ethical standards.
• Calm under pressure and able to manage sensitive situations with empathy.
• Analytical thinker with strong attention to detail.
• Confident leader who can inspire trust and credibility.

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.