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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead talent and succession strategy to build future-ready leadership pipelines.
- Company: Join Howden, a global insurance group with a unique employee-owned culture.
- Benefits: Flexible working hours, career progression, and a supportive environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on talent development and organisational transformation.
- Qualifications: Experience in talent management and strong project leadership skills.
- Other info: Diverse and inclusive workplace with opportunities for innovation and growth.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 72000 £ per year.
Who are we? 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.
Role Purpose
Lead the design, implementation, and evolution of Howden's enterprise-wide talent and succession strategy, ensuring strong leadership pipelines, internal mobility, and future-ready capability. Drive integration with related processes such as talent identification, development, executive assessment, DEI and talent acquisition, aligning all initiatives with business growth and transformation ambitions.
Key Responsibilities
- Talent & Succession Strategy
- Architect and embed a Group-wide approach to talent and succession, strengthening visibility, mobility, and readiness across all divisions.
- Establish governance, cadence, and reporting for succession planning, ensuring proactive risk management and leadership continuity.
- Integrate succession planning with talent identification, development, and acquisition processes, including the use of executive assessment in hiring decisions.
- Enterprise Talent Programmes
- Design and deliver initiatives that accelerate development and mobility of critical and emerging talent, leveraging technology, analytics, and inclusive practices.
- Build and engage a global community of talent and performance representatives, fostering collaboration and best practice sharing.
- Career Frameworks & Internal Mobility
- Define and implement career frameworks that clarify progression, support cross-divisional movement, and enable enterprise-level workforce planning.
- Coaching, Mentoring & Capability Building
- Maintain and evolve the coaching and mentoring culture, curating partnerships and internal capability to embed sustainable practices.
- Oversee targeted learning interventions and leadership development aligned to business priorities.
- Skills Framework Leadership
- Support the creation and rollout of a skills framework that maps critical capabilities for current and future business needs.
- Partner with divisional and functional leaders to enable strategic workforce planning and agile talent deployment.
- Ensure skills data informs talent processes and career development pathways.
- Transformation & Change Leadership
- Act as a strategic partner to senior stakeholders, connecting talent, succession, and leadership outcomes with commercial performance and cultural transformation.
- Lead change management and communication strategies for new talent initiatives.
- Insights, Analytics & Governance
- Establish clear metrics and reporting mechanisms to track progress, inform decision-making, and enable continuous improvement.
- Leverage talent analytics and technology platforms (e.g., Workday) to drive data transparency and evidence-based decisions.
- DEI Integration
- Champion inclusive design and DEI integration across all talent and succession processes, ensuring representation and psychological safety.
- Future Offerings & Innovation
- Identify and pilot new talent interventions (e.g., leadership transitions, enterprise capability building) aligned to strategic priorities.
Skills & Experience
- Extensive experience implementing and managing talent and succession processes at scale in a global organisation, with strong connections to related processes such as talent identification, development, executive assessment, and talent acquisition.
- Proven track record in enterprise-level talent architecture and succession planning.
- Strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership skills.
- Expertise in talent analytics, technology enablement (e.g., Workday), and data-driven decision making.
- Deep understanding of DEI, leadership development, and organisational effectiveness.
- Experience building and leading communities of practice across geographies and functions.
Success Measures & KPIs
- Successful rollout and adoption of talent and succession processes across all divisions.
- Improved visibility and readiness of leadership pipelines; reduction in critical succession risks.
- Increased internal mobility and career progression rates.
- Positive feedback from talent representatives and business leaders on clarity, impact, and usability of frameworks.
- Demonstrable uplift in capability, engagement, and diversity metrics.
- Documented process improvements and innovation pilots delivered annually.
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.
Talent & Succession Lead in London employer: Howden
Contact Detail:
Howden Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Talent & Succession Lead in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to current or former employees at Howden on LinkedIn. Ask them about their experiences and any tips they might have for landing the Talent & Succession Lead role. Personal connections can give you insights that no job description can.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for the interview by diving deep into Howden's culture and values. Think about how your own experiences align with their no-limits mindset and commitment to diversity. Be ready to share specific examples that showcase your fit with their team.
✨Tip Number 3
Showcase your strategic thinking! In your discussions, highlight how you've successfully implemented talent and succession strategies in the past. Use data and metrics to back up your claims – Howden loves evidence-based decision-making!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Howden family.
We think you need these skills to ace Talent & Succession Lead in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Be Yourself: When you're writing your application, let your personality shine through! We want to see the real you, so don’t be afraid to share your unique experiences and perspectives that align with our culture at Howden.
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application for the Talent & Succession Lead role. Highlight your relevant experience in talent management and succession planning, and show us how you can contribute to our mission of driving change.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; tell us about your successes! Use specific examples to demonstrate how you've made a positive impact in previous roles, especially in areas like leadership development and internal mobility.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it’s super easy to do!
How to prepare for a job interview at Howden
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Howden's culture and values. Understand their commitment to employee ownership and how it shapes their approach to talent and succession. This will help you align your answers with their ethos and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of their team.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Be ready to discuss your extensive experience in talent and succession processes. Prepare specific examples of how you've implemented strategies in previous roles, especially in global organisations. Highlight your project management skills and any successful initiatives you've led that align with Howden's goals.
✨Emphasise Collaboration
Howden values collaboration across its international team. Be prepared to talk about how you've built communities of practice or engaged stakeholders in your past roles. Share stories that demonstrate your ability to foster teamwork and drive change through collective effort.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, don’t shy away from asking questions. Inquire about Howden's future talent initiatives or how they measure success in their talent programmes. This shows your interest in the role and helps you gauge if the company is the right fit for you.
