Commercial Manager in Manchester

Are you looking for a new challenge? Fancy helping us shape the future of motor insurance? Prima could be the place for you. Since 2015, we have 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 have quickly become the number one online motor insurance provider. In fact, we are trusted by over 5 million drivers. And now we are 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 (e.g. 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.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

• 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 networks 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 (e.g. 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.

Benefits:

• Enjoy hybrid working, with a mix of home and office days;
• 25 Days Holiday;
• Pension plan: salary sacrifice pension scheme 5%, employer contribution, up to 5% employee contribution;
• Health & Protection Benefits: Private Medical Insurance (single cover); Permanent Health Insurance (Income Protection); Life Assurance (Death in Service); EAP, employee assistance programme 24/7.