Head of Ceded Reinsurance in London

Who Are We? Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.

What Is the Opportunity? We are currently recruiting for a Head of Ceded Reinsurance to join our team based in London on a full-time permanent basis. The Head of Ceded Reinsurance leads Travelers Europe's ceded reinsurance strategy and relationships, with oversight of the analysis, placement, management, and optimisation of reinsurance programmes. Working closely with European Leadership and underwriting management, the role shapes and refines risk appetite and reinsurance strategy, ensures appropriate programme structure recommendations are made, and that placement is executed effectively. Drawing on deep reinsurance expertise, strong relationship-building skills, and executive presence, the role drives day-to-day treaty placement activity, provides thought leadership on long-term placement strategy and other critical reinsurance matters, and builds robust internal and external networks. This role has direct line management responsibility.

This role is a Key Function holder within the Senior Manager and Certification Regime (SM&CR) as set out in the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), and is subject to the rules and regulations of the relevant regulators. Fitness and Probity (F&P) will be assessed — and certified where required — both on appointment and annually thereafter. Post-holders are required to abide by the Conduct Rules at all times. Our leaders in regulated roles champion Travelers' culture and are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment. In addition to this job description, the successful candidate will receive a Statement of Responsibilities (SoR) outlining their specific accountabilities, along with any applicable mandatory prescribed responsibilities.

Travelers Europe currently offers flexibility to employees who wish to work on a hybrid basis in accordance with our Hybrid Work Arrangements Policy. This entails full-time employees working three days a week in the office and two days at home (or pro rata for part-time employees). This policy may be changed at the Company’s discretion.

What Will You Do?

• Strategic Leadership & Innovation: Develop and execute the overall ceded reinsurance strategy, aligned with corporate risk appetite and business objectives. Lead the design and structuring of treaty and facultative reinsurance programmes across all lines of business, driving best-in-market structures that differentiate the company and meet strategic goals. Provide thought leadership and strategic guidance to senior leadership on reinsurance market conditions and opportunities, and on how reinsurance can influence business strategy. Ensure reinsurance solutions support enterprise growth, profitability, and capital optimisation.
• External Relationship Management: Establish and maintain key broker and reinsurer relationships to secure optimal market access and competitive terms, building strategic partnerships with top-tier reinsurance markets globally. Manage broker expectations and timelines for assigned placements, coordinating materials and meeting with and presenting to reinsurance markets. Represent the company at industry events, reinsurance market meetings, and, where appropriate, on reinsurance industry panels. Where appropriate, appoint brokers and engage in joint strategic planning to align on objectives and market opportunities, keeping reinsurers updated on plans and developments.
• Internal Relationship Management & Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with underwriting, actuarial, finance, risk management, and capital management teams to ensure alignment and deliver group objectives. Communicate proactively with business units, demonstrating a thorough understanding of primary coverages and underwriting strategies. Propose ideas and solutions to portfolio challenges above and beyond renewal placements, leading management strategy decision meetings and advocating for the best option. Communicate reinsurance strategy and results effectively to diverse stakeholder groups, building consensus and driving execution of group-wide initiatives.
• Reinsurance Programme Management & Treaty Negotiation: Oversee the placement and renewal of treaty and facultative reinsurance agreements, ensuring optimal protection while managing cost efficiency. Independently negotiate pricing, coverage, exclusions, terms, and conditions with reinsurance markets to obtain the best terms for the company. Coordinate the preparation of reinsurance submissions and gather the information required from brokers, evaluating and implementing changes to data requirements. Continuously evaluate and enhance reinsurance coverage and structures to maintain competitive advantage.
• Contract Wording & Documentation: Draft and propose contract wording for new and renewal treaties, researching conceptual topics and evaluating alternative clauses. Research and implement changes to standard treaty clauses and perform secondary contract reviews. Oversee documentation and contract management processes.
• Capital Management, Analytics & Reporting: Use capital model metrics to assess the effectiveness of the reinsurance strategy against regulatory capital requirements and internal targets, optimising capital efficiency in collaboration with capital management and actuarial teams. Verify data for accuracy and identify anomalies, directing brokers and actuarial teams on pricing and risk-evaluation analytics and their implications for placement options. Monitor and report on capital relief achieved and on reinsurance programme performance and market trends. Manage internal and external reporting requirements and prepare comprehensive reports and presentations for executive leadership and board committees.
• Treaty Design & Structuring: Evaluate broker and reinsurer presentations for veracity and applicability, proposing renewal structure changes and establishing the associated evaluation criteria. Apply knowledge of capital market (ILS) and structured reinsurance solutions and consult on their use. Provide leadership and technical expertise on intercompany reinsurance solutions and reinsurance impacts from corporate M&A activity.
• Risk Management: Analyse catastrophe exposure and develop appropriate risk-transfer solutions. Monitor reinsurance recoverables and ensure their timely collection. Evaluate the financial impact of reinsurance decisions on company results.
• Operational Controls & Regulatory Compliance: Design and implement team controls and develop corporate reinsurance policies to assure compliance, appropriate referral protocols, and best practices. Ensure compliance with internal policies and external regulatory requirements, maintaining corporate governance standards and risk-management frameworks. Take reasonable steps to ensure the business for which you are responsible is controlled effectively and complies with the relevant requirements and standards of the regulatory system. Take reasonable steps to ensure any delegation of responsibility is to an appropriate person and that oversight of the delegation is discharged effectively. Disclose appropriately any information of which the FCA and PRA would reasonably expect to have notice.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop the ceded reinsurance team, coaching members on the technical expertise and other skills required to perform effectively, and developing and implementing associated training programmes. Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, and build organisational capability in reinsurance expertise.

What Will Our Ideal Candidate Have?

• Proven experience leading a reinsurance function, with demonstrated success in strategic leadership.
• Extensive experience of Global Property and Casualty Insurance and Reinsurance business.
• Proven knowledge and understanding of London Market processes and systems.
• Extensive experience in reinsurance, including in a senior leadership role.
• Proven track record in reinsurance programme design, placement, and negotiation, and in building and maintaining broker and reinsurer relationships.
• Strong understanding of capital modelling and its application to reinsurance strategy.

What is a Must Have?

• University degree (Business, Finance, Actuarial Science, or related field).
• ACII (Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute) qualification.

What Is in It for You?

• Private Medical Insurance: On commencement of employment, you are eligible for single cover provided by Travelers, with the option to add cover for your dependents, at your expense through payroll deduction.
• Retirement: Travelers will make a core contribution of a percentage of salary to your Pension Plan. Additionally, if you decide to contribute to the plan, you will receive an increased company contribution.
• Holiday Entitlement: Start your career at Travelers with a minimum of 25 days holiday entitlement annually, plus the opportunity to purchase additional days to allow for up to a total of 35 holidays per year.
• Wellness Programme: The Travelers wellness programme is comprised of tools, discounts and resources that empower you to achieve your wellness goals and caregiving needs. In addition, our mental health programme provides access to free professional counseling services and other resources that support your daily life needs.
• Volunteer Encouragement: We have a deep commitment to the communities we serve and encourage our employees to get involved. Travelers has a Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards programme that enables you to give back to the charity of your choice.

Employment Practices: Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We value the unique abilities and talents each individual brings to our organization and recognize that we benefit in numerous ways from our differences. If you are a candidate and have specific questions regarding the physical requirements of this role, please send us an email so we may assist you. Travelers reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting. To learn more about our comprehensive benefit programs please visit http://careers.travelers.com/life-at-travelers/benefits/.