Head of Planning and Performance Management, EMEA in Uxbridge

Head of Planning and Performance Management, EMEA in Uxbridge

Uxbridge Full-Time 54000 - 66000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
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At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead financial planning and performance management across EMEA, driving strategic insights.
  • Company: Join Zurich Cover-More, a global leader in travel insurance and assistance.
  • Benefits: Enjoy flexible work, competitive salary, health insurance, and professional development opportunities.
  • Other info: Embrace diversity and enjoy a supportive work environment that values your growth.
  • Why this job: Shape financial strategies and make a real impact in a dynamic, growing company.
  • Qualifications: 10+ years in financial planning with strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.

The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.

Where will your career take you next? Let’s find out together.

At Zurich Cover-More, we’re proud to be one of the world’s leading travel insurance and assistance providers.

Each year, we protect more than 20 million travellers worldwide, making sure we’re there every step of their journey with proactive care, personalised cover and specialist support.

Zurich Cover-More partners with many of the world’s best-known brands – think major airlines, travel giants, top banks, credit card providers, and large retailers – to deliver more care, more cover, for all.

Launched in December 2024, Zurich Cover-More is the global travel brand of Zurich Insurance Group, one of the world’s leading multi-line insurers.

Our family of customer-facing brands includes trusted names like Travel Guard, Cover-More Travel Insurance, Travelex Insurance, Universal Assistance, World Travel Protection, Freely, and Blue Insurance.

Together, we’re redefining what it means to travel safely and with confidence.

Whether it’s a long-awaited holiday, a last-minute business trip, or an unexpected detour, we deliver in the moments that matter.

What You’ll Be Doing

In this role, you will lead the Planning & Performance Management function across Zurich Cover-More EMEA, partnering with senior leaders to drive financial performance, strategic decision-making, and commercial insight.

Reporting to the CFO EMEA, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping financial planning, forecasting, reporting, and continuous improvement across the region.

  • Lead financial planning, forecasting, budgeting and performance management activities across the EMEA business.
  • Partner closely with the CFO, business leaders and finance teams to provide commercial insight and challenge business performance.
  • Develop and implement annual financial plans in collaboration with global and regional stakeholders.
  • Deliver high-quality financial analysis and forward-looking forecasts to support strategic decision-making.
  • Lead finance input into business reviews, providing clear reporting, commentary and recommendations.
  • Build and evaluate business cases, investment opportunities and growth initiatives.
  • Ensure the integrity, accuracy and transparency of financial reporting and management information.
  • Act as a key finance partner to Regional Business Heads, Functional Leaders and Finance & Actuarial teams.
  • Manage consolidated expense reporting and submissions to Group Finance.
  • Lead, develop and coach the Planning & Performance Management team, fostering a high-performance culture.
  • Drive continuous improvement across finance processes, reporting frameworks and systems.
  • Deliver ad hoc analysis and performance insights that support business growth and operational excellence.

What skills and experience you’ll bring on this journey

  • 10+ years' experience in financial planning, analysis and reporting, ideally within insurance, financial services or another regulated industry.
  • Professional accounting qualification such as ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
  • Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide budgeting, forecasting and long-range financial planning for complex organisations.
  • Strong financial modelling skills, with the ability to align strategy, budgets and operational performance.
  • Experience delivering executive-level performance reporting, forecasting and commercial insights.
  • Deep understanding of financial governance, controls, compliance and regulatory requirements.
  • Proven ability to build robust business cases and support investment, transformation and growth initiatives.
  • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to partner effectively with senior leaders.
  • People leadership experience, including coaching, developing and motivating high-performing teams.
  • Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial data into clear, actionable recommendations.

Why you’ll love working with us!

We value optimism, caring, togetherness, reliability, results-orientation, and forward-thinking.

We have more than 3000 employees worldwide.

We are a global group of digital specialists, actuaries, marketers, doctors, nurses, case managers, claims specialists, finance experts, customer service and corporate services professionals.

We share a global purpose to look after travellers, at every step of their journey.

Job flexibility

We understand the importance of making sure that work fits into your life, not the other way around.

Our hybrid approach ensures you can maintain work-life balance with the flexibility of 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home after an initial training period.

Career growth

This is an extremely exciting time for us at Zurich Cover-More, as we rapidly expand our business across the globe.

We’re committed to helping our people thrive through a comprehensive onboarding experience, continuous professional development, and a supportive work environment that empowers growth at every stage of your career.

Take the time you need, for you and your community

We encourage you to take the time you need when you need it.

We offer regular annual and personal leave benefits along with anniversary leave, volunteer leave and a comprehensive paid parental leave scheme.

Travel and work with us.

We believe your career should take you places – literally.

At Zurich Cover-More, we support your professional journey and your passion for travel with complimentary travel insurance.

So go ahead, start planning your next adventure today!

Investing in your health and your future.

We offer a competitive health insurance package with comprehensive mental health coverage, access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and a pension scheme with employer contributions – helping you build a secure and healthy future.

Diversity and inclusion

We respect who you are and thoroughly embrace diversity.

Wherever life has taken you, we welcome you to bring your whole self to work.

Just be you – because that’s exactly who we’re looking for.

At Zurich Cover-More, compensation for roles is influenced by a variety of factors, including but not limited to office location, role, skill set, and level of experience.

We are committed to providing a fair and reasonable compensation range for each role and additional rewards may include short-term incentive bonuses and increases based on merit.

If your salary expectations are not in line with the proposed salary published for this role, you are still encouraged to apply.

We will consider applications from talented individuals with the relevant experience, skills, education and attitude on a case-by-case basis.

The compensation shown reflects a national market range and the proposed salary for this position is £81,938, with short-term incentive bonus eligibility of 10%.

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Head of Planning and Performance Management, EMEA in Uxbridge employer: Zurich Cover-More

At Zurich Cover-More, we pride ourselves on being a leading employer in the travel insurance sector, offering a dynamic work culture that values optimism, collaboration, and results. With a commitment to employee growth through comprehensive training and development opportunities, we ensure our team thrives in a supportive environment. Our hybrid work model promotes a healthy work-life balance, while our competitive benefits package, including health insurance and generous leave policies, reflects our dedication to the well-being of our employees.

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Contact Details:

Zurich Cover-More Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Head of Planning and Performance Management, EMEA in Uxbridge

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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Planning and Performance Management, EMEA in Uxbridge

Financial Planning
Forecasting
Budgeting
Performance Management
Financial Analysis
Financial Modelling
Stakeholder Management

Some tips for your application 🫡

Show Us Your Leadership Skills:In the corporate leadership and management field, it's essential to highlight your leadership experience. Use your CV to flesh out examples of how you've led teams to success or managed significant projects. We want to see specific instances where your actions made a tangible difference in your previous roles!

Quantify Your Achievements:Numbers talk, especially in management! When detailing your achievements in your CV or cover letter, don’t just say you improved team performance. Instead, say you boosted productivity by 30% over six months through effective strategy implementation. This makes your application pop and shows us what you can bring to Zurich Cover-More.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to narrate your professional journey. We’re looking for motivation and a clear understanding of what corporate leadership means to you. Dive into your aspirations and how they align with the values and vision of Zurich Cover-More. Make it personal – we want to get to know you!

Tailor Your CV for Management Roles:Ensure your CV reflects the management skills that are essential for this role. Focus on competencies like strategic planning, team building, and problem-solving. Use a clean layout, and don’t forget to align your experiences with those keywords mentioned in the job listing. This will help you stand out from the crowd!

How to prepare for a job interview at Zurich Cover-More

Showcase Your Leadership Style

You’ll want to thoroughly convey your unique approach to leadership. During the interview with Zurich Cover-More, be ready to share real-life examples of how you've inspired and motivated teams in the past. Think about specific achievements that illustrate your strategic thinking and your ability to drive results.

Brush Up on Management Theories

Expect some technical questions related to management theories and practices. Brush up on concepts like transformational leadership, servant leadership, or situational leadership. Be prepared to discuss how you would apply these theories to the role at Zurich Cover-More, especially in the specific context of the challenges they’re currently facing.

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Since this is a full-time leadership role, spending time thinking about your vision for Zurich Cover-More could really set you apart. Consider potential strategies for growth and how you would lead teams towards achieving them. This shows not just enthusiasm, but also strategic foresight that they’ll likely be looking for in a candidate.

Emphasise Team Dynamics and Culture

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