Job Description
About Hiscox
Who are we?
Hiscox, a FTSE 250 company domiciled in Bermuda since 2006, is a leading specialist insurer covering a diverse portfolio of personal and commercial risks. With 100 years of underwriting heritage, we now have more than 1,000 staff, with offices in 12 countries. In 2008, the Group controlled a gross premium income of £1,147 million with a pre-tax profit of £105.2 million.
As a market leader in our chosen areas of business, we cover risks that range from marine, terrorism, aerospace, technology, media and professional indemnity through to high value personal insurance, such as homes and contents, fine art, bloodstock and kidnap and ransom.
We are not a mass producer of insurance policies but focus on key areas of expertise and strength. We specialise in protecting people with unusual and often complicated insurance needs.
The Team
The London Market and Offshore Operations function is led by the London Market and Offshore Chief Operating Officer, who manages a team of around 80 staff. Reporting in to the Chief Operating Officer is the Head of The London Market and Offshore Change team. The London Market and Offshore Change team are responsible for the delivery of the Change Portfolio which currently includes one major programme and a number of projects. This role will report directly Head of The London Market and Offshore Change team and will be responsible for managing a team of around 8 project managers, both contract and permanent and for the delivery of projects on the Change Portfolio. The role will also inlcude the Programme management of a major change programme.
Change Portfolio
The change portfolio for 2010 is centred around three main strategic areas,
• Technology for the future, we are two years into a three year programme of replacing our underwriting systems in London Market. In 2010 we have a series of projects planned to continue to build on the major system change we implemented in 2009. This is our major programme of work and our number one priority
• Improvement to Lloyd’s Market operational processes which include electronic placement, automated account and settlement and direct processing.
• Business development , we have an ambitious growth plan for the next five years and that will drive the need for projects to implement new products, set up new offices and develop new operating models to support that.
The team reports through to the Director of Operations but has a very close working relationship with a dedicated team of IT project managers that is managed by an IT Relationship manager for London Market. In the majority of projects there is a Business Change Manger and an IT Project manager working together to delivery the project.
The Role
This is a newly created role, due to the growth of the team we now require a Change Team / Programme Manager. We have also created a complimentary role to head up the Business Analyst team and it is envisaged that you will work closely with the Business Analysis Team Leader to resource projects.
This role has two aspects to it, one area of focus is to manage the team of project managers and to be responsible for the development and mentoring of the individual team members, it will include all aspects of resource management for that team, including capacity planning and allocating project managers to individual projects. You will also be responsible for their line management including setting their objectives and performance reviews.
The second area of focus is on programme management and all the aspects of supporting a dossier of projects under a programme and managing interdependencies and priorities.
The role will be based in our Colchester office with regular travel (2 to 3 days a week) to our London office at Great St Helens off Bishopsgate.
Key Responsibilities
• Overall responsibility for co-ordinating the team of project managers and agreeing the schedule of projects with the Head of Change, COO, Business Sponsors and the IT Relationship Manager.
• Having an overview of current status on all projects within the portfolio, providing a source of advice for project managers on how to manage key aspects of the project and ensuring project managers have the support that they need on key decisions by providing an escalation route through to the Head of Change.
• Build strong productive relationships with the managers and staff within the Business units and across IT and with external third parties in order to deliver effective solutions based on a deep understanding of the business drivers for each party.
• Manage the team of project managers including setting their objectives, agreeing their development plans and carrying out their performance reviews.
• Coaching and mentoring the project managers and ensuring best practice in the use of the project management methodologies and tools.
• Resource management, allocate individual projects managers to projects based on a number of critiera including skills, development needs and availability.
• Work closely with the Head of the London Market and Offshore Change team to agree the schedule of projects on a quarterly basis based on priorities and resource availability.
• Work closely with the IT Relationship Manager and to include the availability of IT resources as part of the process to agree the schedule of projects.
• Introduce improved processes and ways of working in the management and delivery of a challenging Change Portfolio.
• Build relationships with senior members of the Underwriting, Operations, Finance, Reinsurance and Claims team and to respresent the Change function at senior management meetings etc.
• Contribute to the development of the management of change at Hiscox and to form working relationships with other members of the change community through the Hiscox Group of companies including our US and Europe divisions. Person Specification
Ideally, you will have
Experience:
• In-depth knowledge of the Insurance Market with Lloyds market experience particularly useful.
• Previous experience of managing a team of people directly with all aspects of coaching, mentoring and performance management.
• Develops staff to their full potential, providing timely, constructive feedback on performance, setting challenging objectives and work assignments and monitoring progress through an exception reporting process.
• Experience of working as a Senior Project Manager/Programme Manager in an environment of multiple projects with challenging timeframes and deliverables.
• Exposure to distributed teams and relationship building with stakeholders who are also not located within the same geographical area.
Interpersonal Skills:
• Have the ability to combine “soft” influencing, persuasion and consultancy skills with “leadership” qualities that will encourage business leaders to positively respond to questions, inquiries and requests to meet deadlines.
• Intellect and gravitas to influence and gain credibility with Hiscox business personnel and management.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, capable of working with people at all levels within and external to the business
• Creative, proactive, logical and innovative – you do not accept the status quo.
• Highly results driven, with the energy and determination to succeed in a very fast paced environment where the pace of response and leadership is critical to success.
• Able to convey ideas and information clearly and in a manner appropriate to all levels of audiences.
• Demonstrate good decision making, evaluating the implication of various options before deciding and then showing commitment to and accountability for that decision.
• Able to inspire, influence and motivate others to perform effectively.
• Understands the perspective of others, recognises the need to balance the needs of the group and the broader organisation.
• Demonstrates self-confidence and assertiveness in a variety of business situations.
• Takes a strategic view of the business environment, clearly understands business strategy.
• Works well in cross-functional groups with peers and senior managers, encourages participation and involvement of team members through being open and approachable
Job Type:
Permanent
Location:
Texas-Irving
Salary:
[n/a]
Date available:
now
Company:
Hiscox Insurance plc
Company Description:
Hiscox is a leader in specialist insurance. We seek to provide the best protection and peace of mind for our clients through high quality insurance products, backed with excellent service. We are experts in covering a wide range of personal and commercial risks often too complex or too much trouble for other companies. We aspire to a reputation for integrity and quality. Find out about Syndicate 33 at Lloyds. UK customers can buy our products via a broker.
Company Website:
[n/a]
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08/12/2009