Head of Group Pensions - New Ireland Assurance in Dublin

A subsidiary of the Bank of Ireland Group, New Ireland Assurance was the first wholly Irish owned life assurance company to transact business in Ireland. We are one of Ireland`s leading life assurance providers and look after over half a million policyholders. We can also boast a number of accolades including `Overall Winner` of the Professional Insurance Brokers Association Award for four of the last five years, PIBA `Service Excellence` winner in 2013 & 2014 & 2015 and Contact Centre Management Association `Best Small Contact Centre` and `Best Quality Programme` in 2013. The service we provide to our customers is key to our success.

Group Pensions is core to our proposition and a key growth area for us. With the maturing Defined Contribution market and the upcoming rollout of auto-enrollment in Ireland, we are keen to develop the market leading proposition to build on the strength of our brand and our reach.

The Head of Group Pensions for the Company will report to the Commercial Director and will have responsibility for the Group Pensions proposition. He/she will have a key role in developing, growing and enhancing New Ireland`s position in the Group Pensions market. The role will lead strategic initiatives identifying what the Group Pension and auto-enrolment solution will look like and creating the NIAC Mastertrust offering.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver the commercial success of our Group Pensions proposition.
• In collaboration with Distribution and Operations teams, develop a service offering and technology platform that is best in class.
• Lead in the creation and development of digital aspects of proposition that transform the user experience.
• Explore the development and roll out of a New Ireland mastertrust.
• Build a strong relation with Bank of Ireland to develop the Group Pensions/auto-enrolment potential from within the Bank.
• Manage the service offering for the existing book of business.
• Manage a team of people to deliver on the business objectives.
• Build relationships with key strategic partners that can enhance our Group Pension offering.
• Represent New Ireland at key Industry events (speaking) and on relevant industry groups.

Essential Skills & Experience

Direct Leadership experience within life/pension industry

Skills and Experience

The role holder will have the following proven key capabilities:

Commercial

• A very strong commercial understanding of the Pensions market.
• Strong Product development track record.
• Promoting New Ireland`s position as a leading Life, Pensions and Retirement Business
• Externally focused with excellent relationship building skills.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to create a vision for New Ireland/BoI in Group Pensions space.
• A structured and disciplined manager of plans and objectives.
• Digital and platform skills and understanding preferable.

Customer Centricity

• Continually grow and enhance the customer proposition by prioritising customers within every business investment decision.

• Leverage leading-edge market insights, social and digital arenas to inform decisions and drive sustainable business results.

• Anticipate customer needs, maintain standards and deliver an enduring top-class service to exceed customer and stakeholder expectations.

Leadership

• Optimising the talents of the team to ensure a culture of development, high performance and business excellence together with strong succession planning.
• Consistently demonstrate embodiment of the New Ireland Leadership Imperatives and values.

• A collaborative mindset with the ability to lead in a matrix environment.

Business & Financial Acumen and Strategy

• Strong business acumen together with experience of life assurance industry. Knowledge of the financial structure, operation and governance of life and pensions products.
• Strategic mind-set to help define, shape and drive the Company`s overall objective to be the financial services partner of choice for Irish customers.

Influence and Communication

• Ability to communicate complex concepts to a wide range of groups.
• The ability influence key stakeholders in terms of strategic direction and the implications of different strategic choices for future income.
• Ability to influence at industry level.

Bank of Ireland Group is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace which values and benefits from the diversity of our workforce.

Where Agency assistance is required Bank of Ireland Recruitment Team will engage directly with suppliers. Unsolicited CVs / profiles supplied to Bank of Ireland by Recruitment Agencies will not be accepted for this role.