SME Business Development Consultant

Job description

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world.

Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance.

We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture.

It's what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years.

Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What's the role?

At Howden, we work closely with our clients to deeply understand their needs and develop solutions that are truly best-in-class within the Employee Benefits arena.

We choose to be specialists rather than generalists, with deep expertise, able to solve even the most complex challenges and identify innovative and creative solutions for our clients' problems.

Our entrepreneurial culture promotes employee accountability, innovation, integrity and a performance-driven mindset.

We're seeking a dynamic and results-oriented New Business Sales Consultant to join our growing Employee Benefits team.

This is a high-impact role focused on identifying, engaging, and converting new SME-sized clients by delivering tailored employee benefits solutions that drive workforce wellbeing, retention, and performance.

You'll be the face of our consultancy - building relationships from the ground up, taking time to understand client needs, and crafting compelling proposals that showcase our value across Group Risk, Healthcare, Wellbeing, Pensions and Technology.

If you thrive in a consultative sales environment and have a passion for helping businesses enhance their employee experience, we want to hear from you.

This opportunity is to join a dynamic Sales division within Howden Employee Benefits, which is outperforming the market, growing and celebrating that growth with our people.

What will you be doing?

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities across mid-sized organisations through a variety of sources and channels, both self-generating opportunities and working in partnership with marketing and lead generation teams for opportunity creation
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and networking forums
• Conduct consultative sales meetings to understand client needs and delivering compelling presentations and proposals that demonstrate ROI and strategic value
• Be the first point of contact for prospects.
  
  Understand sector and benefits trends
• Respond quickly and accurately to client queries, to provide the best sales experience
• Negotiate contracts and close deals with absolute professionalism and integrity

• Develop and manage a robust pipeline of prospects through networking, referrals, and outbound activity

• Collaborate with internal teams to design bespoke benefit packages

• Work closely with the SME New Business Operations Team to ensure all reviews and onboarding are completed in a timely and effective manner to meet clients' needs.
  
  
• Proactively build on existing external relationships with prospects and insurers.
  
  
• Proactively build on internal relationships from the wider Howden group to leverage new business opportunity
• Hold a broad knowledge of insurers' propositions and differences to provide the most appropriate advice for clients.
  
  
• Be comfortable in ensuring we are provided with an appropriate level of remuneration for the work undertaken across HEBW and that we maximise opportunity.
  
  
• Where appropriate ensure all systems and controls are kept up to date and compliant.
  
  
• Take active ownership of your own individual personal development requirements and work with your line manager to seek coaching/training where appropriate.
  
  

Technical:

Applicants will need to be proficient in advising clients in Group Risk and or Healthcare, along with a knowledge of broader Employee Benefits, including Wellbeing, Flex Technology and Pensions.

In addition, albeit not essential, you will have an awareness of the other areas of business where the group could support in the General Insurance sector.

Policy, Process and Procedures:

• You follow process and best practice that is relevant to your role and compliant with business policy.
  
  
• Constructively you suggest process improvements to deliver workable solutions.
  
  
• In a collaborative way you challenge wider processes to enable and drive improvements to sales process whilst ensuring compliance

Environment, Customer Focus and Relationships:

• The exceptional customer experience that you provide will drive sales and enable the opportunity for cross and upselling of our business portfolio of solutions.
  
  
• You build strong internal, client and provider relationships based on respect that develops and builds loyalty, retention and increased client benefit spend.
  
  

Market Knowledge & Technology:

• You stay up to date and proactively seek to broaden your market knowledge and understanding of key trends.
  
  
• You understand the need for accurate client data in the systems including contacts, existing portfolios, markets and partners.
  
  
• You understand the scope and advantage of our technology platforms, such as Hubspot/Salesforce,EPIC,HowdenBe and Howden Flex to prospect's and the business' needs.
  
  
• You embrace Technology in order to deliver outstanding client solutions.
  
  

Compliance and Personal Development:

The Board of each Operating Entity requires the highest standards of corporate governance, operational excellence and financial reporting throughout the Group from all its directors and employees.

Specifically:

• You actively undertake personal development to ensure up to date knowledge and understanding of best practice.
  
  
• You are aware of the need and sources of compliance and understand and apply compliance.
  
  
• You ensure that HR and Training & Competency records are up to date and meet the Operating Entity and/or Group's requirements.
  
  
• You operate in an honest, professional and ethical manner.
  
  
• You are able to adapt best practice to the situation in hand within the framework of compliance.
  
  
• Strict adherence to the Group Employee Code of Conduct which strongly aligns to the FCA's code of conduct that all regulated entities must adhere to under the SM&CR.
  
  
• Completes all relevant regulatory training and ensure you remain competent to carry out role.
  
  

What do we need from you?

• Detailed knowledge and understanding of group risk policies and or healthcare (relative to your client portfolio).
  
  This will primarily include death in service, income protection, critical illness, private medical insurance, dental, cash plan and EAP.
  
  At least 3 years advising clients in Group Risk or Healthcare and advising on wider Employee Benefits would be beneficial.
  
  
• You have Microsoft Office experience and are able to use these to a good standard.
  
  
• You can create, write and manipulate reports and data.
  
  
• Proven track record in B2B sales, ideally within employee benefits, insurance, financial services, or HR consultancy
• Strong understanding of employee benefits products (e.g., pensions, healthcare, group risk, wellbeing)
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Commercially astute with a consultative approach to selling
• Self-motivated, target-driven, and comfortable working autonomously
• Ability to translate complex solutions into clear, client-focused value propositions
• CRM proficiency and strong organisational skills
• Take ownership of your leads and proactively manage the associated workload, flagging risks and opportunities.
  
  
• Conscientious, orderly and disciplined with good organisational and time management skills.
  
  
• Team player.
  
  

What We Offer

• A great sales culture in a great, entrepreneurial business
• Competitive salary and bonus structure
• Comprehensive benefits including pension, healthcare and wellbeing support
• Ongoing training and professional development
• Opportunities for career progression within a fast-growing global consultancy

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define.

At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type.

Instead, we're looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs.

Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it's the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role's criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

• Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations.
  
  Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.
  
  

Permanent

Required Skill Profession

Other General