Job Purpose

The Head of Distributions (HoD) primary objective is to lead the Group Protection sales team, ensuring that new business, retention and inforce targets are achieved and that business is written at the required margin. The HoD will be required to hold strong relationships at senior level within our key adviser partners. The HoD must ensure that our adviser partners understand the CL strategy, products and propositions. The HoD should regularly review our routes to Market, ensuring that our targets can be met both in year and into the future.

Key Duties / Responsibilities

• Develop strong relationships with distribution partners. Focus those relationships on EBCs of strategic importance to ensure the Canada Life protection strategy is understood and partnership opportunities embraced. To develop effective working relationships with heads of internal departments to continually enhance and differentiate the Canada Life offering.
• Providing oversight of the sales function. To manage the function in line with policies and standards. This includes performance management, training and development and managing risks associated with advisers and any other potential/future distribution channels.
• To provide Group protection market feedback and insights that are considered and acted upon by the value stream function, pricing team and proposition team.
• To drive the growth (portfolio and earnings) of the business and where appropriate implement new distribution channels and partnerships.
• To assess and implement digital solutions that help the sales team drive growth, This includes a CRM and data provision that advisers, employers and employees value.
• To work with our proposition and marketing teams to evolve the strategic narrative of the group protection business.
• To lead on the delivery of this message to the market.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Strong knowledge of the Employee Benefits market and excellent knowledge of Employee Benefit Consultancies.
• An ability to articulate complex matters simply and represent Canada Life as a thought leader in the employee benefits market.
• A proven track record of building internal and external senior relationships.
• A clear ability to drive change behaviours through building trusted relationships
• Experience in building new products and successfully launching them into new markets.
• A focus on continuous self improvement and a leadership style that drives trust and the development of both the sales function and the wider group protection business.

Benefits of working at Canada Life

We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package that’s regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, you’ll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pension and bonus scheme, along with income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance. We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development.