Talent & Succession Lead

London Insurance Life; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global insurance group in Greater London is seeking a dynamic individual to manage their enterprise-wide talent and succession strategy. Responsibilities include designing talent programs, integrating succession planning with hiring processes, and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in talent management and project management within global organizations. The role offers opportunities for career progression and a collaborative work culture.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Hybrid working options

Comprehensive employee benefits

Qualifications

• Extensive experience implementing and managing talent processes in global organizations.
• Proven track record in talent architecture and succession planning.
• Deep understanding of DEI and leadership development.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of the enterprise-wide talent strategy.
• Integrate succession planning with talent identification and development.
• Oversee learning interventions aligned with business priorities.
• Champion DEI integration across talent processes.

Skills

Talent acquisition strategies

Executive assessment

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Change leadership

Talent analytics

DEI best practices

Tools

Workday

Job description

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. 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 23,000 employees spanning over 56 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.**Role Purpose**Lead the design, implementation, and evolution of Howden’s enterprise-wide **talent and succession strategy**, ensuring strong leadership pipelines, internal mobility, and future-ready capability. Drive integration with related processes such as talent identification, development, executive assessment, DEI and talent acquisition, aligning all initiatives with business growth and transformation ambitions.**Key Responsibilities****1. Talent & Succession Strategy*** Architect and embed a **Group-wide approach to talent and succession**, strengthening visibility, mobility, and readiness across all divisions.* Establish governance, cadence, and reporting for succession planning, ensuring proactive risk management and leadership continuity.* **Integrate succession planning with talent identification, development, and acquisition processes**, including the use of executive assessment in hiring decisions.**2. Enterprise Talent Programmes*** Design and deliver initiatives that accelerate development and mobility of critical and emerging talent, leveraging technology, analytics, and inclusive practices.* Build and engage a global community of talent and performance representatives, fostering collaboration and best practice sharing.**3. Career Frameworks & Internal Mobility*** Define and implement career frameworks that clarify progression, support cross-divisional movement, and enable enterprise-level workforce planning.**4. Coaching, Mentoring & Capability Building*** Maintain and evolve the coaching and mentoring culture, curating partnerships and internal capability to embed sustainable practices.* Oversee targeted learning interventions and leadership development aligned to business priorities.**5. Skills Framework Leadership*** Support the creation and rollout of a **skills framework** that maps critical capabilities for current and future business needs.* Partner with divisional and functional leaders to enable strategic workforce planning and agile talent deployment.* Ensure skills data informs talent processes and career development pathways.**6. Transformation & Change Leadership*** Act as a strategic partner to senior stakeholders, connecting talent, succession, and leadership outcomes with commercial performance and cultural transformation.* Lead change management and communication strategies for new talent initiatives.**7. Insights, Analytics & Governance*** Establish clear metrics and reporting mechanisms to track progress, inform decision-making, and enable continuous improvement.* Leverage talent analytics and technology platforms (e.g., Workday) to drive data transparency and evidence-based decisions.**8. DEI Integration*** Champion inclusive design and DEI integration across all talent and succession processes, ensuring representation and psychological safety.**9. Future Offerings & Innovation*** Identify and pilot new talent interventions (e.g., leadership transitions, enterprise capability building) aligned to strategic priorities.**Skills & Experience *(dialled down emphasis on skills framework)**** Extensive experience **implementing and managing talent and succession processes at scale in a global organisation**, with strong connections to related processes such as talent identification, development, executive assessment, and talent acquisition.* Proven track record in **enterprise-level talent architecture and succession planning**.* Strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership skills.* Expertise in talent analytics, technology enablement (e.g., Workday), and data-driven decision making.* Deep understanding of DEI, leadership development, and organisational effectiveness.* Experience building and leading communities of practice across geographies and functions.**Success Measures & KPIs*** Successful rollout and adoption of talent and succession processes across all divisions.* Improved visibility and readiness of leadership pipelines; reduction in critical succession risks.* Increased internal mobility and career progression rates.* Positive feedback from talent representatives and business leaders on clarity, impact, and usability of frameworks.* Demonstrable uplift in capability, engagement, and diversity metrics.* Documented process improvements and innovation pilots delivered annually.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