Marketing Operations Manager

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 24,000 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 Summary

This role will play a critical position within the Retail Marketing function, supporting the successful delivery of marketing workstreams across mergers, acquisitions and integrations in the UK and Ireland.

The Marketing Operations Manager will be responsible for coordinating, tracking and enabling the execution of marketing activity associated with newly acquired businesses and integration programmes. Working across/with all marketing functions (brand, digital, communications, design and pillar marketing teams), the role will ensure consistent, efficient and high-quality delivery to tight timelines and competing priorities.

In addition, the Marketing Operations Manager will have the opportunity to support other strategic projects/initiatives as directed by UK&I Retail Marketing senior leaders.

This is a highly cross-functional role requiring strong organisation, stakeholder management and the ability to navigate fast-paced environments with multiple concurrent workstreams.

Key Responsibilities

M&A and Integration Marketing Delivery

· Support the end-to-end delivery of marketing workstreams for acquisitions and integration programmes across Retail.

· Coordinate the execution of brand transition activities (e.g. rebranding, signage, digital updates, collateral updates).

· Lead the creation and execution of acquisition/integration/merger related customer and insurer communications, working with internal compliance teams and ensuring the highest standards.

· Support integration of acquired businesses into Howden’s marketing ecosystem, including websites, CRM, email platforms, social channels and content frameworks.

· Ensure alignment of all marketing outputs to brand guidelines and customer propositions.

Programme and Project Coordination

· Act as the central point of coordination for all marketing activity relating to M&A and integrations.

· Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines and action trackers across multiple concurrent deals and integrations.

· Track progress against milestones, proactively identifying risks, dependencies and bottlenecks.

· Ensure clear prioritisation across competing initiatives and deadlines.

Cross-functional Collaboration

· Work closely with marketing pillar leads and COE teams (Digital, Brand, Communications, Client Experience, Design) to scope, plan and deliver activity.

· Partner with integration leads, business stakeholders and operational teams to align marketing plans with wider integration programmes.

· Facilitate regular updates, reporting and planning sessions with stakeholders.

Process and Operational Excellence

· Establish and embed consistent processes, templates and ways of working for M&A marketing activity.

· Drive efficiency and continuous improvement across marketing operations linked to integrations and other Retail marketing initiatives.

· Support governance and approval processes, ensuring activity is delivered in a compliant and controlled manner.

Reporting and Performance Tracking

· Provide clear and concise reporting on delivery progress, risks and outcomes to senior stakeholders.

· Support tracking of key success measures (e.g. brand transition completion, campaign delivery, stakeholder satisfaction).

· Contribute to post-integration reviews and lessons learned.

Experience & Professional Qualifications

Essential:

· Proven experience in a marketing operations, programme management or project management role.

· Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments with competing priorities.

· Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects concurrently with tight deadlines.

· Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and delivering through influence.

· Strong organisational and planning skills, with high attention to detail.

· Strong written and oral communication skills with an impeccable eye for detail.

Desirable:

· Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, integrations or large transformation programmes.

· Experience within financial services, insurance or professional services.

· Familiarity with marketing systems and tools (CRM, CMS, email platforms, digital tools).

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

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.