RFP Manager- Associate

Who are we?

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.

About Howden Re

At Howden Re, we’re on a mission to do things differently. Our no silo approach, elite team, and clear focus on innovation and relentless execution means our clients are at the heart of all we do.

As a big 4 global reinsurance broker, we deliberately avoid the one-size-fits-all approach, committing to creating bespoke solutions that address the unique challenges of a modern and dynamic marketplace. Our team is empowered to drive progress, creating opportunities for career and personal development, unlocking new value for clients, fostering long-term partnerships, and using the collective power of Howden to change how the world sees risk and insurance.

When you join Howden Re, you become part of a vibrant and entrepreneurial workplace culture that prioritises collaboration, ownership, and shared success. Here, your contributions will directly impact our mission to be the global partner of choice in reinsurance and strategic advisory.

Be a part of Howden Re's exciting journey. Together, we are shaping the future of reinsurance

The Global RFP Function works across regions and divisions to strengthen how we qualify, shape and deliver proposals, pitches and client-facing materials. We are building a consistent, high-quality approach to RFPs, supported by specialist expertise, governed content, design standards, tools and performance insight.

The opportunity

We are looking for an organised, proactive and commercially minded RFP professional to join our growing Global RFP Function on a fixed-term maternity-cover basis.

This is an opportunity to work on important client opportunities across Howden Re, partnering with brokers, senior stakeholders and subject-matter experts to develop compelling proposals that demonstrate our strengths and differentiate us in the market.

For an experienced candidate, the role offers the opportunity to take ownership of complex RFPs, influence proposal strategy and help embed consistent delivery standards across the business.

The initial appointment is for 11 months. With planned team expansion in 2027, there may be an opportunity to move into a permanent position.

What you will do

- Manage RFP delivery: Coordinate proposals, tenders and pitches from initial qualification and kick-off through strategy, drafting, review, production and final submission.
- Support proposal strategy: Work with RFP Leads and brokers to understand client priorities, assess our competitive position and develop tailored, persuasive responses.
- Coordinate stakeholders: Engage brokers, product specialists, analytics teams and other contributors, setting clear deadlines and ensuring timely, high-quality input.
- Develop compelling content: Draft, edit and refine responses into clear client-focused messaging.
- Maintain quality and consistency: Apply Howden Re's RFP processes, minimum standards, templates, approved content and design guidelines, identifying and resolving issues early.
- Use tools and content effectively: Leverage the RFP Repository, and Content Library to improve efficiency, reuse approved material and maintain consistency.
- Manage deadlines and risk: Track deliverables, dependencies, reviews and approvals, escalating issues promptly and ensuring submissions are accurate and compliant with requirements.
- Capture learning: Support post-submission reviews and win/loss debriefs, capturing lessons and insights to improve future proposals and client engagement.
- Support Global RFP Function operations: Provide day-to-day operational and administrative support across RFP Management, Content and Design. Coordinating team activities, maintaining trackers, organising meetings, promoting and supporting delivery across the team.

Responsibilities

As RFP Manager, you will support the effective coordination and production of RFPs, working closely with the wider Global RFP Function and business stakeholders. You will maintain project trackers, coordinate information gathering, draft and proofread responses, manage document versions and apply agreed processes and standards.

You will develop your understanding of the reinsurance market, proposal strategy and stakeholder management while taking increasing ownership of defined workstreams and deliverables.

What we are looking for

- Experience in RFPs, bids, proposals, tenders or related client-facing delivery, ideally in insurance, reinsurance, financial services or a complex professional-services environment.
- Strong written communication, editing and proofreading skills, with the ability to make complex information clear and persuasive.
- Excellent organisation and project coordination skills, including the ability to manage multiple deadlines and changing priorities.
- Confidence working with a wide range of stakeholders and securing input from busy subject-matter experts.
- Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, quality and consistency.
- A proactive, collaborative approach, with the confidence to follow up, identify gaps and escalate risks.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint and Word, and an interest in using digital tools to improve proposal delivery.
- Previous use of or understanding of systems such as Monday.com and SharePoint for tracking and document management would be advantageous.

What success looks like

- Timely, accurate and high-quality RFP submissions.
- Clear project ownership, stakeholder accountability and effective deadline management.
- Responses that are tailored to client needs and clearly communicate Howden Re's value.
- Consistent application of the Global RFP Function's processes and standards.
- Reusable content, better ways of working and actionable learning from client outcomes.

Why join us?

You will join a specialist team helping shape how Howden Re competes for business globally. The role combines hands-on proposal delivery with the opportunity to contribute to a developing global function, work across regions and products, and help improve the way we present our capabilities to clients.

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

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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.

Fixed Term Contract (Fixed Term)