First Line Compliance Office

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.

We're looking for a First Line Compliance Officer to work at the heart of our business, partnering with operational teams to ensure compliance controls are effective, risks are identified early and customer outcomes remain front and centre. This is a varied, business-facing role offering the opportunity to influence change, drive improvements and play a key role in our compliance framework.

The Role

As a Compliance Officer, you will be responsible for operating and enhancing first-line compliance controls across the business, ensuring regulatory expectations and internal policies are delivered effectively in practice.

Key Responsibilities

• Operate compliance controls across sales, renewals and claims activities.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews, including file checks and call monitoring.
• Identify, investigate and escalate compliance breaches, incidents and emerging risks.
• Produce and analyse management information, identifying trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Monitor customer outcomes and support the ongoing delivery of Consumer Duty requirements.
• Support the implementation of regulatory developments and business change initiatives.
• Deliver training, guidance and practical compliance support to operational teams.
• Review customer communications and financial promotions.
• Participate in governance forums and track actions through to completion.
• Provide oversight and support to the Business Risk Audit team.
• Drive continuous improvements to controls, processes and customer outcomes.

Location: Mainly home based, with occasional travel to London and other locations across the UK.

About You

We're looking for an individual who can balance regulatory expertise with strong stakeholder engagement skills.

You'll ideally have:

• Experience within a Compliance, Risk, Assurance or Monitoring role.
• Strong knowledge of FCA regulation, particularly Consumer Duty and ICOBS.
• General insurance experience.
• Experience conducting compliance monitoring, QA reviews, file reviews or assurance activities.
• Strong analytical and reporting capability, with experience producing and interpreting MI.
• The confidence to challenge appropriately and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent communication, organisational and relationship-building skills.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.

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.