Job Description
For informal enquiries contact Diane Tomlinson on
0114 2734453
Portfolio
/ ResourcesDivision/Section / Insurance & Risk (I & R)
Post Title / Deputy Strategic Insurance Manager
Grade / Grade 10 (£38,961 - £43,360)
Responsible to / Strategic Insurance Manager
Responsible for / Senior Claims Officer and Finance Officer
Holidays and sickness relief / Strategic Insurance Manager and Senior Claims Officer
Purpose of job / Operational management of the Team for the provision of a comprehensive insurance and risk management service to the Council. Providing advice on all aspects of insurance arrangements including a professional claims handling service. Insurance development and promotion of insurance & risk management strategies across the Council in conjunction with the development of effective management information systems, and processes for effective control and decision-making. Proactive partnership working with the Council’s Service/Partners Portfolios, and its Insurers.
DEPUTY STRATEGIC INSURANCE MANAGER (OS5S- Grade 10)
Job purpose
§ Operational leadership & management of the insurance & risk team
§ To contribute to the delivery of insurance & risk service that supports the Council’s corporate planning, performance and strategy
§ Support continuous improvement in the insurance & risk service of the City Council and support the Council as a whole in it’s drive to achieve excellence
§ To contribute to the development and implementation of strategies and plans to improve the claims handling process
§ To contribute to the development and implementation of policies and practices to ensure compliance with statutory and Council financial regulations and best practice accounting policies and processes
§ To promote and support the delivery of the council’s vision, aims and objectives and effective and efficient management of resources
Dimensions
Location: The job will be based in Sheffield. The post holder must be willing to work at any location within the city and travel within and outside the City, to meet the requirements of the role
Decision Impacts: Signification impact for contact or service
§ Customers / clients
§ Reputational
§ Policy
§ Legal
§ Operational delivery
§ Finance and dedicated resources
§ Staff managed and other employees / Key Relationships
§ Assist in the development of contacts, relationships and negotiations in a professional, commercial, technical and political environment
§ Members and customers
§ Directors, Service Managers and equivalent levels
§ Other local authorities and external bodies / partners
§ Programme and project stakeholders
§ Employees
Reporting Structure
Key accountabilities
Scope
· Insurance & Risk Management for a defined area including:
- Business and Financial Advice
- Insurance Claims handling
- Procurement
- Operational Decision Support
- Service Planning and Control
- Financial management accounting
- Risk management
- Capital Programme
- Project advice and control
- Resource and performance management
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement across the Service
- Financial approval
Role Competencies (For definitions see Sheffield Competency Framework)
Change Management
· Maintains an overview and helps determine the broad direction of future organisational change and assesses its likely impact
· Uses a range of planning and review tools and adopts a flexible approach to achieving planned change
· Openly disseminates information of the change process through a range of communication media
· Encourages the involvement of all groups/individuals affected and seeks views and opinions of others
· Engages employees in the change process through the development of a range of support/problem solving processes
· Reviews implementation of change and shares experience
· Applies learning to new change projects
Collaborative Working
· Promotes the value and benefits of working collaboratively with a range of partners
· Maintains a strong network of contacts and identifies new opportunities for collaboration with previously unidentified agencies and partners
· Extends the range of potential partners, seeking new working alliances
· Outcomes of collaboration exceed planned goals/targets
· Disseminates information with existing and potential partners
· Maintains existing networks and develops new information networks
Communication
· Applies questioning to explore the motivations and mindset underlying the views of others
· Presents ideas in an organisational context to promote understanding of organisational aims and vision
· Identifies the information and communication requirements of audience and prepares accordingly
· Adapts approach in response to feedback from audience
· Reviews use of communication media/channels ad seeks to improve effectiveness of communication through the use of new approaches
· Develops and improves own personal behaviour to enhance effectiveness of communication
Customer Focus
· Embeds a customer service culture focused on customer needs, meeting their requirements for service delivery
· Identifies the changing needs of existing and new customers
· Demonstrates the Council’s customer service values
· Develops in-depth knowledge of own service area’s customer base
· Uses feedback to inform and develop customer service strategy across directorates using a range of methods for engaging current and potential customers
· Develops and delivers services to exceed customer expectation
· Considers and implements innovative ways of monitoring and reviewing service provision to exceed quality
Leadership and People Management
· Proactively and positively promotes the organisation and its vision with others
· Demonstrates a flexible leadership style adapting behaviour to ensure a positive response to problems and difficulties is communicated
· Encourages a culture which values workforce diversity
· Promotes organisational learning and transfers learning across departments
· Manages problems and difficulties in order to achieve organisational and personal goals
· Encourages individuals to implement their ideas for new projects and activities, consistent with organisational objectives
· Applies a wide range of learning and development activities such as coaching and mentoring to encourage continuous improvement and development
· Reviews activities for continuous improvement and shares good practice
· Identifies performance objectives and targets for team using Sheffield City Council’s Appraisal procedure and guidelines
· Monitors and reviews staff performance through regular supervision and one to one meetings
People Skills
· Seeks opportunities to inform others of own position and views
· Seeks opportunities to take responsibility for making things happen
· Behaves ethically generating discussion on the ethical issues facing all aspects of the organisation and seeks to resolve them
· Develops and applies a range of strategies to influence others
· Proactively seeks alternative views and explores the feelings of other people
· Exercises political judgement in relationships with local and national politicians maintaining and developing constructive and ethical relationships with them
· Promotes a working culture where actions, ideas and output are judged rather than people
Process Management
· Ensures processes are integrated and compatible with related management systems
· Monitors and reviews the purpose of process and systems to ensure beneficial outcomes as required
· Seeks to continuously improve systems and ensures quality is maintained through (re)accreditation against relevant external quality models
· Gathers, analyses and uses information generated by management systems to identify trends. Uses information in the context of wider strategic issues.
· Understands and applies financial legislation and other relevant policies.
· Demonstrates knowledge of professional standards and practices that are relevant to the Council.
· Develops financial policies that meet with Statutory and Council requirements.
· Applies accepted accounting principles, including accrual accounting and the financial regulations
· Monitors external financial and political developments and advise the Council on appropriate changes to policies.
· Balances the level of risk and controls in operation when adopting alternative approaches.
· Encourages, implements, monitors and revises risk management strategies.
· Learns from experience, assesses risks and makes recommendations for effective management of program delivery.
Project Management
· Reviews, evaluates and uses feedback to improve the application of the PM process
· Defines the project objectives, scope and resources recognising changes in requirements
· Identifies dependencies, linkages and contribution to other projects
· Ensures comprehensive project monitoring, control and reporting
· Reviews the original project to ensure learning and continuous improvement to exceed outcomes
Strategic Planning & Implementation
· Contributes to the development of strategic plans taking account of short, medium and long term issues
· Contributes to full integration of strategic and financial planning including workforce planning, performance management targets for teams and individuals
· Monitors and reviews processes to enable strategic plans to be updated or amended
· Evaluates outcomes to inform the development of future plans
· Exceeds set objectives and operational targets
Workforce, Finance and Resource Management
· Examines and matches organisational needs against projected longer terms resources
· Implements creative solutions to deliver value for money
· Seeks opportunities for service improvements
· Applies long term integrated, strategic approach to financial management to ensure maximum benefit and minimum risk
· Monitors resources against budgets and targets
· Develops contingency plans in response to potential variations and problems
· Develops a strategy for gathering information to focus on the key issues, assessing the added value of gathering further information against the cost involved
· Identifies connections between issues to produce an overview and to reframe the issues
· Seeks further information to test the validity of a decision and makes adjustments accordingly
All duties and responsibilities should be carried out in accordance with Council policies and procedures, for example the Code of Conduct, Code of Professional Ethics, equality and diversity, health and safety and environmental sustainability
To undertake any other related duties as they arise.
Metrics
Maybe responsible for a business unit budget
Advise and/or monitor multi million pound projects/programmes/services
Key behaviours and skills
Negotiation
· Demonstrates an understanding of the position of all parties and recognises where there is room for negotiation.
· Plans the negotiating arena and structures the negotiation and does not lose sight of the goal.
· Recognises body language signals and underlying clues and adapts own behaviour to steer negotiations.
Influencing
· Demonstrates confidence and rapport to allow concerns to be raised and takes action to resolve them, leading to greater acceptance of proposals for change
· Identifies individuals’ motivation strategies and works towards satisfying them to achieve agreed results. / Analytical
· Analyses information to identify trends or changes within a system.
· Accurately interprets the results of the analytical review.
· Uses the results to drive and focus the work to be undertaken
Persuasive
· Displays openness and encourages others’ viewpoint
· Reviews alternatives before recommending.
· Provides facts to support any recommendations
· Demonstrates the ability to apply logic and reasoning
Coaching & Mentoring
· Establishes and communicates performance expectations
· Can coach other members of the team and provide specific, constructive and positive feedback
Work related circumstances
Working outside the normal working day may be required from time to time.
MINIMUM ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS / METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Introduction:-
This person specification explains the skills and qualifications that are needed for the post. When completing the application form the candidate will be expected to match the skills and knowledge listed below, and the competencies and behaviours set out in the job description for this post.
Skills and knowledge:
· Professional: relevant professional qualification of Chartered Insurance Institute (CII), Diploma in Insurance (Dip CII) this should be backed up by evidence of training, experience and continuous professional development in the Insurance, Risk Management or related professional field or can demonstrate relevant equivalent experience by referring to the Task List for the post.
· Extensive experience of handling commercial insurance claims covering all classes of business including Employers & Public Liability, Motor, Professional and
Officials Indemnity.
· Analytical abilities and high levels of numeracy
· Extensive technical knowledge in own area and knowledge in other areas
· Management qualification, training or appropriate management experience in a complex technical environment
· Financial systems and process knowledge, plus other relevant IT skills including word, excel, PowerPoint or equivalents and other systems
· Evidence of continuing professional and managerial development / Application Form/Certificates/ Selection process
Application Form/References/Selection process
Application Form/Certificates
Application Form/Certificates/ Selection Process
Application Form/References
Application Form/References
Application Form/References
PERSON SPECIFICATION
TASK LIST
Core Tasks
Act as deputy for the Strategic Insurance Manager (SIM) as required by the needs of the team.
Maintain and continually review the claims handling service to ensure a smooth flow of claims, adherence to legislative requirements, and that at all times it delivers actions and solutions that maximise the benefit to the Council.
Prepare tender specifications for the procurement of Insurance, setting timescales, and ensuring compliance with legislation and Council standing orders/financial framework.
Ensure renewal of insurance is effected and complies with standing orders/financial framework.
Place ad hoc insurance covers as required by Portfolios/partners ensuring best value and compliance with standing orders/financial framework.
Continually review and market test the Insurance market and develop partnerships with insurance providers and advisors, and other external bodies related to the Insurance market to ensure the Council’s portfolio of insurances remains relevant and effective, and provides best value.
Check policy documentation to ensure content is accurate and in the Council’s best interests.
Provide written confirmation of insurance cover/alterations on an annual basis to Portfolios/Partner organisations with which the Council is associated.
Attend meetings with Portfolios, at least on an annual basis, to update on current insurance trends & options, discuss their insurance requirements and needs.
Provide advice on insurance indemnity levels in contracts.
Provide detailed advice and guidance on insurance for major projects that the Council undertakes.
Advise Portfolios, as appropriate of insurance cover in place and ensure the insurance and risk intranet site is kept up to date.
Where appropriate procure, appoint and liaise with external suppliers e.g. insurance broker, loss adjusters, cost assessors, lawyers etc. in line with the Council’s standing orders.