Insurance Lead

Job Description

Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom (Hybrid)

Salary: £58,589 per annum

Band: UKRI Band F

Hours:
Full-time/ Part Time (minimum 0.8 FTE) (flexible working available)

Location:
Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available (Min 3 days per week in the office)

Closing Date: 26 th July 2026

The Insurance Lead works as part of the Risk and Assurance team, with the Head of Risk & Assurance, supporting senior leaders within the directorate and across UKRI to ensure that UKRI operates best practice throughout its insurance arrangements.

The Insurance Lead is responsible for comprehensive review of all UKRI Insurance arrangements ensuring the development and implementation of appropriate long‑term arrangements.

The postholder will join the team working within the directorate to form a joined‑up Risk & Assurance function, working closely with all teams within the directorate. This role will support delivery of changes and new ways of working, leading by example through changes to ways of working that will reduce siloed working and increase collaboration in how we manage risk and assurance across the organisation, with our senior forums, Executive Committee and Board.

As a member of the team the role will work to support delivery of all the Directorate’s responsibilities.

• Increased engagement with senior leaders, councils and committees on insurance requirements.
• Appropriate assurance on the identification of insured and self‑insured risk.
• Proactive identification, escalation, and resolution of concerns before they become issues.
• Insurance arrangements that benchmark favourably against best practice and are applied in practice to meet Managing Public Money requirements.
• Acceptable level of assurance on insurance arrangements to external collaborators e.g., internal, and external auditors; UKRI Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
• Improved efficiency and effectiveness of insurance processes and elimination of duplication.
• Increased use of team in an advisory capacity.
• Fewer surprises (using risk and assurance management to proactively identify risks at an early stage and before they become issues).

The Insurance Lead reports to the Head of Risk & Assurance.

The role requires line management or supervision of support team members.

This role will support the Head of Risk & Assurance to provide professional leadership and support across the Risk & Assurance Network across UKRI.

The Insurance Lead is a visible member of the team and of the UKRI Chief Finance Officer Group and is required to build strong and effective relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders internally and externally as appropriate.

The role will support the Head of Risk & Assurance to ensure that Risk & Assurance activity helps to influence and drive decision making in the organisation at all relevant levels in pursuit of organisational objectives.

The role will also need to support and at times deputise for the Head of Risk & Assurance at a variety of fora, internally and externally, to work closely with external auditors and other external organisations, to build trust and increase the profile and reputation of UKRI.

This role does not have direct financial responsibilities.

• Evaluate current arrangements and advise on the optimum future arrangements taking a risk‑based approach.
• Lead on the review of all UKRI insurance ensuring value for money.
• Lead on the re‑tendering of contracts for insurance brokerage and provision, acting as an intelligence customer internally and externally.
• Support contract management for insurance services and maintain relationships with brokers and providers.
• Maintain the UKRI insurance policy and recommend future management arrangements.
• Review requests for ad hoc Insurance and advise on optimal approaches.
• Supervise and evaluate claims handling and record keeping, and recommend improvements.
• Analyse claims and advise on lessons learned.
• Lead the insurance working group.
• Be an active member in the team culture of continuous improvement in all areas and champion professional standards and good management practice across all the…