HR Employee Services Team Leader

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 23,000 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.

At Howden, people are at the heart of everything we do. As an HR Employee Services Team Leader, you’ll play a key role in making sure our people experience reflects that every day.

Leading a team of HR Coordinators, you’ll be responsible for delivering a high‑quality, reliable and people‑centred HR service across the UK. You’ll balance strong operational delivery with a mindset of continuous improvement, helping the business grow while keeping our processes simple, effective and scalable.

This is a hands‑on leadership role in a fast‑moving, employee‑owned business, where you’ll have real ownership, influence and the opportunity to shape how HR Employee Services operates as Howden continues to evolve.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead, support and develop a team of HR Coordinators, creating an environment where people feel trusted, capable and set up to succeed.
• Put colleagues and stakeholders at the centre of everything you do, delivering a consistent, professional and human HR experience.
• Manage day‑to‑day workloads and priorities to meet service levels and respond to changing business needs.
• Build capability across the team through clear processes, practical training and ongoing coaching.
• Ensure accuracy and quality across HR administration, employee data and system updates, with effective checking and controls in place.
• Use management information and insight to understand performance, spot trends and drive continuous improvement.
• Simplify and improve processes, increasing self‑service and automation while reducing    necessary complexity.
• Support key moments in the employee lifecycle and annual HR activity, including pay review cycles, organisational change and acquisitions.
• Handle escalations and non‑standard requests with sound judgement, working collaboratively with the business to manage risk.
• Work closely with Payroll to ensure a seamless experience and accurate, on‑time payroll delivery.
• Partner with IT, Finance, HR Business Partners and Centres of Excellence to improve ways of working and avoid duplication.
• Ensure compliance with UK employment legislation and data protection requirements, handling sensitive data with care and integrity.
• Contribute to wider HR projects and transformation initiatives that support Howden’s growth.

·What we’re looking for

• Experience leading or supervising a team within HR Shared Services or HR Operations.
• Strong, practical understanding of end‑to‑end HR processes and policies.
•  A confident people leader who can motivate, develop and support others to do their best work.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail, with a strong service mindset.
• Hands‑on experience using Workday and ServiceNow
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, evolving environment with competing priorities.
• A proactive problem‑solver who looks for better ways of doing things and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo.
• Able to make sound decisions, manage risk and balance pace with quality.
• Strong relationship‑building skills, with a collaborative and pragmatic approach.
• Positive, down‑to‑earth and aligned to Howden’s people‑first, ownership‑led culture

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.

Permanent