Corporate Development Manager

Location: London, Potters Bar, Bristol or Isle of Man (Hybrid working options available)

12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Provides technical, financial and subject matter expertise to support Canada Life UK in delivering its corporate development priorities. These will vary widely but are expected to include a wide range of value delivery initiatives including corporate structuring, capital management and M&A. Expected day-to-day tasks for this role might include:

• Co-ordinating preparation of high quality materials to support the annual UK Boards Strategy Day meeting
• Monitoring and researching market environment developments to draft input for the CEO’s Board report
• Contributing to completion of in-flight strategy execution projects by developing materials for various stakeholder groups

What you’ll do

• Research markets, competitor activities, and macro events to help create business initiatives and strategies for the development of the business.
• Participate in a wide range of corporate and strategic initiatives. Deliver sound guidance based on technical expertise, quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Plan and execute delivery of initiatives, including solution scoping and development of appropriate financial analyses to support decision points and governance.
• Facilitate sessions/workshops related to strategic development priorities with key business stakeholders to ensure buy-in to well-defined and thought-out solutions.
• Create and contribute to reports, presentations and updates for the Board and Senior Management on the UK strategic direction and progress on key strategic projects.
• Participate in M&A execution activity to ensure robust recommendations and successful outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Desired

• Wide-ranging, significant experience in the Life Insurance, Wealth or Asset Management industries; recognised as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in Corporate Development, Accounting, Reporting, or Regulatory Change.
• Outward-facing mindset, including knowledge of industry best practice and developments.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of the needs of the business. Will be able to apply a range of opportunity appraisal techniques, intuit and understand business/commercial implications of different courses of action.
• Understand complex data and information with the ability to interpret and recommend commercially astute courses of action; constructively challenging and helping develop others’ thinking and understanding.
• Problem-solving skills and attention to detail with demonstrable ability in spotting issues, interdependencies and challenges to ensure work is produced to an accurate, commercial and informed standard.
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating a clear and articulate standard of written and verbal communication with ability to adapt messages to the audience.
• Strong influencing skills, with experience of engaging with senior management in order to get desired outcome.
• The ability to develop and maintain strong relationships across the finance function and the wider business, acting with integrity and role modelling the company values at all times.
• Self-motivated, well-organised, pragmatic and able to perform tasks independently with proven ability to lead on high-profile projects.
• An interested and inquisitive individual who is committed to their own ongoing professional and personal development.

Qualifications (For the job and not the person)

• Excellent educational background - degree qualified or equivalent
• Likely to be qualified actuary or accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA), but other relevant qualifications (e.g. part/full CFA) or extensive industry experience also attractive