Title:  Head of Operations, EU

About us

At Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets (MRS-GM), it is our ambition to become the leading Primary Specialty Insurance provider, underpinned by an effective and adaptable strategy, superior products and industry leaders working in a supportive environment to achieve this.  

At the heart of our success is a strong culture where people are encouraged to be present, bold and curious, allowing them to achieve their individual goals.  

Please see our website for more information.

Head of Operations, Europe

Munich Re Specialty was formed as a stand-alone division in 2023, and brings together the wider Munich Re group’s primary specialty business units. Complementing an already strong presence in the UK and the US, Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets (MRSGM) has been tasked with executing a wider plan to build a broader European footprint. This work will start in Spain, expanding on Munich Re Specialty’s existing business in the UK, Ireland and Germany.

In order to successfully establish and profitably grow our Specialty business across the European market, we are looking for a Head of Operations, EU to join our team and be based in Madrid, Spain.

Ideally, our successful candidate has experience across both Retail (non-Wholesale) and Wholesale business. Knowledge of Lloyd’s of London UW and Operational practices would be a benefit. An entrepreneurial spirit is a must, with a high degree of comfort in building a business presence from scratch and preparedness to roll up the sleeves for tasks both big and small.

Responsibilities:

• Establish the MRRSI Operations team based mainly in the European Corporate Services Centre in Madrid, which entails defining job definitions, recruiting, onboarding, training, overseeing, controlling and developing a team of operational professionals
• Support achieving the strategic and operational goals of MRRSI by providing market-leading non-regulated services to underwriting and other functions as required. These include for instance:

• Defining, implementing, overseeing and continuously improving standardised service level agreements and standard operating procedures for the respective area of responsibility
• Standing up and providing standardised underwriting delivery services as agreed with the business around submission data entry, validation, triaging, enriching, reporting
• Third-party vendor management
• Operational  resilience and business continuity
• Corporate Insurance covers
• Digital product ownership for core applications
• Business Process Management
• Other services and tasks as required

• Build the European Corporate Service Centre in Madrid, representing Operations, from scratch in close collaboration with the MRRSI leadership team and representatives from Claims, Finance, Legal, Risk & Compliance and other functions as required
• Line management for all operations staff across Operations Delivery, Data and Change in MRRSI and the European Corporate Service Centre
• Represent Operations in its entirety (i.e. Operations Delivery, Change, Data) at the MRRSI Executive Committee
• Help drive forward good Conduct for the business to deliver the best outcomes for customers / policyholders.

Knowledge and Skills

• Demonstrated ability to build up a new team and corporate service centre operation including experience in defining SLAs and standard operating procedures
• Highly experienced in running an operations function in insurance, preferably specialty or commercial insurance
• Accustomed to working in a highly regulated environment
• Intercultural awareness working with colleagues across different European geographies such as UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Italy
• Fluent in Business English and Spanish, one additional European language such as German or Italian a plus
• Can-do attitude while continuously working towards achieving operational excellence
• University degree and/or relevant professional qualification

If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with everything outlined, or you don’t meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the candidate we are looking for!

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Munich Re, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion foster innovation and resilience and enable us to act braver and better. Embracing the power of DEI is at the core of who we are. We recognise diversity can be multi-dimensional, intersectional, and complex, so we want to build a diverse workforce that includes a wide range of racial, ethnic, sexual, and gender identities; economic and geographic backgrounds; physical abilities; ages; life, school, and career experiences; and political, religious, and personal beliefs. Additionally, we are committed to building an equitable and inclusive work environment where this diversity is celebrated, valued, and has equitable opportunities to succeed.

All candidates in consideration for any role can request a reasonable adjustment at any point in our recruitment process. You can request an adjustment by speaking to your Talent Acquisition contact.

Learning and innovating today, striving for sustainable societies and business tomorrow

At Munich Re Specialty – Global Markets our approach to ESG is underpinned by our desire to seize business opportunities and to nurture a stimulating and inclusive work environment. Our ESG strategy aims to deliver holistic impacts across environmental, social and governance topics including supporting a number of local initiatives within our community and offering volunteering opportunities for colleagues.

Learn more about sustainability at Munich Re – choose your impact!

#BePresent #BeBold #BeCurious