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 24,000 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.

Based in any of our Dublin or Regional offices, Howden Ireland are looking for a Head of HR to lead the delivery of the people plan on a fixed-term contract of 12 months. The successful candidate will sit as part of wider executive team within Howden Ireland but will also collaborate with and form part of the Group HR Team.

About the Role:

The right person will have a demonstrable track record of delivery within fast paced commercial environments and provide expertise and experience across a broad range of HR disciplines. This is an opportunity to deliver alongside the business to drive growth in a complex and challenging industry.

Key Accountabilities

Partners with the CEO and Executive Team to translate business strategy and Group vision / goals into an aligned and integrated People Plan.
Operates across the full spectrum of HR ranging from recruitment, payroll & reward, mergers and acquisitions, change management, HR operations, management capability, performance, succession planning and talent management.
Leads a high performing and commercially aligned team to support managers and deliver against the People Plan.
Leads the business through people elements of acquisitions and provides pragmatic advice and guidance on employment law issues.
Works in partnership with the HUKI HRD to deliver the Group wide People Agenda and initiatives.
Build and use people analytics and insight to support evidence-based decision making, risk mitigation and strategic delivery.
Ensure compliance with all applicable HR law and regulations.
Builds effective and productive working relationships with internal stakeholders and clients across the Group at all levels of the organisation.
Able to convert data into insights to inform proposals and influence people matters to solve business challenges or opportunities.

About You:

Minimum 10 years’ experience working in a strategic HR role at Senior Management level.
Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with relevant experience in human resources.
Strong leadership and management skill and ability to motivate and develop a high performing team.
Experience of the development and execution of people strategy to support the business strategy.
A track record in building and managing strong and credible relationships at all levels in the organisation.
Strong commercial acumen and the ability to translate business requirements into people focused priorities.
Pragmatic, collaborative style.
A high level of influencing skills, stakeholder management, diplomacy and adaptability in a changing environment.
Be able to adapt your style, think on your feet and have a can-do mentality.
Strong curiosity and business understanding, putting HR and people related issues into the context of addressing business issues and or opportunities.

About Howden Ireland:

Howden Ireland is part of Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, and has over 500 employees across 28 local offices advising clients on their commercial insurance, personal insurance, health insurance, life and pensions and mortgage requirements. Our success is primarily down to the incredible people we employ.

For more information, please visit About Us | Howden Ireland (howdengroup.com)

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

Head of HR

Benefits

Job Description