Head of Claims (Group Protection)

Legal & General (L&G) is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor.

We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, and strive to build a better society, while improving the lives of our customers and creating value for shareholders.

We are one of the world’s largest asset managers and provide powerful asset origination capabilities. Together, these underpin our retirement and protection solutions: we are an international player in pension risk transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income.

L&G Retail supports the savings, protection and retirement needs of around 14 million people, through our portfolio of retail and workplace businesses.

Our Retail division helps people enjoy a more colourful retirement, both directly and through their employers, including Lifetime Mortgages, Retirement Interest Only Mortgages and financial advice on our range of lending products.

We are the UK’s number one individual life insurer, and also provide Group Protection products for employers – all helping people to plan for the unexpected. We support home buying through our Mortgage Club – the UK’s largest – and our award-winning Surveying Services team. And our fintech team finds and supports socially useful start-ups and scale-ups working in the workplace, home, insurance and wealth areas.

Joining us means helping create brighter financial futures for all our customers. 

We’re recruiting for a Head of Claims (Group Protection) to join us in our Hove office on a hybrid basis. 

What you'll be doing:

Lead the Group Protection claims teams to deliver outstanding service and implement claims strategies aligned with business goals and the vision to be the market leader in Group Protection benefits.

• Lead the Claims Strategy: Drive the delivery of our claims service philosophy, ensuring delegated authorities are effectively managed and aligned with LG Retail’s strategy, focus areas, and Group Protection objectives

• Enhance Customer Experience: Develop and refine processes and systems to provide exceptional customer service and a market-leading claims proposition for our Group Protection clients

• People Leadership: Manage and support your team by applying consistent leadership practices, following Group policies and the Partnership Agreement to maximise performance and engagement

• Build a High-Performance Culture: Regularly review team roles and capacity, ensure qualifications are maintained, support career development, and address performance or behavioural issues promptly with appropriate escalation

• Stakeholder Engagement: Foster strong relationships with key intermediaries and customers, representing business objectives while showcasing thought leadership and industry expertise

• Drive Continuous Improvement: Promote a culture of innovation and efficiency, ensuring cost control and delivery against the annual claims budget in line with LG Retail’s objectives

• Ensure Compliance: Oversee processes to ensure customer data is handled in line with GDPR, the Access to Medical Reports Act (1988), and Legal & General’s confidentiality policies

• Customer-Centric Service Delivery: Organise and prioritise service provision to meet customer needs—whether they’re switching products, submitting claims, or raising complaints

Who we're looking for:

• Strong analytical and risk management skills, with the ability to think creatively and lead strategically within the claims space
• Proven leadership and people management experience, with the ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams
• In-depth knowledge of Group Protection products (current and legacy) 
• Familiarity with Individual Income Protection policies 
• Understanding of medical conditions, occupational impacts, and their influence on work capability
• Awareness of external investigative and rehabilitation services
• Up-to-date knowledge of medical developments, regulatory requirements (e.g. ABI/FCA), and changes to claims or underwriting philosophies
• Knowledge of welfare legislation and DWP initiatives 
• Extensive understanding of relevant legislation and regulation, including:
  • Equality Act
  • Welfare Reform Act
  • Health & Safety at Work
  • Working Time Directives
  • Employment Law
  • GDPR
  • Access to Medical Reports Act
  • Financial Ombudsman Service
• Experience operating within delegated claims authorities and representing the function at senior internal and external meetings

Whatever your role, we reward performance and behaviour with a package that looks after all the things that are important to you. Here are some of the benefits we offer:

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance -related bonus plan and valuable share schemes
• Generous pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Healthcare Plan (permanent employees only)
• 30 days holiday, plus public holidays. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday
• Competitive family leave
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand-new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice (permanent employees only)
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online
• In 2023, some of our workspaces were redesigned. Our offices are great spaces to connect and collaborate and have your wellbeing at the heart 

At L&G, we believe it's possible to generate positive returns today while helping to build a better future for all. 

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming, inclusive culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views, and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We care passionately about outcomes rather than attendance and are therefore open to discussing all kinds of flexible working options including part-time, term-time and job shares. Although some roles have limited flexibility due to customer demand, we accommodate requests when we can. 

It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet every single criterion in this advert. Instead, think about what you excel at and what else you can bring in terms of strengths, potential and connection to our purpose.