Head Of Direct Channels at Britam

Job Purpose

The role holder will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of an integrated direct and digital strategy that delivers outstanding digital and online sales revenue and services performance, in line with the delivery of the single distribution strategy.  The direct sales channel offering will be recognized by customers as being distinctive, simple, accessible and personalized and will drive increased customer satisfaction and loyalty to Britam.   

Key responsibilities

• Develop and deliver an operating model and strategy  for all our direct ensuring optimal alignment with the overall Commercial  strategy; Working proactively with colleagues across the network, ensure that the Digital infrastructure provides a best in class Digital capability that enables the delivery of direct sales, service and customer experience objectives,
• Lead and drive the delivery and evolution of Digital Sales & Service performance objectives, working collaboratively with colleagues across Business Units, Marketing, Products and 

• Operations, ensuring performance issues are identified and addressed in a proactive and timely way, while maintaining a strong compliance focus,
• Work with colleagues to continuously improve and simplify the end-to-end Digital sales and service processes, minimising customer effort while maximising sales revenue, performance, improving Digital security and controls,
• Ensure maximum collaboration and alignment with Marketing and Products teams on the Digital Marketing plan, leveraging best in class digital marketing strategies to drive sales performance and optimise customer engagement,
• Digital Marketing and product development plan,
• Ensure use of analytics and customer insight and the use  emerging digital channels to drive multi-channel revenue,
• Ensure the Direct channels are expertly managed from a governance perspective with proactive management of risks and issues both existing and emerging, ensuring compliance with all regulation, and a consistent focus on the operational performance and security of Direct Channels,
• Successfully influence and proactively manage key stakeholders including, Business Units, 
• Operations, Profitability per channel Mar Profitability per channel; Markketing teams in delivering Direct Channels goals and objectives,
• Develop and manage clearly defined budgets and plans for ongoing management and development of Direct Channels within agreed parameters, developing robust and timely 
• reporting while also ensuring rigorous cost management,
• Cultivate and manage a high performance Direct Channels team to deliver on all objectives, ensuring high levels of team development, collaboration and engagement, and
• Deliver on performance requirements as defined in the departments’ strategy map, balanced scorecard and Personal Scorecard.

Key Performance Measures

STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE

• Client accounts growth 
• Profitability per channel
• Channel Growth 
• Customer Satisfaction Index
• Manager Net promoter score

INITIATIVES PERSPECTIVE

• % of initiatives more than 20% behind schedule
• % of initiatives more than 10% above budget
• % achievement of channel target
• % of product lines available on Direct channel
• % roll-out of self-service portal

OPERATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

• % processes re-engineered
• Digital conversion rate

Working Relationships

Internal Relationships:

• The Head of Direct Channel will be:
• Accountable to the Group Commercial Director

Directly responsible for;

• Digital Channel Manager
• Mobile Channel Manager
• Required to liaise and work closely with the other departments as may be necessary

External Relationships:

• Mobile Operators
• Britam customers
• Insurance sector players

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required

• Business or IT related degree , MBA is an added advantage.
• Professional qualification in related studies.
• 7 - 10 years’ of experience Financial Services, Telecommunication or FMCG industries of which 3 – 4 years must be in managerial capacity in a busy environment.
• Experience in Retail Distribution, Sales and Marketing and Channel Development and Strategy development.
• Must have overseen the development and driven a new route to market strategy for a Direct Channel.
• A demonstrated track record with proven multi-channel revenue results in online growth initiatives.
• Significant experience in stakeholder management and working with various teams to ensure buy-in of direct channel strategies are achieved.

Competencies

Essential Competencies

• Deciding and Initiating Action: Ensures key departmental objectives are met, takes responsibility for decisions, actions, projects and people while focussing on achievement of departmental results; takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activity; makes quick, clear decisions with limited information available which may include tough choices or considered risks; decisions and actions takes into account possible impact on all parts of the business.
• Leading and Supervising: Provides the department with a clear direction based on the overall strategic intent of the organisation; motivates and empowers others with a clear sense of purpose; creates a positive departmental climate that fosters learning and development; acknowledge high potential talent; sets and articulates the vision and values through own personal behaviour.
• Persuading and Influencing: Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating to the benefit of the department, promotes the organisational strategy during departmental conversations; makes effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others; promotes ideas on behalf of the department; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage the department’s impression and brand on others.
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts: Works strategically to realise organisational goals within the department; sets and develops departmental strategies; identifies and develops positive and compelling visions of the department's future potential; takes account of a wide range of issues across, and related to, the organisation; encourage others to take a strategic and long term view in terms of the department's future; communicates the organisational strategy, vision and objectives effectively across all levels in the department.
• Entrepreneurial and Commercial Thinking: Keeps up to date with competitor information and market trends; identifies business opportunities for the department; maintains awareness of developments, changes, trends and possible risks in the department's structure and politics; demonstrates financial awareness; ensure costs are monitored and controlled and thinks in terms of profit, loss and added value.
• Planning and Organising: Sets clearly defined departmental objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organises resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors departmental performance against deadlines and milestones.