Senior Commercial Account Executive - Athlone

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 our Athlone office, Howden Ireland are delighted to have a vacancy of Senior Account Executive within our Commercial division. This is a key position within the business, responsible for managing a portfolio of high-value commercial clients, driving strategic growth, and contributing to the overall success of the Commercial team.

About the role:

Reporting to the Team Leader and Head of Existing Business, the Senior Account Executive will take full ownership of a portfolio of commercial clients, leading renewal and retention strategies while proactively identifying and securing new business opportunities. This role requires a highly experienced professional with strong technical expertise, commercial acumen, and the ability to operate at a strategic level. The successful candidate will play a critical role in maximising client value, driving revenue growth, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to the development of best practices across the Commercial function.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain strong, long-term partnerships with key commercial clients, acting as a trusted advisor on all insurance and risk matters.
• Take full responsibility for a portfolio of clients, ensuring retention, profitability, and identifying opportunities for cross selling and up selling.
• Lead the end to end renewal process for complex commercial risks, including market engagement, structuring of placements, negotiation of terms, and delivery of optimal outcomes.
• Proactively identify, pursue, and convert new business opportunities, contributing to overall business growth and achieving agreed revenue targets.
• Conduct in depth analysis of clients' risk profiles and provide tailored, strategic insurance solutions aligned to their evolving needs.
• Leverage strong insurer relationships to secure competitive terms, while maintaining awareness of market trends, pricing dynamics, and emerging products.
• Ensure adherence to all regulatory requirements, company procedures, and compliance standards, maintaining best in class documentation and audit readiness.
• Act as a senior point of contact within the team, supporting and mentoring junior colleagues, sharing expertise, and contributing to team development initiatives.
• Provide feedback to leadership on market conditions, product innovation, and service improvements to enhance client outcomes and operational efficiencies.
• Lead client meetings and presentations, including involvement in strategic reviews, renewals, and prospect pitches.

About You:

• Minimum 8+ years' experience in a commercial insurance broking or underwriting role, with demonstrable experience managing complex client portfolios.
• CIP Qualification is a neccessity.
• Strong technical knowledge across a broad range of commercial insurance products and the Irish insurance market.
• Proven track record in client retention, portfolio growth, and new business generation.
• Highly skilled negotiator with the ability to influence both clients and insurers to deliver optimal outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to operate at a strategic, advisory level with clients.
• Experience mentoring or supporting junior team members preferred.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast paced environment.
• Full clean driving licence.

About Howden Ireland:

Howden Ireland is part of Howden, the global insurance intermediary group, and has over 600 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 ()

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 . Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations.

Permanent

Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us - the people who work in the business - supported by three long term, minority growth equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They're invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.