Business Manager (Chief of Staff)

at  Aviva

This is an exciting opportunity to accelerate your career by gaining wide exposure to the C-suite in a leading life insurance company. You would be joining Aviva Life & Pensions DAC (Aviva Life) to support the Aviva Life CEO as their Business Manager. The key focus for the role is to support the Aviva Life CEO and Aviva Life Executive Committee (ExCo) in the achievement of the strategic roadmap, optimising performance against our strategic objectives, delivering executive reporting and management information, and supporting the management of key stakeholders.
Please be advised that you must have fluent English and valid Irish, EU, or UK work rights to be considered for the position.
Duties and Responsibilities:

Business Strategy

• Assist the CEO with Aviva Life’s strategic ambition. Support corporate development, including the preparation of reports, and construction of analysis, where needed.
• Support the ExCo with the delivery of the strategic roadmap. Identify problem areas and liaise with relevant persons to resolve issues as they arise.
• Own ad-hoc specified local and global projects and deliver them within demanding timelines whilst maintaining a high standard of technical accuracy.
• Actively support key operational and strategic projects where appropriate.
• Review and challenge business cases for key strategic initiatives.
• Provide other strategic analysis where needed.

Stakeholder Management, Reporting & Communication

• Manage the efficient running of ExCo meetings to include preparation and quality assurance of the pack, coordination with ExCo members re agenda items, and preparation of detailed minutes, action, decision logs etc.
• Work with the ExCo and the communications teams to deliver key messages on strategy, ambition, performance, risks, and issues.
• Maintain and deliver accurate management information for discussion and review.
• Assist the Aviva Life CEO with Board preparation including (but not limited to): reviewing and quality assuring the papers providing feedback to executives where needed and preparing drafts of the CEO Board reports.
• Deputise for the Aviva Life CEO at committee meetings where appropriate.

Customer

• Support the Aviva Life CEO in driving forward our customer agenda.
• Take the lead on customer initiatives where appropriate.
• Spend time with key customer facing teams to ensure customer is central to our business plans and key decisions.

Risk management and Compliance

• Take responsibility for risk-based decision making, encouraging effective management of key risks, the embedding of a risk- and controls-aware culture and the development of required risk and control skills.
• Understand and champion the Group’s Risk Management Framework, including all Risk Policies and linked Business Standards; reporting, escalation, and governance processes (including all legal and regulatory requirements).
• Actively engage with Internal Audit and Risk colleagues to manage timely closure of open issues and recommendations.

People

• Support the Aviva Life CEO in providing direction to ExCo and wider business, to enable them to deliver in line with business plans.
• Encourage our culture of personal responsibility and ownership, with a strong risk & control environment.
• Collaborate across Aviva Ireland, the Aviva Insurance, Wealth and Retirement business and all of Aviva, including the relevant Aviva Group Business Managers.
• Support the cultural change journey to embed a culture of Challenge, Collaboration and Customer First.
• Ensure our values of Care, Commitment, Community and Confidence are embedded in our culture.

Skills & Experience:

• You will have a relevant BA/BS degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
• An actuarial or CFA qualification or similar is desirable.
• Experience in an analyst-related role or similar is desirable.
• Strong attention to detail is a requirement, combined with a professional services mindset.
• Strong PowerPoint and Excel skills are essential. Strategic awareness with the capability to take a whole view of the business and see the associated key issues and implications.
• Experience of execution – examples of rigor of follow through and resilience.
• Proven leadership skills – an influencer and collaborator, with an emphasis on leading and managing relationships in a cross functional / matrix environment.
• Ability to work unsupervised to proactively complete tasks. Ability to set expectations with colleagues and to manage to this expectation.
• Awareness of appropriate sense of urgency & ability to work at a fast pace.
• Methodical approach to prioritise & organise workload to keep within deadlines.
• Proven interaction as a team player & contributor.
• Good verbal and effective written communications skills, including the ability to prepare and deliver reports and presentations.
• A good knowledge of the Financial Services industry on a local and global basis.
• A knowledge of the Irish insurance industry understanding of key levers to drive profit and effective tracking/forward looking.
• Highly aware of customer needs, requirements and preferences and understands the wider competitive environment.

What will you get for this role?

• A competitive market leading salary depending on skills, experience, and qualifications.
• Generous pension (employee contribution matching of up to 14% if you contribute 8%)
• Annual performance related bonus and pay review.
• Holiday allowance of 29 days plus bank holidays, and the option to buy/sell up to 5 additional days
• Free car parking
• Generous Health & dental insurance contributions after six months
• Aviva Matching Share Plan and Save As You Earn scheme and Approved Profit Share Scheme
• Cycle to Work benefit scheme.
• TaxSaver Travel Scheme
• Family friendly parent’s (matching paternity and maternity leave) and carer’s leave.
• Up to 40% discount for some Aviva products plus discounts for Friends and Family
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Volunteering days
• Professional qualification support and transparent career progression plans

Aviva is for Everyone
Our diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives are shaping an environment where everyone feels welcome regardless of age, disability, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, culture, sexual orientation, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, maternity or those with other caring responsibilities. Our approach helps to ensure that Aviva is a place which values difference and provides equal opportunities for all.
We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you. Our smart working combines the benefits of flexibility with time together with colleagues.
We prefer all applications to be submitted online, however if you require an alternative method of applying, please contact megan.crabbe@aviva.co

• A competitive market leading salary depending on skills, experience, and qualifications.
• Generous pension (employee contribution matching of up to 14% if you contribute 8%)
• Annual performance related bonus and pay review.
• Holiday allowance of 29 days plus bank holidays, and the option to buy/sell up to 5 additional days
• Free car parking
• Generous Health & dental insurance contributions after six months
• Aviva Matching Share Plan and Save As You Earn scheme and Approved Profit Share Scheme
• Cycle to Work benefit scheme.
• TaxSaver Travel Scheme
• Family friendly parent’s (matching paternity and maternity leave) and carer’s leave.
• Up to 40% discount for some Aviva products plus discounts for Friends and Family
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Volunteering days
• Professional qualification support and transparent career progression plan