U.S. Certificate Center Leader

Job Description

Who are we?

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mind-set, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 20,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

Our people are our biggest asset as well as our largest shareholder group and are everything that makes us unique; our inclusive culture, the quality service we offer our clients, and our continued growth, all come from our people-first approach. There’s no such thing as individual success. We all need to play our part, contributing our skills and experience to make a true difference. That’s Howden.

Why work at Howden?

We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.

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 disappointed head-hunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

What is the role?

We are seeking a proactive and experienced U.S. Certificate Center Leader to oversee and manage the operations of our Certificate Center, which is responsible for the timely and accurate issuance of insurance certificates across all U.S. operations. This individual will lead a team focused on delivering high-quality service to internal stakeholders and clients while ensuring compliance with insurance carrier guidelines and contractual requirements. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, deep knowledge of insurance certificate processes (ACORD 25, ACORD 28, etc.), and a customer-first mindset. This is a key operational leadership role that requires balancing efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.

What will you be doing?

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, manage, and develop the Certificate Center team responsible for issuing insurance certificates for clients across all lines of business.
• Establish team goals, monitor KPIs, and ensure adherence to service level agreements (SLAs).
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and client service excellence.

Certificate Operations

• Oversee the end-to-end certificate issuance process, including standard and custom certificate requests.
• Ensure compliance with carrier-issued policies, endorsement terms, and client-specific contractual requirements.
• Review escalated certificate requests and assist with complex wording or non-standard requirements.
• Maintain accurate documentation and version control for issued certificates.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all certificate processes comply with insurance regulations, carrier guidelines, and agency E&O risk mitigation practices.
• Develop and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for certificate issuance, quality control, and documentation.

Client & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a key point of contact for internal stakeholders (producers, account managers, compliance, legal) and high-value clients.
• Collaborate with client service teams to proactively manage recurring certificate requests (e.g., renewals, large client rollouts).
• Resolve certificate-related escalations with professionalism and urgency.

Technology & Process Improvement

• Oversee use of certificate management systems (e.g., Epic, CSR24, or similar) to track and manage requests.
• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Partner with IT and vendors on automation tools or digital delivery platforms for certificates

What are we looking for?

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Insurance, Risk Management, or a related field preferred.
• 5+ years in commercial insurance operations or client service, with significant experience in certificate issuance.
• 2+ years in a team leadership or management role within the insurance industry.
• Deep understanding of ACORD forms and certificate compliance standards.
• Strong knowledge of insurance terminology, policy types (GL, WC, Auto, Umbrella, Property), and endorsements
• Excellent organizational and time management skills in a high-volume environment
• High attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in agency management systems (e.g., Applied Epic, AMS360) and Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications:

• Insurance designations such as AINS, CISR, or CIC
• Experience supporting large commercial clients with complex certificate requirements
• Familiarity with certificate automation platforms or client-facing portals

What do we offer in return? A career that you define.

Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society’s greatest challenges.

And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work – and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we value diversity - there is no one Howden ‘personality 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

We consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness, and respect – regardless of age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or family circumstances.

Our sustainability promise

We’re on a life-long journey to become an ever-more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.