Senior Business Change Project Manager

Senior Business Change Project Manager

Leeds | Hybrid Working (3 Days in Office) | Permanent |

Lead Transformation. Influence Strategy. Deliver Real Business Change.

At Markel, we're looking for an experienced Senior Business Change Project Manager to join our UK Business Change team and lead some of the most strategic, high-profile change initiatives across the business.

This is more than a project management role. You'll be responsible for delivering complex business change programmes that directly support growth, operational excellence, new product development, digital transformation, automation, and international expansion.

You'll work with Executive Sponsors, senior leaders, technology teams, and external vendors to turn ambitious ideas into successful business outcomes. If you're someone who thrives in complex stakeholder environments, enjoys solving challenging business problems, and wants to make a visible impact, we'd love to hear from you.

Why Join Markel?

At Markel, insurance is more than a policy. It's a promise to help people move forward with confidence, embrace opportunities, and recover when the unexpected happens. Our people-first culture, entrepreneurial outlook, and commitment to doing what's right are what make us different.

Joining our UK Business Change team means you'll:

Deliver business-critical change across a growing organisation

Work directly with Executive partners and decision-makers

Lead projects that genuinely influence the future direction of the business

Be part of a collaborative, supportive team with a strong culture and reputation for delivery

Enjoy the autonomy and trust to own complex programmes from inception through to implementation

What You'll Be Working On:

You'll lead a diverse portfolio of strategic business change initiatives, including:

New product launches and product development programmes

Operational efficiency and process improvement projects

Automation, AI and digital transformation initiatives

Workflow and business process redesign

Technology-enabled business change

Claims and policy platform enhancements

International business growth and expansion projects

Vendor-led system implementation programmes

Typically, you'll lead multiple concurrent projects, balancing delivery, governance, collaborator engagement, budget control, and business readiness activities.

What You'll Do:

Lead the delivery of complex business change projects from initiation through to implementation

Chair Project Working Groups and Steering Committees

Build strong relationships with Executive Sponsors and senior partners

Lead project governance, reporting, RAID logs, and project controls

Create and maintain detailed project plans and delivery roadmaps

Handle budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting

Work closely with Business Analysts, SMEs, Technology teams, Solutions Architects, and external vendors

Drive decision-making, challenge constructively, and ensure accountability across project teams

Ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards

What We're Looking For:

We're looking for a confident and credible senior project professional who can operate effectively with partners at every level of the organisation.

Essential Experience

Minimum 10 years' Project Management experience

Consistent record delivering complex business change projects

Experience working in regulated environments

Strong collaborator management skills, including Executive-level engagement

Experience running project budgets, forecasting and financial reporting

Vendor and third-party supplier management experience

Strong governance, risk and issue management expertise

Experience running Steering Committees and governance forums

Demonstrable ability to influence decisions and drive outcomes

Ideally You'll Come From

Insurance

Financial Services

Banking

Another highly regulated sector

Insurance experience would be highly advantageous but is not essential.

Qualifications

PRINCE2 Practitioner (preferred)

APM Qualification

Or equivalent recognised Project Management certification.

Methodologies

You'll have experience working across both:

Waterfall

Agile delivery environments

and understand how to apply the right approach for the project and participant landscape.

Someone who consistently builds and nurtures positive relationships

Comfortable challenging senior team members when needed

A confident communicator and presenter

Commercially aware and outcome-focused

Highly organised and resilient

Collaborative, approachable and team-oriented

Someone who enjoys getting stuck in and helping colleagues succeed

Location & Hybrid Working:

This role is based in Leeds, with hybrid working arrangements.

You'll be expected to attend the Leeds office three days per week, including Thursdays, with some UK travel as required. We're particularly interested in hearing from candidates already based within reasonable commuting distance of Leeds.

What You'll Receive:

In return, we offer:

Great salary + 25% annual bonus opportunity

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Buy and sell holiday scheme

Generous pension contribution

Private medical insurance

Dental cover

Life assurance

Income protection

Travel insurance

Season ticket loan

Hybrid working

Ongoing professional development and career progression opportunities.

Ready to Help Shape What's Next?

If you're an experienced Senior Project Manager looking for a role where you can influence strategic decisions, deliver meaningful change, and work with dedicated people across a growing international business, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and become part of Markel's next chapter of growth and transformation.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with all reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at rec@markel.com or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations that may be needed. This includes any alternative formats of any documents or information on how to apply offline.

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