Global Finance Operations Project Manager

Since Aspen was founded in 2002, we have become a leading, diversified specialty insurance and reinsurance company. We respond thoughtfully and creatively to find the best outcomes for our clients and business partners through carefully-tailored solutions.

We believe the way we work is just as important as the work we do, and we are guided by our core values of respect, honesty, trust and professionalism.

Aspen is a great place to develop your career offering an exciting and challenging environment where achievement is rewarded.

Role Purpose

Aspen’s Finance team has created the Global Finance Operations (GFO) function to standardize, enhance and simplify key processes for finance using process excellence. This includes focusing on Expense Management, Intercompany Accounting, and Corporate Accounting Services, before focussing on optimizing efforts across the rest of the finance function. This will be delivered through Global Process Owners (GPO).

To deliver a consistent approach, the GFO Project Manager will work with the CFO GFO and GPO’s to:

• Project management: Lead and manage the overall GFO programme, partnering with GPOs to ensure the programme delivers at pace and holds key stakeholders accountable for delivery to ensure smooth transition and minimal disruption to finance operations as processes are upgraded
• Process Excellence: Identify opportunities for process improvements within GFO, helps GPOs to facilitate workshops to enhance existing processes using process excellence
• Reporting: Prepare and present project status reports, updates, and performance metrics to senior management and Finance Leadership Team and maintains a portfolio view of activities and identify synergy opportunities
• Communication: Own the communication workstream for the programme so the finance community and wider stakeholders are kept up to date of the changes from the programme so that the projects successes are celebrated, and helps to promote an ongoing culture of process excellence

Our Aspen Values are expected to be reflected in the delivery and performance of every role

Key Results Areas

Strategy and Planning

• Identify and scope change initiatives with key stakeholders, ensuring a risk assessment and delivery plan is created and agreed prior to delivery commencing
• Contributes to functional strategy development and prioritises the operational deliverables and activities of team to support delivery of overall business targets.
• Manages operational/tactical plan and provides support to others to achieve positive results for the business in line with strategy.
• Establishes project plans to ensure delivery is properly estimated and tracked, dependencies are managed, appropriate resources are deployed, tasks are completed, and stakeholders are informed on a timely basis.
• Manages day-to-day operational aspects of project(s) and determines own work priorities in line with agreed plans to ensure optimal achievement of the function’s objectives

Policy, Process and Procedures

• Compliance with operational risk policy - ensure operational risks associated with change are analysed and managed
• Identifies and tracks issues to ensure impacts on delivery are highlighted, appropriately escalated and resolved.
•   Assists in the definition of a project’s governance arrangements to ensure these reflect risks and responsibilities and expected standards and objectives.
•   Ensures that the delivery of new products or services is to the appropriate level of quality, on time and within budget, in accordance with the project plan and governance arrangements.
•   Maintains effective quality assurance and integrity through managing internal consistency and the interfaces with other projects and/or relevant Aspen initiatives.
• Ensures that files are maintained in a logical and accessible manner and/or other issues are clearly documented at all times.
• Develops training and documentation to educate users on new systems and processes in order to ensure effective transitioning.

Environmental Awareness/Customer Focus

• Ensure all stakeholders for each business change initiative are identified and their requirements are understood and prioritised
• Ability to build strong stakeholder relationships to influence and drive change across multiple business areas

Technical Performance

• Ensure projects and programs are delivered within the framework of Aspen Change Risk policies and all Business Change methodology requirements are adhered to including:
  • Approval requirements and stage gates
  • Consistent processes, documents, and reporting
  • Focus on definition, planning, execution, and benefit delivery
  • Documented roles and responsibilities
• Uses and advises others in the use of appropriate project management resources to support effective and compliant delivery of projects and solutions.
• Presents project reports and management information (MI) to inform stakeholders on delivery schedule, budget, quality, risks, issues, dependencies, resources, and benefits
• Manages the project’s budget through monitoring expenditure and costs against delivered and realised benefits as the project progresses.

Knowledge

• Good knowledge of the general insurance industry
• Knowledge of project management and business analysis techniques
• Proficiency in process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) and tools.
• In-depth exposure to process excellence techniques, leading onshore and offshore teams to enhance key process

Skills

• Project and change management
• People Management
• Resource and budget management
• Able to plan effectively and efficiently
• Able to manage conflicting priorities to achieve deadlines
• Strong reasoning capabilities – creative and lateral thinking, with strong problem-solving-skills
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to negotiate, persuade and influence both directly and indirectly
• Ability to collaborate effectively within a team environment both across the UK and the Group

Experience

• Experience of leading and facilitating workshops to identify process improvements
• Experience of project and change management from a finance rather than IT perspective
• Experience of the business implementation of change in a P&C insurance firm

At Aspen we know that having a diverse and inclusive workforce is good for our people, good for our business and good for the environments in which we operate.  We therefore welcome applications from people which allows us to draw on diverse cultures, perspectives, skills and experiences.