| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Insurance |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Chief Distribution Officer |
| Direct reports | Agency Development Manager, Branch Manager (Insurance), Agency Manager |
| Experience | 15+ years in insurance distribution with channel leadership |
Head of Agency job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Head of Agency
Department: Insurance
Reports to: Chief Distribution Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Head of Agency leads the agency distribution channel of an insurer, the network of agents and advisors who sell its policies. They set the channel strategy, drive new business premium, and build agent recruitment, activation and productivity. The role reports to the Chief Distribution Officer or Chief Executive Officer. A good head of agency grows premium through a large, active agent force, keeps persistency high so policies stay in force, builds strong development managers, and makes the agency channel a steady, profitable engine of new business.
Key responsibilities
- Set the agency channel strategy and the annual premium and recruitment plan.
- Drive new business premium through the agent network across branches and regions.
- Build agent recruitment, licensing and activation so the active force keeps growing.
- Lift agent productivity through training, contests and clear career paths.
- Keep persistency high so policies stay in force and renewals come through.
- Lead and develop agency development managers and branch heads.
- Manage channel cost and commissions within the approved budget.
- Ensure agents sell suitably and follow conduct and compliance rules.
- Track channel performance and act on weak branches and territories.
- Coordinate with underwriting, operations and marketing to support the channel.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream, an MBA is an advantage
- Long experience in insurance agency sales
- Insurance certification such as LOMA or III is an advantage
- 15+ years in insurance distribution with channel leadership
KRAs and KPIs for a Head of Agency
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Agency premium | New business premium from the agency channel meets the annual target |
| Active agents | Active agent count grown against the agreed target |
| Recruitment | New agents recruited and licensed against the annual plan |
| Persistency | Policy persistency held above the agreed benchmark |
| Productivity | Premium per active agent above the agreed level |
| Channel cost | Channel cost and commission held within the approved budget |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: CRM and lead systems, Agency management portal, MS Excel, Business dashboards, Sales performance tools.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Distribution Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Business Head
Interview questions for a Head of Agency
- How do you grow an agency channel that has stopped adding active agents?
- How do you lift persistency without hurting new business volume?
- How do you turn around a branch that keeps missing premium targets?
- How do you keep agents selling suitably and within conduct rules?
- How do you build and motivate a team of development managers?
- How do you balance recruitment cost with productivity of new agents?
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What does a Head of Agency do in insurance?
A Head of Agency leads the agency distribution channel: the network of agents who sell the insurer policies. They set channel strategy, drive new business premium, build agent recruitment, activation and productivity, and keep persistency high. They lead development managers and branch heads and manage channel cost and conduct.
What is persistency and why does it matter to a Head of Agency?
Persistency is the share of policies that stay in force and keep paying premium after the first year. It matters because renewal premium is far cheaper to earn than new business and reflects that agents sold suitably. A Head of Agency watches persistency closely alongside new premium.
What experience does a Head of Agency need?
Most roles ask for long experience in insurance agency sales, often fifteen years or more, with proven channel and team leadership. Employers value a record of growing active agents, premium and persistency, strong coaching skills, and an MBA or an insurance certification for the strategy and leadership side.