Director of New Ventures

About NextStep NextStep connects top consulting talent with high-potential opportunities through smart, AI-powered matching. We partner with ambitious companies across sectors to place experienced professionals in roles where they can have a real impact. On behalf of a client in our partner network, we are currently looking for a Director of New Ventures to join their team. About the Company Our client is a major UK financial services group with revenues exceeding £2bn, operating across insurance, wealth management, and personal finance. Recognising that organic growth within its core businesses has limits, the group has established a New Ventures unit tasked with identifying, incubating, and scaling new business models that leverage its distribution, data, and balance sheet. The Director of New Ventures will lead this unit, working directly with the Group CEO and reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer. The Role As Director of New Ventures, you will be responsible for the full lifecycle of new business creation, from opportunity identification and business case development through to incubation, launch, and early-stage scaling. You will operate as an entrepreneur within a well-resourced institution, with the mandate and budget to build things that matter. What You'll Do Identify and evaluate new business opportunities adjacent to the group's core markets — assessing market size, competitive dynamics, and strategic fit. Develop and pressure-test business cases for the most promising opportunities, working with Finance, Legal, and Technology to assess feasibility and resource requirements. Lead the build phase for approved ventures, hiring founding teams, defining the product and commercial model, and managing the path to initial revenue. Manage a portfolio of ventures at different stages simultaneously, allocating attention and resources appropriately across the pipeline. Report progress and risk to the Group CEO and CSO, and represent the ventures unit at the Board level. What We're Looking For 10–14 years of experience spanning strategy consulting, venture capital, or corporate innovation, with direct experience building or scaling new businesses. Entrepreneurial instinct combined with the rigour to operate inside a large institution (comfortable navigating both). Strong business case and financial modelling skills; able to make a credible investment argument for resource allocation. Track record of taking an idea from concept to commercial reality, whether inside a corporate or independently. Experience in financial services, insurtech, or fintech is a meaningful advantage. Compensation & Benefits Base salary of £130,000 – £160,000, depending on experience. Annual performance bonus with upside tied to venture milestones. Equity or phantom equity in successful ventures. 100% remote - work from anywhere in the UK, with monthly sessions in London. How to Apply To be considered for this role, please create your profile at getnextstep.com. Once your profile is complete, our matching system will evaluate your background against the role criteria and match you with the company if it's a strong fit. No cover letter required. This role is listed by NextStep on behalf of our client. All applications are handled with confidentiality.