Future Business Leader
Field based, 18 month fixed term contract, Pathway to Self employment as an Agent of NFU Mutual
Are you ready to take the next step in your leadership journey and shape the future of insurance distribution? NFU Mutual is offering a unique opportunity to join our Future Business Leader programme – an 18-month fixed term contract designed to develop high-potential individuals into strategic business leaders, with the ultimate goal of becoming a self-employed Agent within our UK-wide Agency Network.
About the role
This programme is a direct route to becoming a self-employed business leader, giving you the opportunity to run your own multi-million-pound insurance agency with the support of NFU Mutual. It’s designed to equip you with the commercial insight, leadership capability and operational experience needed to transition confidently into a self-employed Agent role.
This bespoke development pathway combines structured learning, targeted placements, and mentoring from senior leaders to help you build the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to run a successful, compliant and customer-focused insurance agency.
This role falls under Insurance Distribution Directive requirements, and as a result, role holders will be required to demonstrate ongoing Continuous Professional Development in role, along with undergoing regular re-screening to show that they are of “Good Repute”. Further information can be found in the FCA Handbook.
What’s in it for you?
A tailored development plan including technical product training, industry-recognised qualifications, and hands-on experience.
Strategic placements within NFU Mutual agencies to build commercial acumen and leadership capability.
Exposure to key business functions such as Underwriting, Claims, Sales & Marketing, Risk and Governance.
Mentoring and networking with senior stakeholders and top-performing Agents.
Involvement in high-impact projects that contribute to regional growth and innovation.
A clear pathway to Agency Partnership, with the opportunity to lead your own business.
Development Topics You’ll Cover
Throughout the programme, you’ll gain deep insight into the business through structured learning and immersive experiences across the following areas:
NFU Mutual Strategy – Gain understanding of and exposure to our strategic objectives and support the delivery of key initiatives.
Regional Strategy – Learn how regional roles support the NFU Mutual Agency Network by shadowing and attending agency visits.
Licensing – Complete NFU Mutual’s licensing programme to sell products compliantly.
Regional Service Centre (RSC) – Build relationships and understand how Underwriting and Claims teams support customers.
Networking – Engage with stakeholders across NFU Mutual and the NFU (National Farmers Union) to build strong professional relationships.
Agency Department – Explore how Head Office teams support new Agents and the wider network.
Head Office Departments – Gain exposure to functions like Large Corporate Underwriting, Regional Sales, Risk Management.
Agency Placement – Undertake a 3–6 month placement in a commissioned agency to understand operations first-hand.
What we’re looking for:
You’ll be an experienced professional with a strong background in:
Sales and business development – driving sales and hitting targets, ideally in a B2B environment.
People management – leading high-performing teams and delivering results.
Change management – driving transformation and continuous improvement.
Stakeholder engagement – building relationships across internal and external networks.
You’ll also be:
A self-starter with a passion for personal development.
Motivated by the opportunity to build and lead your own business, with the resilience and drive to succeed in a self-employed environment.
Comfortable operating in regulated environments, ideally with a background in Financial Services or Insurance.
ACII qualified or willing to work towards it.
A holder of a full UK driving licence
At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.
We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.
We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.
Benefits and Rewards
When you join our team, you can expect a supportive culture and an attractive range of rewards and benefits including:
Salary of up to £47,000
Annual bonus (up to 17.5% of salary)
Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
25 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy/sell/save holiday trading scheme
A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
£20 contribution to a monthly gym membership – subject to T&Cs
Health and wellbeing plan - cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
Access to voluntary benefits, including health assessments, private medical insurance and dental insurance
Employee Volunteering - volunteer in the community for one day each year
Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary
Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.
Salary sacrifice employee car scheme - subject to eligibility
Working at NFU Mutual
We’re one of the UK’s leading general insurance and financial services organisations, and for over 110 years we’ve put our customers at the heart of everything we do. Our people are just as important to us, so we’re proud to be recognised as “a great place to work”.
Our Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2026 award was not only awarded with Distinction, but it also marked us as the first UK based company to earn a Gallup Exceptional Workplace award for eleven consecutive years. We’ve also been consistently recognised by Glassdoor. We appeared in the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK list in 2023, 2024 and 2026 — and in 2026, we were the highest ranked insurance business in the UK, highlighting our strong employee experience and the positive feedback our people share on the platform.
Additionally, we were named in the LinkedIn Top Companies 2026 list of “Best midsize employers to grow your career in the UK”, and we’ve been certified as a UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
We offer a supportive and empowering culture where people are inspired to perform, given opportunities to grow, and recognised and rewarded for their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable—so we’re successful now and in the future.
