Head of Affiliates (12m fixed term contract)

This is a remote position, however, to be considered you MUST be located in the United Kingdom.

We are not able to provide sponsorship for this opportunity unfortunately.

At Neilson, we help families put financial protection in place for their loved ones. We are a Life insurance provider who offers a wide range of first class Life insurance products via multiple direct brands and corporate partnerships. We believe in offering our customers straightforward life insurance.

We’ve evolved from our origins in the UK to become an international operation with offices in the USA, Canada, Ireland, the UK and Australia, with our head office based in Windsor and an in-house digital marketing agency, Thinkbait, based in Dublin, Ireland.  Having multiple locations worldwide enables Neilson to attract the absolute best people, allowing us to achieve our aim of being a leading global provider of life insurance.

Thinkbait is our in-house digital marketing collective based in Dublin, employing digital and performance marketing specialists with UI/UX expertise, building best in class customer journeys, and applying their SEO experience to our digital marketing channels.

Overview

We are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Head of Affiliates to join our performance marketing team on a 12‑month maternity cover contract. This senior leadership role oversees our affiliate and agency channel, particularly third‑party lead generation (3PL) across the UK, CA, AU, and upcoming international markets.



The successful candidate will lead a team of Affiliate Managers and collaborate with Compliance, Operations, Data and Media Buying to deliver performance at scale through a growing portfolio of affiliate partnerships. The role blends partner management expertise, team leadership, performance optimisation, and cross‑functional coordination.





Job Description

Key Responsibilities

  • Channel Management

  • Execute the 3PL strategy across markets, ensuring partner performance, lead volume and quality meet commercial targets.

  • Provide clear prioritisation and direction to the Affiliate team, aligning day‑to‑day activity with longer‑term goals.

  • Manage and mentor a team of Affiliate Managers, supporting their development and ensuring high execution standards.

  • Partner Management

  • Maintain strategic relationships with key affiliate partners - negotiation, performance, planning, and issue resolution.

  • Oversee onboarding and launch of new partners, working with legal, compliance, and tracking teams.

  • Identify opportunities to scale high‑performing partnerships and improve ROI. Cross‑Functional Collaboration

  • Work closely with Compliance to ensure regional regulatory alignment.

  • Partner with Data and Product teams to implement tracking, attribution, and reporting.

  • Implement and maintain affiliate tracking systems to guarantee precise measurement and reporting. 

  • Maintain the quality of performance reports within PowerBi, ensuring data is accurate and up-to-date. 

  • Performance Monitoring & Optimisation

  • Monitor partner performance using dashboards/tools (e.g., Leadbyte, Contact State, Power BI).

  • Identify underperformance trends early and lead resolution strategy.

  • Oversee testing and creative experimentation to drive incremental gains.

  • Leadbyte Campaign Management
  • • Manage daily operations within Leadbyte, including lead routing, cap management, validation rules, and delivery logic.
  • • Monitor lead quality, pacing, and source-level performance across multiple geographies and campaigns.
  • • Work closely with affiliate partners and internal stakeholders to troubleshoot delivery issues and optimise lead flow.

Qualifications

Key Requirements

  • Significant experience in affiliate/performance marketing, with ideally at least 2+ years leading a team.

  • Track record managing multi‑geo affiliate programs, ideally in regulated sectors (financial services, insurance).

  • Strong commercial acumen - negotiating commercial terms and managing ROI targets.

  • Comfortable managing strategic partner relationships and operational detail.

  • Experienced with lead management platforms such as Leadbyte, CAKE or Everflow

  • Ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives across compliance, product, and analytics.

  • Hands‑on, delivery‑focused, calm and decisive leadership style.

Desirable Experience

  • Experience launching/managing campaigns in international markets (English Speaking)

  • Familiarity with lead validation tools/protocols (e.g., Contact State).

  • Exposure to paid media or broader demand‑generation channels.

  • Experience navigating compliance frameworks in B2C acquisition environments.



Additional Information

Benefits include:

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Healthcare

Pension

Life Insurance

Retail discounts