Head of Underwriting

Job Title

Job Description

The Role

The Head of Underwriting & Claims, Europe, is responsible for leading all underwriting and claims activities for the UK and Ireland protection reinsurance business and ensuring a high standard. This includes managing risk, overseeing audits and due diligence, and delivering high-quality client service. The incumbent will be responsible for the development of the Europe Protection underwriting and claims strategy, philosophy, and policies in conjunction with wider business strategy. Although PL Re is not currently active in Continental Europe for Protection business, this could be an area of expansion in the future.

We will look to you to building and leading a high-performing team, developing innovative solutions, and enhancing the company's underwriting and claims profile externally.

You will join the Underwriting & Claims Functional Leadership Team as well as the Protection Market Leadership Team (PMLC) for Europe and North America.

Duties

Build, lead and manage a high-performing Europe Protection underwriting and claims team providing:

• Strong leadership and vision
• Clear underwriting and claims strategy for Europe Protection
• Appropriate, challenging objective setting
• Providing appropriate level of empowerment to team
• Regular feedback on performance
• Strong training and development to upskill staff and ensure progression and succession within the team
• Stability through transformation and change

Lead with an innovation mindset:

• Desire to challenge the status quo, embrace new technologies (e.g. automated underwriting, data analytics) and drive process improvements
• Use of internal and external data sources to refine and transform underwriting and claims journeys
• Deliver and maintain appropriately tailored underwriting and claims propositions for Europe Protection
• Support the development of OCEAN (PL Re's manual) underwriting guidelines appropriate for Europe Protection

Enhance Pacific Life Re's profile in the market to remain best-in-class:

• Engage credibly with senior client stakeholders, developing strong relationships and positioning the company as a trusted advisor
• Regular proactive engagement with key clients to understand their business needs, develop tailored solutions ensure responsiveness
• Provide inputs to and support the business strategy, product development and pitches and projects
• Attend and/or present at industry conferences, become a member of influential committees that will enhance PL Re's market reputation and remain on top of key market issues impacting underwriting and claims​

Drive delivery of high-quality service to clients and ongoing programme of external risk management including:

• Strong team performance against client service level commitments
• Credible technical support
• Wider client service such as client relationship management and training support
• Robust client audit programme
• Due diligence and assessment of new business opportunities and treaties, proportionate to the expected size of the business
• Adequate monitoring of external developments

Drive delivery of an ongoing programme of internal risk management to include:

• Robust operating systems for management of case referrals
• A robust internal desk audit program
• Regular review of claims and underwriting toolbox including policies and philosophies
• Application of company risk retention policies
• Obtaining the relevant approvals, in line with our Branch authority
• Ensuring record keeping is done in an appropriate and timely manner
• Reporting relevant management information
• Contribute to the development of terms of trade which forms our view on baseline market experience

Work effectively with underwriting and claims teams in other PL Re Protection regions, PL Re Global Underwriting & Claims Development team as well as UnderwriteMe to collaborate, share knowledge and set direction of underwriting and claims at a global level.

Qualifications & Experience

Industry Knowledge:

• Extensive recent experience of the UK and Ireland insurance industry
• Experience of working in the reinsurance sector (preferable)
• Proven underwriting or claims management experience
• Well-developed understanding of the mortality and morbidity risks, associated products and distribution
• Ability to be flexible and creative to work with different markets and products
• Well respected figure within the life insurance industry

Leadership Skills

• Strong management background
• Track record of leading and developing high performance underwriting and / or claims teams
• Strong communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills
• Able to demonstrate a proven track record of proactive decision making
• Ability to establish objectives and build, develop and lead a large team towards these objectives

Commercial Judgement

• Strong analytical skills combined with sound judgement and commercial awareness
• Proven ability to "think outside the box" to derive new and innovative approaches to underwriting and claims problems
• Ability and desire to communicate with business customers at all levels across the business and to work well within a team environment
• Organised, conscientious, and delivery focused with an attention to detail
• Ability to manage competing demands and deal with non-standard and unstructured requests, at short notice
• Motivated to take ownership of work and to seek further responsibility

Desirable Experience

• Experience with automated underwriting and / or claims systems
• Previous exposure to preparing and performing underwriting or claims audits
• Medical training or background

You can be who you are.

We are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion that embraces the authenticity of all employees, partners and communities.
We support all employees to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

Working For Pacific Life Re

Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of course, we take our work seriously and we know our team can operate under great pressure. We work hard and thrive on achievement, but we also know how to have fun and relax too. We regularly host a range of team building days to strengthen our team's connection with each other and reflect on their successes.

Providing employees with a healthy work-life balance is very important to our culture. We have a wide range of employee benefits and we host regular social activities and well being initiatives. We are also committed to supporting our employee's involvement in their communities, by actively fundraising, hosting charity events and overseeing volunteering opportunities.

Benefits (Only for Permanent and Fixed Term Employees)

Leave

• 25 days of annual leave with option to buy/sell more days 

• Adoption and fertility leave 

• Generous enhanced parental leave 

Healthcare

• Comprehensive private insurance coverage for employee and dependents

• Group Life Insurance coverage of 9x basic annual salary and Group Income Protection up to 75% of basic annual salary 

• Optical benefits 

Savings & Retirement

• 15% combined employee/employer contributions 

Wellness

• Subsidized gym membership 

• Access to Employee Assistance Program 

• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme 

• Time off for volunteering 

• Charitable matching of employee donations 

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we will provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. Please contact us about your needs so that we can discuss these with you to make sure that suitable adjustments are made, where possible.

Pacific Life Re Values

Please click here to view our company values