Financial Line Senior Underwriter

Liva Insurance UAE; Dubai; On-site; AED 280,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Liva Insurance UAE is seeking a Senior Underwriter for Financial Lines to grow and manage a profitable UAE/GCC corporate portfolio, focusing on PI, D&O, E&O, Cyber and FI lines. You will underwrite within delegated authority, craft policy wordings, and coordinate with brokers to secure high-margin business.

The role requires 5–8 years of technical underwriting experience in Financial Lines within UAE/GCC, advanced professional designations, and strong analytical, negotiation, and communication

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a relevant field.
• Advanced professional insurance status (e.g., ACII/CPCU) is desirable.
• Minimum 5–8 years of technical corporate underwriting experience in Financial Lines (UAE/GCC).

Responsibilities

• Independently analyze, evaluate, and classify complex high‑value corporate risk exposures.
• Formulate risk-pricing models to meet target loss ratios and premiums.
• Draft and negotiate policy wordings and endorsements for complex exposures.
• Underwrite within delegated authority and escalate when needed.
• Source facultative reinsurance for large or high-hazard accounts.
• Coordinate with finance and billing on premium collection and terms.
• Engage with regional and international brokerages to drive business growth.
• Collaborate with pricing actuaries and finance teams to monitor loss ratios.

Skills

MS Office proficiency

English language

Independently underwriting

Negotiation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Finance/Economics/Risk Management/Law

Job description

The Senior Underwriter for Financial Lines is responsible for growing and maintaining a highly profitable, compliant corporate portfolio across the UAE and GCC. While managing general Financial Lines—including Directors & Officers (D&O), Errors and Omissions, Commercial Crime, Fidelity Guarantee, Cyber Insurance, this role focuses heavily on Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance and SPPI. The position involves evaluating highly technical risks for diverse professional sectors (e.g., consultants, medical practitioners, IT firms, engineers, and financial advisers) while balancing strict risk controls with competitive commercial growth. The role involves independent underwriting within delegated authority, supporting business growth, and ensuring profitable and compliant underwriting aligned with UAE market practices.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Underwriting & Risk Evaluation

• Independently analyze, evaluate, and classify complex, high-value corporate risk exposures using actuarial data, financial statements, trade histories, and technical inspection reports.
• Formulate and execute strict risk-pricing models to align with Liva’s target loss ratios and premium targets.
• Draft, review, and negotiate specialized policy wordings, clauses, endorsements, and warranties to ensure terms precisely fit complex commercial exposures while safeguarding the company against systemic losses.
• Execute independent underwriting decisions within high delegated authority levels. Review and elevate out-of-scope risks to the technical team or reinsurers with comprehensive risk files.
• Source, negotiate, and secure Facultative Reinsurance support for large-capacity placements or high-hazard accounts that exceed local treaty capacity.
• Maintain complete alignment with international reinsurance treaty terms, exclusions, and technical limits.
• Coordinate closely with internal finance and billing departments to monitor premium collection timelines, credit windows, and Premium Payment guidelines.

Broker Distribution & Business Development

• Proactively engage with regional tier-1 and international insurance brokerages operating across the UAE.
• Lead specialized strategy sessions with brokers 90 to 120 days prior to major corporate renewals to secure target accounts and identify cross-selling possibilities.
• Formulate custom portfolio-underwriting programs for selected intermediary partners to capture high-margin mid-market and SME business efficiently.
• Partner with technical pricing actuaries and financial analysis teams to monitor monthly loss ratios, operating metrics, and overall accumulation exposures.
• Collaborate with the corporate claims team to review ongoing litigation trends, defense cost patterns, and major notifications, converting those insights into updated underwriting guidelines.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Finance, Economics, Risk Management, Law, or a closely related field.

Professional Certifications: Advanced professional insurance status is highly desirable (e.g., ACII - Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute, CPCU - Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, or equivalent).

Market Experience: Minimum 5 to 8 years of technical corporate underwriting experience, specifically focused on Financial Lines within the UAE or broader GCC insurance marketplace.

Product Expertise: Profound technical mastery of Professional Indemnity (PI), with supporting functional capabilities in Directors & Officers (D&O) liability, Cyber Liability, and Financial Institutions (FI) lines.

Skills Required:

• Efficient use of computer with good working knowledge of all MS Office applications
• Good in English language. Multiple languages will be an added advantage
• Proactive and organised
• Ability to underwrite independently while escalating complex risks appropriately.
• Effective communication and negotiation skills with brokers and internal stakeholders.
• Balanced commercial mindset with focus on sustainable profitability.