Senior Underwriter

Hooker & Heijden; Brisbane; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Hooker & Heijden is seeking a Senior Underwriter to lead the General Liability book for QLD and WA from their Brisbane office. The role is hybrid and focuses on growing commercial portfolios with manufacturers, distributors and professional lines.

You will own risk assessment, pricing and terms within authority, while mentoring junior underwriters and collaborating with brokers to drive profitable growth. A strong network in QLD/WA and ANZIIF RG146 progression are valued.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' liability underwriting experience with insurer or underwriting agency.
• Strong knowledge of liability wordings, contracts and endorsements.
• Established broker network in Queensland; WA relationships highly regarded.
• Proven track record of growing a portfolio profitably.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Collaborative and culturally aligned – able to work in a small Brisbane office with national team.

Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the QLD/WA General Liability portfolio: new business, renewals and retention.
• Underwrite Public & Products Liability risks within authority: risk assessment, pricing, terms and endorsements.
• Prepare referrals for risks outside authority to Liability Manager and providers.
• Build broker relationships across QLD/WA; travel to Perth as required.
• Represent the business at market events to raise brand and submissions.
• Monitor portfolio performance and report to State Manager and Liability Manager.
• Collaborate with claims team on large/complex liability claims and share learnings.

Skills

Liability underwriting

Broker relationships

Negotiation

Communication

Education

ANZIIF qualifications (or RG146)

Tools

Underwriting system

Policy wordings knowledge

Job description

Senior Underwriter – General Liability (QLD & WA)

Specialist Underwriting Agency | Brisbane | Hybrid | Full time

About Our Client

Our client is a well-regarded specialist Australian underwriting agency writing General Liability, Professional & Financial Lines and Cyber through the broker market. They run a cutting-edge underwriting platform – one their capacity partners rate among the best in the market – and place real weight on culture and on underwriters who get out and in front of brokers.

The Role

This is a senior, market-facing role based in our client's Brisbane office, working on a hybrid basis. You will own the management and growth of the Queensland and Western Australian General Liability book. The appetite is commercial and industrial – manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors where the exposure is predominantly products and property damage liability – rather than hospitality, pubs & clubs or bodily-injury-heavy risks.

The role reports to the QLD State Manager and to the Liability Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow the QLD and WA General Liability portfolio – new business, renewals and retention – against agreed GWP and profitability targets
  
• Underwrite Public & Products Liability risks within authority: risk assessment, pricing, terms, conditions, endorsements and wording
  
• Prepare referrals for risks outside authority to the Liability Manager and capacity providers
  
• Build and deepen broker relationships across QLD and WA through regular visits, trading plans, presentations and broker training; travel to Perth as required
  
• Represent the business at market events and industry functions to raise the brand and generate quality submissions
  
• Monitor portfolio performance (GWP, hit ratios, rate movement, loss ratios) and report regularly to the State Manager and Liability Manager
  
• Work closely with the claims team on large or complex liability claims and feed lessons back into underwriting
  
• Use the underwriting system to quote and bind efficiently and keep data quality high
  
• Ensure compliance with underwriting authorities, capacity provider guidelines, audit requirements and regulatory obligations
  
• Support and mentor less experienced underwriters and contribute to a positive, collaborative team culture
  

Requirements

• 5+ years' liability underwriting experience with an insurer or underwriting agency, ideally on a commercial / industrial Public & Products Liability book (manufacturing, wholesale, distribution)
  
• Strong technical knowledge of liability wordings, contract and indemnity reviews, exclusions and risk improvement
  
• Established broker network in Queensland; WA broker relationships highly regarded
  
• A track record of growing a portfolio profitably and being comfortable out in the market
  
• Sound commercial judgement and the confidence to make decisions within authority
  
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship skills
  
• Collaborative and culturally aligned – able to work well in a small office as part of a national team
  
• ANZIIF qualifications (or working towards) and RG146 compliance desirable
  

• Ownership of a two-state General Liability book with genuine scope to grow it
• Reporting into the QLD State Manager and Liability Manager, with direct access to decision makers
• Small, close-knit Brisbane team
• Hybrid working arrangement
• Cutting-edge underwriting platform that makes quoting and binding efficient
• A business that genuinely values culture and market-facing underwriters