Underwriter - Financial Lines

Hooker & Heijden; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Hooker & Heijden in Australia is seeking a junior to lower-mid level Underwriter focused on Professional Indemnity within Financial Lines. You will take on genuine underwriting responsibility, interact directly with brokers, and manage your own new business and renewals.

As you develop, you will broaden your underwriting authority, handle increasingly complex risks, and receive mentoring from experienced Financial Lines underwriters in a specialist underwriting environment that supports

Qualifications

• Some existing experience within Financial Lines or Professional Indemnity insurance.
• Experience assessing risks and preparing quotations or renewals.
• Basic to developing understanding of underwriting principles, pricing and policy coverage.
• Confidence communicating and negotiating with brokers.
• Good attention to detail and commercial judgement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Genuine interest in developing a career within specialist underwriting.

Responsibilities

• Assessing and underwriting Professional Indemnity and Financial Lines risks.
• Preparing quotations, renewals and endorsements within agreed underwriting authority.
• Reviewing submissions and assessing individual risk exposures.
• Negotiating terms, conditions and pricing with brokers.
• Managing new business opportunities and existing renewals.
• Developing relationships with brokers across the Australian intermediary market.
• Working towards portfolio growth, retention and profitability objectives.
• Referring more complex risks to senior underwriters where appropriate; and
• Continuing to develop your technical underwriting knowledge and authority.

Skills

Financial Lines

Professional Indemnity

Underwriting

Broker communication

Risk assessment

Job description

Financial Lines Underwriter | Professional Indemnity

Hooker & Heijden are specialists in the recruitment of Insurance Professionals. Our consultants provide career advice and opportunities across Underwriting, Broking, Claims, Risk and other specialist insurance disciplines, working with leading insurers, underwriting agencies and brokerages throughout Australia.

About the Organisation

Our client is a leading specialist insurance provider with a strong and growing presence in the Australian market.

The business combines established local underwriting expertise with the resources, technology and capability of a global specialist insurance group. It has strong relationships across the Australian broker market and is recognised for providing innovative insurance solutions supported by efficient underwriting systems and a service-focused approach.

Its Australian portfolio includes Financial Lines, Casualty and Accident & Health, with Professional Indemnity forming an important part of its local offering.

The business continues to invest heavily in its Australian operation, creating excellent opportunities for underwriters who want to develop their technical skills and build a long-term career within a specialist underwriting environment.

About the Role

An opportunity is available for an Underwriter to join the Financial Lines team, with a particular focus on Professional Indemnity.

This position would suit someone at the junior to lower-mid level of their underwriting career who already has some experience assessing and underwriting risks and is ready to take on greater responsibility.

This is not an Assistant Underwriter position. You will have genuine underwriting responsibility, interact directly with brokers and manage your own new business and renewal opportunities while working alongside experienced senior underwriters.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Assessing and underwriting Professional Indemnity and Financial Lines risks;
• Preparing quotations, renewals and endorsements within agreed underwriting authority;
• Reviewing submissions and assessing individual risk exposures;
• Negotiating terms, conditions and pricing with brokers;
• Managing new business opportunities and existing renewals;
• Developing relationships with brokers across the Australian intermediary market;
• Working towards portfolio growth, retention and profitability objectives;
• Referring more complex risks to senior underwriters where appropriate; and
• Continuing to develop your technical underwriting knowledge and authority.

As your experience develops, you will have the opportunity to take on increasingly complex risks, broaden your underwriting authority and further develop your broker relationships.

About You

We are interested in speaking with candidates who have some existing experience within Financial Lines or Professional Indemnity insurance.

You may currently be:

• A junior Financial Lines or Professional Indemnity Underwriter looking for greater responsibility;
• An Underwriter looking to broaden your technical exposure within a specialist underwriting environment; or
• An experienced Assistant Underwriter who is already operating at underwriting level and ready to formally step into an Underwriter position.

Ideally, you will have:

• Experience within Professional Indemnity, Financial Lines or a closely related insurance class;
• Some experience assessing risks and preparing quotations or renewals;
• A basic to developing understanding of underwriting principles, pricing and policy coverage;
• Confidence communicating and negotiating with brokers;
• Good attention to detail and commercial judgement;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; and
• A genuine interest in developing a career within specialist underwriting.

Candidates coming from either an underwriting agency or insurer will be well suited, and relevant Financial Lines broking experience may also be considered.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing specialist insurance business where you will be treated as an underwriter and given genuine responsibility from the outset.

You will benefit from:

• Hands‑on underwriting responsibility rather than an administrative support role;
• Exposure to a broad range of Professional Indemnity risks;
• Direct interaction with brokers;
• Support and mentoring from experienced Financial Lines underwriters;
• The opportunity to progressively increase your underwriting authority;
• Strong technical and career development opportunities;
• Exposure to the resources and expertise of a global specialist insurance business; and
• Genuine opportunities to progress as the Australian operation continues to grow.

For an early-career Financial Lines underwriter looking to build stronger technical capability and take the next step in their underwriting career, this represents an excellent platform for development.