Assistant Underwriter

Markel Corporation; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great starting salary

15% annual bonus

Hybrid working model

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Dental cover

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Income protection

Fully funded professional quals

Ongoing training and career dev

Internal progression opportunities

Job summary

Markel Corporation in Leeds is seeking an ambitious Assistant Underwriter to join the Renewal Connect team on a hybrid basis (3 days in the office, 2 days at home). The role focuses on underwriting commercial renewal business, supporting brokers and delivering high‑quality service across a diverse client portfolio.

To succeed you’ll bring commercial insurance experience, strong organisational skills and a proactive, growth‑minded approach.

Qualifications

• Essential commercial insurance experience.
• 6+ months underwriting or relevant insurance experience.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong IT and Microsoft Office skills.
• Desirable Acturis experience.
• Renewals underwriting experience.
• Exposure to charity, social welfare or not-for-profit risks.
• Progress towards CII qualifications.
• Experience working across multiple underwriting platforms.

Responsibilities

• Underwrite renewal business within authority limits.
• Manage portfolio of renewals and mid-term adjustments.
• Deliver excellent service to brokers.
• Review risks and negotiate terms where appropriate.
• Retain existing business and seek cross-sell opportunities.
• Collaborate with underwriting teams across the business.
• Building strong relationships with brokers and internal partners.
• Prioritising and managing workflow queues to ensure service standards are achieved.
• Working collaboratively with technical underwriting teams across the business.
• Supporting projects and continuous improvement initiatives as required.

Skills

Commercial insurance

Communication skills

Time management

Relationship-building

Microsoft Office

MS Office

Relationship-building

Multitasking

Education

CII qualifications in progress

Tools

Acturis

WebSure

IDEAL

Job description

Assistant Underwriter Renewal Connect Team | Leeds | Hybrid Working (3 Days Office / 2 Days Home) Great starting salary + generous annual bonus + excellent benefits

Looking to build a long-term underwriting career with a business that genuinely develops its people? At Markel, we’re looking for an ambitious Assistant Underwriter to join our highly successful Renewal Connect team in Leeds.

This is an outstanding opportunity for someone with commercial insurance experience who wants to strengthen their underwriting expertise, gain exposure to a wide range of specialist risks and build a long-term career within one of the market’s most respected insurance businesses.

You’ll join a supportive team with an excellent reputation for developing talent, where many team members have progressed into Underwriter and Senior Underwriter positions through structured development, funded qualifications and hands‑on mentoring.

Why Join Markel?

At Markel, we know that great careers are built through investment in people. You’ll work alongside experienced underwriters in a collaborative environment that encourages learning, growth and progression.

Whether your ambition is to become a Senior Underwriter, specialise in a particular line of business or explore wider opportunities across the organisation, we’ll provide the support, training and development to help you get there.

This role offers exposure to a diverse portfolio including:

• Professional & Management Risks
• Charity and Not-for-Profit organisations
• Social Welfare business
• Commercial insurance risks across multiple underwriting platforms including Acturis, Websure and IDEAL

The Opportunity:

Working within our Renewal Connect team, you’ll be responsible for managing a high‑volume portfolio of commercial insurance renewals, supporting brokers and delivering exceptional underwriting service across a broad range of products and sectors.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys technical underwriting, thrives in a fast‑paced environment and takes pride in delivering excellent service while managing multiple priorities effectively.

You’ll be trusted to make underwriting decisions within your authority levels, build relationships with brokers and collaborate closely with colleagues across the wider business to retain and grow profitable business.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Underwriting commercial renewal business within your authority limits
• Managing a portfolio of renewals and mid‑term adjustments
• Delivering an excellent service experience for brokers
• Reviewing risks and negotiating terms where appropriate
• Retaining existing business and finding opportunities for cross‑sell and upsell
• Monitoring broker activity and providing insights to support performance improvements
• Building strong relationships with brokers and internal partners
• Prioritising and managing workflow queues to ensure service standards are achieved
• Working collaboratively with technical underwriting teams across the business
• Supporting projects and continuous improvement initiatives as required

What We’re Looking For:

• Essential Commercial insurance experience
• At least 6 months’ underwriting or relevant insurance experience
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building abilities
• High levels of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment
• Strong IT and Microsoft Office skills
• Desirable Acturis experience
• Renewals underwriting experience
• Exposure to charity, social welfare or not‑for‑profit risks
• Progress towards CII qualifications
• Experience working across multiple underwriting platforms

Career Development & Qualifications

One of the biggest attractions of this role is the development opportunity available. Markel has a strong track record of developing Assistant Underwriters into Underwriter and Senior Underwriter positions, supported by:

• Fully funded CII qualifications
• Dedicated study support
• Qualification bonuses
• Structured learning and development
• Exposure to multiple underwriting classes
• Internal career progression opportunities across the business

What You’ll Receive:

• Great starting salary
• 15% annual bonus opportunity
• Hybrid working model
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Holiday buy and sell scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Dental cover
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Fully funded professional qualifications
• Ongoing training and career development
• Access to internal progression opportunities across Markel

A Culture Built Around People:

At Markel, we’re proud of our people‑first culture. We believe diverse teams create stronger businesses and better outcomes for our customers.

Whatever your background, if you’re excited by this opportunity and feel you can make a difference, we’d love to hear from you.

Markel celebrates the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances.

Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you.

We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.

We are an equal‑opportunity employer and value diversity at our company.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with all reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful.

Please contact us via email at [e-mail] or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations that may be needed. This includes any alternative formats of any documents or information on how to apply offline.

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