Branch Underwriting Manager

AXA; Ipswich; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

AXA Insurance UK is expanding its Ipswich Branch and seeks a Branch Underwriting Manager to lead the operational underwriting function, set standards, and drive profitability. You will report to the Branch Manager and influence both local and broker-facing activities to deliver growth and strong governance.

You will manage a team, shape pricing strategy, and ensure effective decision-making across deals while strengthening relationships with broker partners and stakeholders in the network.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in commercial insurance underwriting.
• Ability to lead underwriting teams and drive profitability.
• Strong stakeholder relationship skills and strategic planning.

Responsibilities

• Drive underwriting profitability through account management and financial planning.
• Maintain loss ratio control with underwriting governance and financial performance.
• Set underwriting standards and empower deployment across the Branch.
• Lead technical decision-making on deals to achieve operating ratio targets.
• Build customer relationships with broker partners to grow profits.
• Provide technical expertise and act as referral point for underwriting decisions.
• Lead and develop the underwriting team through performance management.
• Champion change initiatives for system and process improvements.

Skills

Senior underwriting leadership

Technical underwriting

People management

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Communication

Numerical reasoning

Job description

About AXA:

AXA is a global leader in insurance and financial services, dedicated to helping customers protect what matters most to them. As the sixth-largest insurance company in the world, we provide a wide range of services, including health, car, home, and business insurance. We support millions of customers worldwide, helping them navigate life's uncertainties with confidence.

AXA Insurance UK, formed by uniting our Commercial and Retail teams under a single leadership, strengthens our core capabilities and our commitment to exceptional customer service

Job overview:

As we continue to grow the Ipswich Branch, we're currently looking to recruit a Branch Underwriting Manager. This role provides a fantastic opportunity for you to build key foundations and shape the narrative, that will provide AXA the exposure and scope required for growth. Reporting into the Branch Manager, you'll form part of the local Senior Leadership Team where you’ll lead and manage the operational underwriting function of our branch, applying underwriting, pricing strategy and policies, to build technical excellence and deliver profit and income targets. Working with the Distribution team to drive profitable growth across our broker partners, strengthening our position in the local market.

Key responsibilities:

• Drive underwriting profitability through account management, financial planning, and trend analysis across all Branch broker business
• Maintain loss ratio control by implementing and monitoring underwriting controls to ensure governance and financial performance
• Set underwriting standards and manage empowerment deployment consistently across the Branch
• Lead technical decision-making on new and current deals to achieve combined operating ratio targets
• Build key customer relationships to deliver profitable growth and align with broker action plans across the network
• Provide technical expertise and referral point for all underwriting and trading decisions, establishing the Branch as an underwriting authority
• Lead and develop the underwriting team through performance management to build technical capability and capability
• Champion change initiatives including system and process improvements to ensure consistency across the Branch network, Schemes, and Trading Centres

Work arrangements:

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least three days a week (60%) away from home, attending the office, visiting clients or attending industry events.

Your skills & experience:

• Senior commercial insurance leadership- Proven experience leading underwriting teams in a commercial insurance environment with strong market and process knowledge
• Technical underwriting expertise- Extensive knowledge of commercial underwriting scenarios, large case and portfolio management, with demonstrated decision-making capability
• People management- Ability to lead, motivate, and develop underwriting teams through effective performance management
• Relationship building- Excellent skills in developing successful long-term relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strategic and analytical thinking- Strong planning and analytical capabilities with experience in both operational and strategic planning
• Commercial acumen- Understanding of business profitability within the intermediary channel and commercial product ranges
• Communication and decision-making- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with pragmatic, analytical approach to decision-making
• Numerical reasoning- Strong analytical and numerical skills to drive financial planning and performance analysis

As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

This position has been defined as an Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) role under the IDD regime which means that in addition to pre-employment screening checks, the successful candidate will be subject to background screening every 4 years with an annual declaration in interim years.

We're proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don’t discriminate against employees or potential employees based on protected characteristics.

If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we’re proud to offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge.

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