Branch Underwriting Manager - Leeds / Newcastle

AXA UK; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider is seeking a Branch Underwriting Manager in Leeds. The role involves managing underwriting processes, coaching staff, and delivering financial KPIs. Candidates should have extensive experience in commercial insurance and demonstrate strong analytical skills. This is a hybrid position with competitive salary and benefits, including a pension scheme and performance bonuses.

Benefits

Competitive annual salary

Performance-based bonus

Contributory pension scheme

Qualifications

• Previous experience at a senior level in commercial insurance.
• Sound understanding of the insurance market and processes.
• Excellent relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Deliver underwriting results through account management.
• Manage profitability and underwriting governance.
• Coach and develop underwriting staff.

Skills

Relationship management skills

Analytical reasoning

Decision-making

Resource management

Technical underwriting expertise

Education

ACII qualifications

Job description

Overview

At AXA Commercial, we support our business customers, large and small, by making it easy for them to do business with us in the way that suits them. Whether they insure with us via brokers, directly on the phone or online through comparison sites, we\'ve got them covered. We\'re expanding the commercial team and have an opportunity to join as a Branch Underwriting Manager. This role reports into the Branch Manager and leads the operational underwriting function of our Leeds and Newcastle Branch, applying underwriting and pricing strategy and policies to build technical excellence and deliver profit and income targets.

AXA supports smart working, empowering people to balance time between home and the office in a way that works for them, their team, and our customers. You\'ll work at least 60% of your week away from home, at our office locations in Leeds and Newcastle, visiting clients or attending industry events.

What you\'ll be doing

• Deliver planned underwriting results through underwriting account management, financial planning, account monitoring and analysis of underwriting trends.
• Take responsibility for profitability, underwriting governance and control of all business traded through the Branch.
• Demonstrate loss ratio control by effectively implementing and monitoring underwriting controls.
• Build a reputation as an underwriting expert and strengthen the Branch\'s underwriting capability.
• Set and monitor underwriting standards across the Branch, ensuring effective management and deployment of empowerment, while creating clarity for underwriters progressing through licence levels.
• Coach and develop underwriting staff, fostering a culture of high performance.
• Lead teams to deliver financial KPIs including New Business, Retention, Rate, Pipeline and GWP.
• Manage underwriting relationships with key customers and brokers.
• Role model sound decision-making on technical and trading issues to support strategic objectives.
• Manage the underwriting team through effective performance management to continuously develop the Branch\'s capabilities.
• Note: We reserve the right to close this advert early due to high application volumes; if you\'re interested, please apply promptly.

What you\'ll bring

• Previous experience at a senior level within a commercial insurance environment.
• Sound understanding of the insurance market and processes.
• Excellent relationship management skills with experience building long-term internal and external relationships.
• People and resource management skills with the ability to lead and motivate teams.
• Pragmatic decision-making with strong analytical and numerical reasoning.
• Long and short-term planning and analytical skills with proven experience in operational and strategic planning.
• Experience making decisions on a wide range of technical underwriting scenarios, including large cases and portfolio management within a Commercial environment.
• Technical underwriting expertise in a commercial insurance environment.
• Understanding of profitability of business within the intermediary channel.
• ACII qualifications are desirable.
• As a precondition of employment, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

This position is defined as an Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) role; in addition to pre-employment screening, the successful candidate will be subject to background screening every 4 years with an annual declaration in interim years.

What we offer

AXA UK rewards are reviewed regularly. You can expect to receive:

• Competitive annual salary
• Annual company & performance-based bonus
• Contributory pension scheme (up to 12% employer contributions)
• Life assurance (up to 10 x annual salary)
• 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Car allowance
• Up to 21 hours volunteering leave per year
• Option to buy up to 5 extra days leave or sell up to 5 days leave
• AXA employee discounts
• Private health cover
• Wellbeing services & resources

To apply, click the apply button, log in or create a profile to submit your CV. We\'re proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer and don\'t discriminate based on protected characteristics. If you have a long-term condition or disability and require adjustments during the application or interview process, we offer access to the AXA Accessibility Concierge. For support, email [e-mail].

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Who we are

AXA Commercial protects businesses, from multinationals to micro start-ups, giving them the confidence to thrive. We\'re making a significant investment to develop the expertise and skills needed to be the best. We\'re a vibrant community where everyone is supported to learn, develop, and take ownership of their work.