Chief Underwriter

Canada Life Workplace; London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a skilled professional to lead their underwriting and claims policies. This role involves developing a focused underwriting team, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of medical underwriting, strong relationship-building skills, and the ability to influence through collaboration. Join a company that values curiosity, ownership, and resilience, offering a competitive salary and a supportive work culture focused on personal and professional development. Embrace the opportunity to make a significant impact in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Pension Scheme

Bonus

Income Protection

Private Medical Insurance

Life Assurance

Flexible Working Opportunities

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of medical underwriting risk factors.
• Ability to underwrite multiple product lines and evaluate technological solutions.

Responsibilities

• Set underwriting and claims policy in line with company requirements.
• Implement controls for claims acceptance or rejection.

Skills

Medical Underwriting Risk Factors

Conflict Resolution

Negotiation Skills

Coaching and Staff Development

Technical Leadership

Data-led Decision Making

Relationship Building

Technological Solutions Evaluation

Education

Degree in Finance or Related Field

Tools

Excel

Word

Job description

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Canada Life UK manages the retirement, investment, and protection needs of individuals, families, and companies. We aim to build better futures for our customers, intermediaries, and employees by operating as a modern, agile, and welcoming organization.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has been in operation in the United Kingdom since 1903. We are committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues, supported by hundreds of dedicated employees.

Canada Life UK is undergoing a transformation to become more customer-focused, providing expertise in financial and tax planning, home finance, annuities, and collective fund solutions to third-party clients.

Job Summary

• Take corporate responsibility for medical underwriting and claims philosophy and ensure its effective implementation.
• Develop a commercially focused underwriting team that conducts research and develops underwriting rules supporting Canada Life’s objectives.
• Embed systems and processes that enhance our ability to offer:

• Fair and consistent customer and business outcomes
• Informed, data-led decision making
• Proportionate to risk
• Operational efficiency
• Compliance with reinsurance treaties

Collaborate with CL pricing, claims, and customer servicing teams to ensure alignment between pricing rates and health assessments through Medical Underwriting and Claims. Ensure overall quality of Medical Underwriting and claims management for the UK and IOM.

What you'll Do

• Set Underwriting & Claims Policy/Philosophy in line with company requirements.
• Embed systems and processes that improve:

• Fair and consistent customer and business outcomes
• Informed, data-led decision making
• Proportionate to risk
• Operational efficiency
• Compliance with reinsurance treaties

Implement and review controls, limits, and evidence requirements to ensure claims are accepted or rejected in accordance with company policies, reinsurance arrangements, policies, ABI & FOS guidelines, and consumer duty requirements. Resolve contentious claims, balancing the needs of customers, the company, and the reinsurer, while adhering to FOS/ABI guidelines. Maintain expertise in claims and underwriting to support operational teams and senior management. Provide training and guidance, manage relationships with reinsurers, the Chief Medical Officer, and FOS, and act as the Nominated Genetic Underwriter per ABI requirements.

Who You Are

• Deep understanding of medical underwriting risk factors.
• Ability to underwrite multiple product lines.
• Knowledge of ABI’s Statement of Best Practice, including genetics.
• Familiar with underwriting manuals and processes.
• Understanding of company products requiring underwriting input.
• Keeping underwriting knowledge current with industry changes.
• Ability to evaluate and implement technological solutions.
• Influence and persuade through collaboration and teamwork.
• Conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
• Experience in coaching and staff development.
• Strong relationship-building skills.
• Technical leadership in underwriting issues.
• Ability to explain complex ideas simply.
• Proficient in Excel and Word.

Please note this role falls under Significant Management Function for both CLL and CLP and is also a MRT for Solvency II.

Benefits of Working at Canada Life

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, including a pension scheme, bonus, income protection, private medical insurance, and life assurance. We also support personal and professional development through various benefits and services.

Our Work Culture

Our culture emphasizes doing the right thing for our people, customers, and community. Our behaviors—curiosity, ownership, collaboration, and resilience—guide our work. We invest in our people, technology, and workplaces, offering training, flexible working, and growth opportunities.

Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong and can reach their potential, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics. We value diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, which are vital to our growth and innovation, as expressed by Nick Harding, Chief People Officer.

We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements, including part-time roles, to accommodate individual needs.