Group Underwriting COO

Starr Underwriting; London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Canopius, a leading global specialty lines (re)insurer, is seeking a Group Underwriting COO. This senior leadership position will oversee strategic execution, operational enhancements, and cultural influence within the underwriting team. The role involves working closely with high-level executives to shape the underwriting strategy, build cross-functional teams, and foster an innovative and collaborative work environment.

Benefits

hybrid working

competitive base salary

non-contributory pension

discretionary bonus

health and dental insurance

Qualifications

• Highly experienced in global senior strategic or operational leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of commercial insurance operating models.
• Track record in developing strategic initiatives for business growth.

Responsibilities

• Partner with Group Chief Underwriting Officer to define and deliver underwriting strategy.
• Build and lead the Optimisation initiatives team.
• Manage underwriting analytics to enhance performance.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Operational Excellence

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Experience within the London, Lloyd’s or Specialty insurance market

Global senior strategic, operational, or underwriting leadership

Job description

The Role

This newly created senior leadership position offers a unique opportunity to build from the ground up – designing structures, processes, and capabilities. It will require a high degree of creativity, initiative, and problem-solving to shape and embed new ways of working across a complex, global environment.Sitting at the heart of the Global Underwriting function, acting as the engine behind strategic execution, transformation, and operational excellence.

This role combines execution leadership, strategic delivery, and cultural influence. You will partner closely with the Group Chief Underwriting Officer (GCUO) to support defining and delivery of the group underwriting strategy.

The Group Underwriting COO will be a strategic operator and strategic lead across a range of initiatives designed to enable core underwriting priorities, ensure strategic alignment, enhance performance and drive long-term efficiency, ensuring the GCUO’s agenda is delivered with rigour and impact. The role will be responsible for building and leading a cross-functional team across four core pillars: Strategic Planning & Execution, Advanced Analytics, Optimisation Initiatives, and Performance Support Capabilities.The position will also act as the primary interface between Global Underwriting and functions such as Operations (inc. Technology & Change), Claims, Actuarial and Finance, - ensuring alignment across the business to deliver underwriting objectives, operational excellence and efficiency.

Responsibilities will include:

Strategic Execution & GCUO Support

• Serve as a strategic advisor and operator to the GCUO, playing a key role in supporting the definition, delivery, and communication of underwriting strategy to relevant audiences.
• Drive and oversee the generation, prioritisation, and governance of a portfolio of underwriting initiatives via Canopius’s Operational Planning process.
• Cultivate a strong feedback loop between the GCUO and key stakeholders across the business, enabling effective information flow and decision-making.
• Provide timely counsel and key updates on critical items requiring the GCUO’s attention.
• Participate in key underwriting forums andother meetings as required by the GCUO.

Strategic Projects & Transformation

• Build and lead the Optimisation initiatives team to develop and execute underwriting projects and ensure follow-through on key initiatives.
• Collaborate on the development, standardisation, and continual improvement of underwriting operating models and processes to ensure consistent, scalable, and efficient operations.
• Take ownership of and help design, coordinate, and track underwriting and cross-functional high priority initiatives which may be operational, transformational, cultural or strategic in nature.
• Act as a focal point within Underwriting for innovation and sustainability agendas; promoting product and process innovation aligned to business goals. Partnering with the business to further the creation of next-generation insurance products, which cater for emerging risks and opportunities.

Cross-Functional Engagement

• Act as the underwriting conduit to functional partners, eg: Operations (inc. Technology, Data & Change), Claims, Actuarial, and Finance.Managing underwriting interdependencies and driving cross functional collaboration to ensure alignment of priorities and help facilitate delivery.
• Represent underwriting priorities in enterprise-wide programmes, ensuring needs are understood, resources are aligned, and value is delivered.

Analytics & Underwriting Performance Improvement Support

• Build and oversee the underwriting analytics team spanning data scientists, modelers and BI/analytic deployment staff to deliver actionable insights that inform strategy, support decision-making, and enhance underwriting performance. Leverage third party resources to ensure timely and sustained execution.
• Embed data-driven thinking through the underwriting organisation to help drive underwriting insights and competitive advantage. Establish and monitor key metrics to evaluate strategy, innovation, and underwriting productivity; executing in line with Group Data governance and policies.
• Collaborate with underwriting leadership peers to assess and establish relevant, timely, and cost-effective analytic support to improve underwriting production.
• Support performance oversight and product deep dives, leveraging analytics to support pricingeffectiveness, risk selection, and portfolio optimisation.
• Manage the centralised underwriting support capabilities team providing policy wordings and digital product capabilities to ensure to ensure efficient and effective use of these resources globally.

Leadership & Culture

• Demonstrate leadership, direction, advice, and coaching to your peers on the global underwriting leadership team, maintaining high levels of integrity to establish an environment that promotes Canopius’ values.
• Support the development of a high-performance underwriting culture that values collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Act as a visible leader for transformation and innovation, promoting experimentation and agility.

Skills and experience:

• Highly experienced in global senior strategic, operational, or underwriting leadership roles.Experience within the London, Lloyd’s or Specialty insurance market particularly beneficial.
• Strong understanding of commercial insurance operating models. With significant experience, or detailed knowledge of, insurance operations.
• Track record developing and leading strategic initiatives that drive sustained business growth, transformation, and efficiency improvements.
• Seasoned leader, with experience working across geographies and with diverse teams.
• Excellent communication, relationship building, and influencing skills; adept at engaging with senior leaders, cross-functional teams, and technical experts.
• Data driven, with the ability to manage analytics teams and leveraging data for strategic insight and performance enhancement.
• Deep familiarity with insurance performance levers (e.g., loss ratios, underwriting expense, efficiency) and transformation drivers.
• Experience in corporate governance, controls management, and knowledge of ESG considerations in underwriting.

About Us

Our benefits

We offer all employees a comprehensive benefits package that focuses on their whole wellbeing. This includes hybrid working, a competitive base salary, non-contributory pension, discretionary bonus, insurances including health (family) and dental cover, and many other benefits to enhance financial, physical, social and psychological health.

About Canopius

Canopius is a global specialty lines (re)insurer. We are one of the leading insurers in the Lloyd’s of London insurance market with offices in the UK, US, Singapore, Australia and Bermuda.

At Canopius we foster a distinctive, positive culture which enables us to bring our whole selves to work to flourish as people, and build a business which delivers profitable, sustainable results.

Based in incredible new offices in the heart of the City of London, Canopius operates a flexible, hybrid working model and is committed to providing an environment that challenges employees to be their best and where everyone's unique contributions are recognised, valued and respected.

We are fully committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are made regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion or beliefs, marital or caring status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.We encourage and welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds.

We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Please let us know if you require any information in an alternate format or any other reasonable adjustments.