Head of Casualty Underwriting

The Ardonagh Group; Elmstead Market; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A major insurance firm in the UK is seeking a Head of Liability Trading responsible for driving growth and developing talent in the Casualty segment. The ideal candidate will have significant liability underwriting experience and a strong network within the UK insurance market, with a focus on team leadership and customer service. This role offers a competitive salary and several benefits including a generous holiday entitlement and career progression opportunities.

Benefits

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

Opportunity for career progression

Award-winning learning & development

Pension scheme

24-hour Employee Assistance support

Corporate perks including discounted memberships

Volunteering day

Charity fundraising support

Spotlight Awards

Qualifications

• Experience in senior underwriting roles in the UK Insurance sector.
• Strong operational and project management awareness.
• Experience managing people with strong leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Formulating and implementing the overall underwriting strategy.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with brokers and clients.
• Managing and mentoring a team of casualty underwriters.

Skills

Liability underwriting experience

Strong customer focus

Excellent analytical skills

Strong influencing skills

Ability to manage people

Education

Degree standard and/or ACII qualified

Job description

Overview

You will be responsible for the trading performance, growth strategy and the ongoing attraction of talent and colleague development for the Casualty segment within Breeze Underwriting and the wider UK Commercial MGA including liability and associated classes of business. You will have the responsibility for driving profitable growth, developing sustainable capacity solutions, and providing excellent service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Formulating and implementing the overall underwriting strategy for casualty lines to achieve growth and sustainable returns.
• Refining risk appetite and establishing the technical underwriting guidance and control frameworks to manage risk effectively.
• Monitoring the portfolio's performance and profitability, ensuring risks are accurately assessed and priced, and balancing the portfolio for financial stability.
• Managing and mentoring a team of casualty underwriters, providing technical direction and leadership.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with brokers and clients to drive new business.
• Staying informed about industry trends and new product developments to identify opportunities and threats.
• Developing (in conjunction with the CUO office) and executing an underwriting strategy for Breeze Underwriting.
• Ensuring all underwriting activities comply with relevant legal, regulatory, and corporate governance requirements.
• Working with finance and actuarial teams to ensure pricing strategies align with profitability goals.
• Meeting regularly with key internal and external stakeholders to continuously analyse and improve customer service delivery.

Qualifications and experience

• Liability underwriting experience
• Experience within senior underwriting roles in the UK Insurance sector.
• Wide exposure to all segments of the UK Retail and Wholesale insurance distribution
• Senior level network within both intermediaries and insurers
• Strong operational and project management awareness
• Ideally educated to degree standard and/or ACII qualified
• What we are looking for in our Head of Liability Trading:
• Strong technical liability (construction classes in particular) knowledge
• Developed broker and capacity relationships
• Strong customer focus and ability to motivate a team to share that focus
• Able to demonstrate a high level of business awareness through knowledge of the Insurance industry, MGAs and the Lloyds market with the ability to transfer this quickly to specific business area or situation.
• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to analyse base data and provide commercially sound and viable business solutions.
• Able to communicate facts clearly both written and verbal to peers and senior management adapting content and approach as necessary.
• Able to demonstrate very strong influencing, negotiating and motivational skills
• Have a track record that shows an ability to react positively and effectively to customer needs
• Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning and development of others.
• Experience of managing people with strong leadership skills.
• Excellent time management skills.
• Ability to work within a project environment.
• Show resilience and drive, be prepared to try new ways of working, accept change, adhere to new requirements, actively contribute towards problem solving whilst focusing on the task at hand.
• Consistently seeking new areas for improvement both personal and business.

Equal opportunities

Everywhen is an equal opportunities employer, with a growing and thriving diversity, equity and inclusion strategy; we are committed to a working environment that is free from discrimination, is inclusive, and empowers our people to bring their whole self to work and reach their full potential.

Note on application process

If your application is successful, we will conduct relevant employment checks prior to you commencing employment with us. These will include verifying your recent employment, address, credit history and a standard criminal record check. Please note: We may close a vacancy prior to the publish end date if the required quality or number of applications has been received. No Agencies please.

Benefits

• Holiday entitlement of 26 days plus bank holidays, increasing with length of service
• Opportunity to progress your career across the entire Ardonagh family
• Award-winning learning & development offering and support to obtain professional qualifications to enhance your knowledge and career prospects
• Pension scheme for when you feel it's time to retire
• 24-hour Employee Assistance support for you and your family's physical and mental wellbeing
• Corporate perks such as discounted gym memberships, cinema tickets, shopping, Eyecare vouchers, cycle to work and much more
• One day paid volunteering to give back to our communities
• Ardonagh Community Trust (ACT) - raising funds for charity with donation matching in your local community
• The Spotlight Awards, where we celebrate the best of the Ardonagh Group and all the bright talent across our business.