Head Of Direct Underwriting

Ecclesiastical Insurance Group; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ecclesiastical Insurance Group in Gloucester is seeking a Head of Direct Underwriting to define and deliver the underwriting strategy across four key portfolios within the Direct business. You will lead a team of Technical Underwriters and shape pricing, profitability and customer outcomes.

Reporting to the Director of Church, you will build relationships with major customers and stakeholders and drive sustainable growth while maintaining high underwriting standards and governance across the UK.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership position in underwriting requiring strategic oversight.
• Experienced technical underwriting professional with strong commercial acumen.
• Leads a team of Technical Underwriters and oversees underwriting capability.
• Builds relationships with major customers and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Act as the senior underwriting figure head within the market and Key customers, obtaining key insight across the market to respond to both customer needs and competitor threats.
• Successfully manage portfolio to achieve financial objectives and other Key Performance Indicators, including GWP, New Business, Retention, Rate Movement and Profitability
• Develop and manage pricing strategies at portfolio and key account level, balancing retention, profitability and customer (conduct)
• A lead contributor to business planning process with appropriate and effective challenge
• Set, lead and manage the UW standards within the Business Unit & proactively engage with the UK Underwriting Risk Appetite
• Utilise individual authority framework to the benefit of the business unit and UKGI, ensuring effective cascade of authority with appropriate oversight and governance.
• Influence P&C Underwriting to ensure specific challenges of the Direct account are understood and that UW strategy is aligned to both key customer and business outcomes, with effective challenge on the strategy where this supports customer needs and the

Skills

Leadership

Direct underwriting

Pricing strategy

Stakeholder management

Team leadership

Job description

Working hours: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Duration: Permanent

Location: Gloucester

Job Ref: 204890

About the role

Ecclesiastical Insurance, who are proudly part of Benefact Group are looking for a Head of Direct Underwriting to join our Gloucester office.

Reporting directly to the Director of Church, this senior leadership position is responsible for defining and delivering the underwriting strategy across four key portfolios within the Direct business, the cornerstone account of Ecclesiastical Insurance. You will drive underwriting quality, profitable growth and financial performance while ensuring strong customer outcomes.

As a key figurehead both internally and externally, you will build relationships with major customers and stakeholders, while representing the Direct business across strategic underwriting initiatives, transformation programmes and projects at a UK-wide level.

With accountability for portfolio performance, including GWP, new business, retention, rate and profitability, you will shape pricing and underwriting strategies at both portfolio and key account level, translating strategic direction into effective day-to-day delivery.

This is an influential leadership opportunity for an experienced technical underwriting professional with strong commercial acumen. You will lead a team of Technical Underwriters and provide oversight of broader underwriting capability, champion technical excellence, develop high-performing teams, strengthen succession pipelines and build the capability needed to deliver sustainable, profitable growth.

Why join us?

Join a collaborative and inclusive culture that's committed to making a difference and building a more sustainable future. Ranked amongst the UK's 15 Best Big Companies to Work For in 2025, we offer fantastic career and development opportunities within a rapidly growing, innovative Group - where all profits go to charity and good causes.

What you'll be doing

Customer & Financial

• Act as the senior underwriting figure head within the market and Key customers, obtaining key insight across the market to respond to both customer needs and competitor threats.

• Successfully manage portfolio to achieve financial objectives and other Key Performance Indicators, including GWP, New Business, Retention, Rate Movement and Profitability

• Develop and manage pricing strategies at portfolio and key account level, balancing retention, profitability and customer (conduct)

• A lead contributor to business planning process with appropriate and effective challenge

Underwriting

• Set, lead and manage the UW standards within the Business Unit & proactively engage with the UK Underwriting Risk Appetite

• Utilise individual authority framework to the benefit of the business unit and UKGI, ensuring effective cascade of authority with appropriate oversight and governance.

• Influence P&C Underwriting to ensure specific challenges of the Direct account are understood and that UW strategy is aligned to both key customer and business outcomes, with effective challenge on the strategy where this supports customer needs and the