Head of Motor Underwriting - Delegated Authority Partnerships

AXA UK; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car allowance

Job summary

AXA UK is seeking a Head of Motor Underwriting for its Delegated Authority Partnerships team. You will own portfolio and people, drive underwriting and pricing strategies, manage risk, and deliver strong financial performance while upholding regulatory standards.

The role involves leading cross-functional teams and working across AXA offices. The position requires excellent analytical, negotiating, and leadership skills, with a focus on collaboration with partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in motor underwriting and portfolio management.
• Ability to develop underwriting and pricing strategies and review broker performance.
• Strong leadership mindset with coaching and development capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Drive profitability and top-line growth through portfolio management and performance analysis.
• Develop and execute underwriting and pricing strategies; review broker performance and create long-term financial plans.
• Lead by example and drive DAP Leadership Team initiatives while ensuring governance and regulatory compliance.
• Cultivate internal and external relationships to support strategy execution and customer focus.
• Oversee revenue, projects, and underwriting controls and progress.
• Support team development through coaching and growth plans.

Skills

Partnership building

Negotiation

Underwriting knowledge

Analytical skills

Coaching & development

Interpersonal skills

Education

ACII qualification preferred

Job description

About AXA:

AXA is a global leader in insurance and financial services, dedicated to helping customers protect what matters most to them. As the sixth-largest insurance company in the world, we provide a wide range of services, including health, car, home, and business insurance. We support millions of customers worldwide, helping them navigate life's uncertainties with confidence.

AXA Commercial protects businesses, from multinationals to micro start-ups, giving them the confidence to thrive.

Job overview:

Join our Delegated Authority Partnerships (DAP) team and play a vital role in achieving our strategic goals. In this dynamic role, you’ll take ownership of the profit and loss, ensuring strong financial performance while maintaining adherence to underwriting and conduct standards. As Head of Motor Underwriting, you'll oversee both portfolio and case-level underwriting, leading our teams to drive optimal financial results, enhance portfolio management, and support career development within DAP. This is a fantastic opportunity to champion the DAP culture, reflect AXA’s core values, and build strong, collaborative relationships with partners. The role is available due to retirement and is expected to commence in 2027. It also offers a car allowance of £5,200 and regular travel between offices is a key part of the role.

Key responsibilities:

• Drive profitability and top-line growth through portfolio management, performance analysis, and identifying new business opportunities.
• Develop and execute underwriting and pricing strategies; review broker performance and create long-term financial plans.
• Lead by example, embodying the culture and actively contributing to the DAP Leadership Team.
• Maintain oversight and personally drive progress on key areas such as revenue, projects, and underwriting controls.
• Build strong internal and external relationships to deliver excellent service and support strategy execution.
• Ensure full compliance with regulatory, conduct, and underwriting governance standards, prioritising customer needs.
• Take ownership of personal and team development through curiosity, networking, coaching, and seeking growth opportunities.
• Lead change initiatives, identify continuous improvement opportunities, and drive initiatives to completion.

Work arrangements:

At AXA we work smart, empowering our people to balance their time between home and the office in a way that works best for them, their team and our customers. You'll work at least three days a week (60%) away from home. Away from home means attending the office, visiting clients or attending industry events.

Your skills & experience:

• Ability to foster strong partnerships and work collaboratively with peers.
• Strong trading capability, negotiation skills, and deep knowledge of comm motor products, markets, and regulatory requirements.
• Excellent analytical and numerical reasoning skills, with the ability to interpret data effectively to inform underwriting and portfolio decisions.
• Demonstrable coaching mindset and able to identify development needs in others, provide constructive feedback, and support personal growth through development plans.
• Proven track record in delivering excellent customer service, working proactively in a collaborative, solution-focused manner, and demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and self-motivation.
• Commitment to progressing towards ACII qualifications is preferred.

As a precondition of employment for this role, you must be eligible and authorised to work in the United Kingdom.

This position has been defined as an Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) role under the IDD regime which means that in addition to pre-employment screening checks, the successful candidate will be subject to background screening every 4 years with an annual declaration in interim years.