Head of Product and Underwriting Governance

Hiscox Ltd; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company is seeking a Head of Product Oversight and Underwriting Governance to lead governance frameworks and ensure compliance with FCA regulations. The role requires strong insurance knowledge, excellent leadership skills, and a focus on delivering positive customer outcomes. This position includes overseeing the product governance team and collaborating effectively with senior stakeholders. The company supports a hybrid working model, promoting work-life balance.

Benefits

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Hybrid working model

Healthy work-life balance

Qualifications

• Strong background in Insurance and extensive knowledge of product governance best practices.
• Strong regulatory knowledge, governance and controls – FCA PROD rules and Consumer Duty.
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to play a prominent role within the Underwriting Leadership team.

Responsibilities

• Champion and implement product governance frameworks.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives.
• Lead cross‑functional engagement to assess product performance.

Skills

Insurance knowledge

Leadership skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory knowledge

Customer focus

Job description

Job Type: Permanent

Build a brilliant future with Hiscox

Position: Head of Product Oversight and Underwriting Governance

Band: IV

Reporting to: Chief Underwriting Officer

Location: London, York, Colchester

The role

This role forms part of the Underwriting Leadership Team with responsibility for overseeing and embedding robust frameworks for product and proposition management, underwriting and wording governance, and underwriting excellence. The role should ensure regulatory compliance, positive customer outcomes and alignment with business strategy.

As the Product Oversight and Underwriting Governance Manager, you will lead, support, and develop the product governance team in delivering effective oversight of all UK products and propositions, involving key stakeholders across the UK business and the wider Group. You will lead and support the underwriting governance team, ensuring frameworks are in place and adhered to for underwriting and wording governance. You will also be responsible for creating the framework for underwriting excellence in the UK, by overseeing a training framework for underwriters.

The role holder is responsible for overseeing compliance with FCA PROD rules and Consumer Duty.

What you'll be doing

• Champion and implement product governance frameworks, ensuring they align with Hiscox UK strategic goals and regulatory requirements and operate effectively.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior executives, offering insights and recommendations on product value, informing both transformation activities and relevant change initiatives.
• Lead cross‑functional engagement to assess product performance, identify improvement opportunities and implement strategic changes.
• Ensure all product governance and control standards are regularly reviewed and operating effectively.
• Ensure all underwriting governance and control standards are regularly reviewed and operating effectively.
• Drive continuous improvement of processes, focusing on delivering value for both customers and our business.
• Chair a multi‑disciplinary Product Oversight and Governance Committee, including Claims, Distribution (Direct and Broker), Customer Relations, Compliance and Risk.
• Deliver a framework for Fair Value Assessments (FVAs) and ongoing monitoring to assess whether good customer outcomes are being delivered and lead enhancements to Fair Value Assessments, incorporating customer impact analysis and external benchmarking (e.g. FCA Value Measures).
• Review and continuously improve Target Market Statements to ensure granularity and alignment with FCA guidance.
• Work with colleagues across Underwriting to embed Consumer Duty principles into technical documentation, including the Technical Underwriting Guide (TUG) and support the delivery of the relevant parts of the Customer Framework.
• Escalate breaches of policies/procedures/significant issues.
• Deliver a framework for technical underwriter training.
• Monitor industry trends and identify opportunities for innovation through new features, products and enhancements.
• Oversee and deliver regulatory/business reporting and MI requirements, ensuring accuracy and compliance.

Collaboration with other senior stakeholders is critical to this role.

• Build and maintain strong relationships across different business functions and with external partners.
• Work with the Propositions Development Team responsible for developing new products and propositions.
• Work with the new Deals Forum to ensure alignment to forthcoming products, deals and partnerships.
• Work with Distribution stakeholders to ensure compliance with FCA disclosure requirements, by overseeing the provision of complete pricing information (including fees, commissions and charges) and validating its use to support fair value.
• Support the Change Team owning the (to be) enhanced product change communication framework across distribution (broker and direct) channels.

Our must haves

• Strong background in Insurance and extensive knowledge of product governance best practices.
• Strong regulatory knowledge, governance and controls – FCA PROD rules and Consumer Duty.
• Strong leadership, analytical and communication skills with an emphasis on cross‑functional collaboration and strategic influence.
• Strong influencing skills and the ability to play a prominent role within the Underwriting Leadership team.
• Proven ability to lead teams, foster collaboration and influence at a senior level.
• Strong customer focus; passion for delivering good outcomes for customers and doing the right thing.
• Ability to translate strategy into action through excellent programme management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for effective stakeholder engagement and high‑level reporting.
• Ability to think analytically and creatively to address a myriad of technical and commercial issues.
• Ability to distil complex issues into clear, simple strategies and plans.
• Strong understanding of technology and process management.

Diversity and flexible working at Hiscox

At Hiscox we care about our people. We hire the best people for the job and we're committed to diversity and creating a truly inclusive culture, which we believe drives success. We also know that working life doesn't have to be in the office, and we will be operating a hybrid way of working to encourage a healthy work life balance, with 2–3 days in the office per week.

This role is subject to requirements under the senior manager and certification regime (SMCR)

Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture.