Life Underwriter

LV=; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday

Annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Pension - employer match

EAP

Flexible benefits

Job summary

LV= is seeking a Senior Life Underwriter to assess life, critical illness and income protection applications on appropriate terms. The role offers flexible working around remote, hybrid or office-based work at Exeter, with training delivered remotely or on-site.

You will credential and underwrite complex cases, while delivering excellent customer outcomes and contributing to continuous improvement. The ideal candidate will have substantial life underwriting experience, strong communication and

Qualifications

• Previous experience of underwriting at least one of: life, critical illness or income protection is essential.
• Experience in underwriting high value applications, post issue sampling and retrospective claim opinions is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assess new business applications and make underwriting decisions within risk appetite and philosophy.
• Provide clear, robust justification of decisions and refer cases to third parties as required.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues, customers and intermediaries.

Skills

Underwriting

Decision making

Communication

Organisation

Customer focus

MS Office

Tools

MS Office

Job description

We have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced underwriting professional to join LV= as a Senior Life Underwriter.

As a leading UK life and pensions mutual insurer with a proud history dating back to 1843, we exist to help people live financially confident lives – protecting their income while they work and maximising it when they stop. Today, over one million members and customers trust us to look after their futures, families and finances.

Joining us means becoming part of a team that puts our members, customers and advisers at the heart of everything we do.

We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues can thrive. We are proud to have built a workplace where our colleagues feel welcomed, respected, supported and valued – reflected in our recognition as one of the Financial Times UK’s Best Employers in 2025 and 2026.

We celebrate individuality and believe our differences make us stronger, so bring your true self and help shape the future of LV=.

Within this role, you’ll efficiently underwrite new business applications for life, critical illness and income protection insurance on appropriate terms in relation to the risk. Previous experience of underwriting at least one of these products is essential.

This role is offered on a permanent basis, with fantastic opportunities for growth and development.

We can offer flexibility around remote working, hybrid working, and office working for this role, which we’ll discuss with you in detail. Your training can be completed fully remotely, or on-site at our Exeter office.

Our ideal candidate will…

• Be an experienced underwriting professional, with a strong understanding of life, critical illness, and income protection products.
• Demonstrate strong proof-reading skills, with a keen eye for detail.
• Be a knowledgeable individual and an efficient decision-maker, with a passion for delivering excellent customer experiences.
• Showcase strong administration and organisational skills.
• Maintain awareness of the wider market and competitor products.
• Be able to use Microsoft Office programmes such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Be an excellent communicator, able to deliver information clearly, and with patience and empathy.
• Independently manage workload, while supporting colleagues and the wider team in achieving mutual goals.

Experience in underwriting high value applications, post issue sampling, and offering retrospective claim opinions is desirable.

Key Responsibilities

• Assessing new business applications and making underwriting decisions (within risk appetite and underwriting philosophy).
• Making fair, balanced decisions using appropriate evidence.
• Providing clear, robust justification of decisions where required, and referring cases to third parties, including CMO and re-assurers.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with colleagues, customers, and intermediaries.
• Contributing ideas for continuous process improvement and enabling KPI’s to be met.
• Suggesting ideas to improve the overall customer journey.
• Obtaining ongoing CPD by self-education, attending training seminars, industry events and providing feedback to colleagues and business areas as required.
• Providing coaching, support and feedback to members of the team where required, including quality checking, in a positive manner.
• Working on projects and testing, to assist with business change plans.
• Partaking in the investigation of underwriting rules development/claims industry best practice, including analysis of MI where required.
• Acting as a strong representative on projects, including product initiatives and service improvements.

Rewards & Benefits

• At LV= Life and Pensions, you’ll go above and beyond to do the right thing for our customers.
• We’ll reward your hard work with an attractive, competitive salary and benefits package, which includes:
• 26 days' holiday - increasing after two years of service to 28 days
• The opportunity to buy or sell up to five days of holiday
• An annual bonus scheme based on company and personal performance
• Flexible benefits, including a cycle to work scheme, personal accident insurance, critical illness cover, private medical insurance, and dental insurance
• Competitive pension scheme - LV= Life and Pensions will double-match the amount you pay, up to 14% (subject to National Minimum Wage requirements)
• Group Life Assurance of four times your basic pay to your dependents (you’ll have the option to increase this to 8 x cover)
• Group Income Protection, once you reach 5 years of service
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service for support when you need it
• Virtual GP service
• Shared parental leave
• Up to 20% discount on our life products for you and your immediate family.

Please note that all salary sacrifice benefits are subject to National Minimum Wage requirements, i.e. you are unable to select any benefits that would reduce your base pay below the minimum wage threshold.

We’re proud of our inclusive culture at LV= and, as an equal-opportunity employer, we continually work to remove unconscious bias from our recruitment process. We value our colleagues for what they bring to our team regardless of any protected status or characteristics they may have. Talk to us about flexible working as part of your application; if it’s right for you, our members and customers, and our business, then we’ll do everything we can to make it happen.

Please note that we are unable to offer Skilled Worker Visa Sponsorship for this role. Therefore, you must ensure that you are eligible to work in the UK without our sponsorship in order for your application to be considered.

Go on, bring your true self to LV=.