Transactional Risk / Financial Lines – London Market
Location: London (Lloyd's / London Market) – hybrid working available
Reports to: Head of Warranty & Indemnity / Chief Underwriting Officer
Level: Underwriter / Senior Underwriter (dependent on experience)
Team: Transactional Risk (M&A Insurance)
Salary: £100,000 to £150,000+
ROLE PURPOSE
We are seeking an experienced Warranty & Indemnity Underwriter to join a growing Transactional Risk team, underwriting buy-side and sell-side W&I insurance across a broad range of sectors and deal sizes. The successful candidate will take ownership of transactions from initial triage through to policy issuance, working closely with M&A brokers, legal counsel and corporate finance advisors across the London and international markets.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Underwrite Warranty & Indemnity insurance (buy-side and sell-side) across a range of industry sectors, deal sizes and jurisdictions.
- Review and assess legal, financial, tax and commercial due diligence reports to identify, evaluate and price risk.
- Negotiate policy wordings, exclusions, retentions and pricing terms directly with brokers and legal advisors.
- Manage a live portfolio of transactions concurrently, often to tight and competing deadlines.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with M&A brokers, law firms and corporate finance houses to develop deal flow.
- Liaise with in-house or panel legal counsel on complex coverage, drafting and claims-adjacent queries.
- Monitor market conditions, competitor appetite and regulatory developments affecting the transactional risk market.
- Contribute to the development of pricing models, underwriting guidelines and risk appetite frameworks.
- Support new business development, including attendance at broker events, pitches and market presentations.
- Mentor and support the development of junior underwriters and underwriting assistants (Senior Underwriter level).
KEY SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Demonstrable underwriting experience in Warranty & Indemnity / Transactional Risk insurance, or equivalent M&A legal or corporate finance experience with a clear route into underwriting.
- Strong working knowledge of M&A transaction structures, share purchase agreements and due diligence processes.
- Excellent analytical and risk-assessment skills, with the ability to distil complex legal and financial information into clear underwriting judgements.
- Confident negotiator with strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Established relationships within the London Market broker and legal community are advantageous.
- Comfortable managing multiple live transactions simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
- Commercially minded, with sound judgement on risk selection and pricing.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Law degree and/or qualified solicitor (England & Wales or equivalent jurisdiction) is common but not essential.
- Corporate/M&A transactional background (private practice, in-house or corporate finance) or prior W&I underwriting experience.
- CII qualifications (e.g. Cert CII, ACII) held or in progress are advantageous.
WHAT'S ON OFFER
- Competitive base salary and discretionary bonus, commensurate with experience.
- Comprehensive benefits package including pension, private medical insurance and life assurance.
- Genuine progression within a growing transactional risk platform in the London Market.
- Exposure to a diverse pipeline of UK and cross-border M&A transactions.