Senior Underwriter

Aviva plc; Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus opportunity

Generous pension scheme

29 days holiday plus bank holidays

Aviva-funded Private Medical Benefit

Discounts on Aviva products

Free Aviva shares opportunity

Supportive parental and carer's leave policies

Flexible benefits options

Paid volunteering days

Wellbeing support and tools

Job summary

Aviva plc in Manchester is seeking a Senior Underwriter to own the underwriting performance across its Existing Business portfolio. This influential role requires strong decision-making and market insight, as well as the ability to build credible relationships with brokers.

The ideal candidate will have significant underwriting experience and a solid understanding of complex risk cases. Aviva offers a comprehensive benefits package including salary of £40K–£65K based on experience, a generous pension scheme, and opportunities for development.

Qualifications

• Significant underwriting experience in commercial or mid-market environments.
• Confidence assessing and pricing complex and higher-risk cases.
• Solid understanding of regulatory responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of underwriting performance across the portfolio.
• Build strong trading relationships with broker partners.
• Support the wider underwriting team through mentoring.

Skills

Significant underwriting experience across Property & Liability or Motor

Strong technical underwriting capability

Experience operating with senior underwriting authority

Strong commercial mindset

Experience coaching or mentoring other underwriters

Understanding of FCA requirements

Job description

Senior Underwriter – Existing Business

Salary: £40K‑£65K

Manchester

Are you an experienced commercial underwriter who enjoys owning decisions, shaping portfolios and being trusted to trade? This is an opportunity to step into a genuinely influential role within one of the UK’s leading insurers, where your judgement, market insight and broker relationships really matter.

We are looking for a Senior Underwriter to play a key role in driving profitable growth across our Existing Business portfolio in Manchester. You will have real autonomy, meaningful authority and the chance to influence how we trade with our broker partners in a highly visible regional market.

A bit about the job

As a Senior Underwriter working within Existing Business, you will take ownership of underwriting performance across a broad portfolio. You will be trusted to make confident decisions on larger, more complex and higher‑risk cases, operating within agreed underwriting authority and appetite.

You will work closely with broker partners, building strong, credible trading relationships and using data and insight to monitor portfolio performance, identify trends and drive sustainable growth.

A key part of the role is supporting the wider underwriting team. You will act as a senior referral point and play an active part in developing capability through coaching, mentoring, audits and technical reviews. You will also support the implementation of changes to underwriting policy, appetite and processes, helping to keep the team commercially sharp and aligned to strategy.

While this role is focused on Existing Business, we recognise senior underwriters often have clear preferences. There is flexibility to consider exposure to New Business or a blended portfolio where appropriate.

Commercial Lines Academy – Senior Development at Aviva

As part of your development, you’ll have access to the Commercial Lines Academy, which offers:

• Advanced technical underwriting pathways
• Multi‑class learning and licensing progression
• Trading, negotiation and broker‑engagement skills training
• Leadership and coaching development
• Market exposure, networking and shadowing opportunities
• Data‑driven insights to strengthen technical decision‑making

The Academy is a key part of Aviva’s commitment to building and supporting high‑performing underwriting talent.

Skills and experience we’re looking for

• Significant underwriting experience across Property & Liability and or Motor, ideally within commercial or mid‑market environments
• Strong technical underwriting capability, with confidence assessing, pricing and structuring complex and higher‑risk cases
• Experience operating with senior underwriting authority and or acting as a key technical referral point
• A strong commercial mindset, with the ability to lead senior‑level broker discussions and trading negotiations
• Experience coaching, mentoring or supporting the development of other underwriters
• A solid understanding of FCA requirements, regulatory responsibilities and governance standards

Due to this being a role in scope for Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD) it is a prerequisite that you are not currently bankrupt and do not have an unspent conviction for a serious criminal offence, in applying for this role you are certifying that you satisfy both of these requirements.

What you’ll get for this role

Our purpose – with you today, for a better tomorrow – is a promise we make to our colleagues too. And one of the ways we live up to that promise is by investing in you. We have so much to offer when it comes to being an Aviva colleague.

• Salary: £40K‑£65K (depending on location, skills, experience, and qualifications)
• Bonus opportunity – actual amount depends on your performance and Aviva’s
• Generous pension scheme e.g. if you put in 8%, Aviva adds 14%
• 29 days holiday plus bank holidays, and you can choose to buy or sell up to 5 days
• Aviva-funded Private Medical Benefit to help you get expert support when you need it
• Make your money go further – up to 40% discount on Aviva products, and other retailer discounts
• Up to £1,200 of free Aviva shares per year through our Matching Share Plan and share in the success of Aviva with our Save As You Earn scheme
• Brilliantly supportive policies including parental and carer’s leave
• Flexible benefits to suit you, including sustainability options such as cycle to work
• Make a difference, be part of our Aviva Communities and use your 3 paid volunteering days to help others
• We take your wellbeing seriously with lots of support and tools

Take a look to learn more. Put a salary into this calculator to see what your total Aviva Reward could be.

Aviva is for everyone

We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences. Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply. We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part time and job shares.

We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you. Most of our people are smart working – spending at least 50% of their time in our offices every week – combining the benefits of flexibility, with time together with colleagues.

To find out more about working at Aviva take a look here

We'd love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, email [e-mail].