Senior Underwriter - Professional Indemnity

W. R. Berkley Corporation; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

W. R. Berkley Corporation is seeking a Senior Underwriter in the London Market Professional Indemnity Team with a broad geographic focus including the US.

The role involves leading underwriting activities, strategy delivery and cross-border collaboration across Berkley units in London and the US. The candidate will manage renewals, pricing, and portfolio strategies, while developing broker relationships and ensuring service standards.

Qualifications

• Extensive underwriting experience and knowledge in the Class of Business.
• Sound commercial and financial knowledge.
• Knowledge of the insurance regulatory environment.
• Strong communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with prioritisation ability.
• Ability to exercise judgment and make sound business decisions.
• Strong interpersonal skills for stakeholders at various levels.

Responsibilities

• Develops and executes a strategy to achieve the business plan from a premium, loss and expense perspective for assigned product lines and territory.
• Proactively manages renewals, renewal change, and new business to achieve premium plan.
• Executes portfolio management strategies to drive a better loss ratio and achieve plan.
• Proactively manages direct commissions and direct expenses to achieve plan.
• Underwrites and prices individual risks while following guidelines and procedures.
• Uses underwriting tools and documents decisions.
• Collaborates with support areas to meet service standards.
• Manages distribution partners and broker relationships.
• Develops and executes a visitation strategy for brokers and insureds to drive submission flow and retention.
• Leads and trains staff; acts as product line expert and role model.

Skills

Underwriting experience

Class of Business knowledge

Commercial awareness

Negotiation skills

Job description

Responsibilities

Senior Underwriter in the London Market Professional Indemnity Team, with a broad geographic focus including the US.

Experience in the class of business with strong product knowledge and market relationships. Responsible for supporting the creation and execution of the business strategy within the underwriting team. Performance to high standards delivering lead market underwriting activities in a dynamic environment. A core part of the London market team collaborating across Berkley business units in London and the US.

• Develops and executes a strategy to achieve the business plan from a premium, loss and expense perspective for assigned product lines and territory.
• Proactively manages renewals, renewal change, and new business to achieve premium plan.
• Executes portfolio management strategies to drive a better loss ratio and achieve plan.
• Proactively manages direct commissions and direct expenses to achieve plan.

Underwriting and Compliance

• Underwrites and prices individual risks whilst following underwriting guidelines, policies and procedures.
• Effectively utilises underwriting tools whilst thoroughly documenting underwriting and pricing decisions.
• Works collaboratively with support areas to meet service standards.

Distribution/Customer Management

• In collaboration with Underwriting Leadership, proactively manages distribution partners.
• Acts as broker liaison for assigned products.
• Develops and executes a customer (broker and insured) visitation strategy for assigned products and territory to drive submission flow and improve customer retention.

Leadership and Personal Development

• Effectively manages staff through the effective utilisation of performance objectives, feedback loops and development plans to develop and retain staff.
• Acts as product line expert for area of expertise.
• Organises and provides technical training to junior personnel.
• Promotes a diverse and inclusive culture.
• Acts as an effective role model for others.

Performs training within agreed timeframes

Qualifications

• Extensive underwriting experience and knowledge in the Class of Business.
• Sound commercial and financial knowledge.
• Knowledge of the insurance regulatory environment.
• Strong communication, negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills, ability to multi-task and to prioritise conflicting demands/requests within given time constraints.
• Ability to exercise individual judgment and effectively make sound business decisions.
• Strong interpersonal skills with a proven ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders at various levels, both verbally and in writing.
• Outcome focused, self-motivated, flexible and enthusiastic.

Ability to work within and promote a diverse and inclusive culture