Standards underwriter

Irish Life; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company based in the UK is looking for an experienced underwriter to provide balanced underwriting decisions and lead team projects. The ideal candidate should have a solid background in medical underwriting, proficiency in Excel, and excellent communication skills. A competitive salary and benefits package, including a pension scheme and private medical insurance, is offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous pension and bonus scheme

Private medical insurance

Qualifications

• Minimum of two years of medical underwriting experience.
• Experience working within a medical underwriting team.
• Detailed understanding of medical underwriting risk factors.

Responsibilities

• Provide fair and balanced underwriting decisions.
• Lead team projects and deliver results.
• Provide training and support to operations teams.
• Review underwriting decisions for quality and accuracy.

Skills

Medical underwriting experience

Strong communication skills

Customer focus

Proficient in Excel, Word, PowerPoint

Ability to explain complex situations simply

Education

Diploma in Life and Disability Underwriting

Job description

Responsibilities

• Provide fair and balanced underwriting decisions within own authority limits assessing initial applications, additional medical or other underwriting evidence and team referrals
• Develop and review different underwriting philosophies and processes, identifying any improvements and changes required
• Deliver on Underwriting standards, risks and controls
• Implement and review appropriate controls/limits/evidence requirements to ensure risks are accepted in line with company and industry guidelines
• Lead on relevant team projects and be responsible for their delivery. This may range from small to medium projects that will be allocated based on the strengths and capacity of team members
• Provide training as required to the operations teams/underwriter population. Identifying areas where they feel training is required to upskill and agree the best way to provide the training
• Provide guidance and support to the operations teams on processes and complex cases. Being available to provide guidance and coaching to less experienced underwriters as well as being a second opinion and able provide an objective view on cases when appropriate. Using their expert knowledge to provide guidance on more complex cases
• Review underwriting decisions for quality sampling, assess accuracy and provide appropriate feedback in line with underwriting philosophy. Raising any concerns over standards appropriately. The individual must be capable of providing objective and constructive feedback and know when and how to do so
• Effectively identify and report risks and risk events in line with agreed polices and be able to suggest ways to measure, monitor and manage
• Work within and support the UnderwritingRDS team to deliver on team objectives and support the Chief Underwriter as required
• Manage relationships where appropriate with stakeholders, internal and external, including reinsurers, third party providers, Chief Medical Officer
• Maintain a high level of underwriting knowledge to provide advice, guidance, training & support to the operational teams and senior management
• Experience of working within a medical underwriting team and making an accurate assessment of medical and other underwriting evidence
• Detailed understanding of medical underwriting risk factors
• Able to underwrite for multiple product lines, including enhanced annuity products
• Full understanding of industry standards including the ABI's Statement of Best Practice including genetics, and how they apply
• Fully conversant with underwriting manuals and processes
• Ability to develop and review different underwriting philosophies and processes making necessary comments and changes
• Ability to audit underwriting decisions and provide feedback
• To provide fair and balanced underwriting decisions within own authority limits
• Detailed understanding of the company's products which require underwriting input
• Maintains underwriting knowledge with industry and market changes
• Proactive approach to your own learning and development is expected to ensure that Underwriting practices and skills are continually improved
• Curious and customer focused with an ability to think innovatively. Strong communicator who can work collaboratively with a wide network of colleagues across Canada Life and externally, including reinsurers. Able to explain complex situations in simple terms and to people at different levels. Able to influence and persuade and respected as an expert. Confident presenter as will need to be comfortable providing training and coaching to the underwriting population. The role holder will have previous medical underwriting experience, ideally a minimum of two years, across underwriting operations and development Good Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills
• Completion or progress towards Diploma in Life and Disability Underwriting, CII or other industry recognised qualifications are desirable.

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

What You'll Do

We believe in recognising and rewarding our people, so we offer a competitive salary and benefits package that's regularly reviewed. As a Canada Life UK colleague, you'll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including a generous pension and bonus scheme, along with, income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance. We have a fantastic number of other benefits and support services as well as regular personal and professional development.

How we work at Canada Life

Our culture is unique and incredibly important to us. We care about doing the right thing for our people, customers and community and helping others to build better futures. Our blueprint behaviours shape and influence how we work, and are central to the relationships we have with others. Every day we are encouraged to be more curious, own the outcome, face into things together and find a way forward. We want colleagues to have rewarding careers with us so we invest in the development of our people, technology and workplaces. That's why we offer a range of training, flexible working and opportunities to grow and develop.

Diversity and inclusion

Building an inclusive workplace with a diverse workforce where everyone can feel they belong and achieve their potential regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other characteristic is a key commitment for us. We are proud of the progress we're making in DEI, and we continue for it to be a significant focus.

"At Canada Life we believe in the power of great people from different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives coming together to build better futures. Emerging talent is crucial to our growth and creating an environment that continues to inspire us all."

Nick Harding, Chief People Officer, Canada Life UK