Underwriting Operations Lead

NFU Mutual; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading general insurance provider in the UK is seeking an Underwriting Operations Lead to drive change and support commercial growth strategy. You will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of underwriting processes in the organization. Candidates should have strong commercial underwriting experience and be proficient with data analysis tools such as Power BI. The role offers hybrid working with a salary up to £50,000 depending on experience along with comprehensive benefits including a bonus scheme and contributory pension.

Benefits

Annual bonus up to 17.5%

Contributory pension scheme

25 days annual leave

Health and wellbeing plan

Employee discounts on insurance policies

Life Assurance cover of 4 x salary

Qualifications

• Proactive, self-motivated professional with a deep understanding of underwriting processes.
• Experience in commercial insurance environment with a focus on driving business growth.
• Ability to influence at all levels of an organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support transformational projects to improve underwriting processes.
• Collaborate with various teams to ensure effective project delivery.
• Act as Subject Matter Expert for projects impacting underwriting operations.

Skills

Commercial Underwriting experience

Proficiency with Power BI

Change management

Relationship-building skills

Ability to manage competing demands

Job description

Underwriting Operations Lead

• Be part of a well-established, people-focused organisation renowned for exceptional service and member loyalty.
• Play a central role in redefining the landscape of Commercial Underwriting excellence at NFU Mutual.
• Hybrid working : 80% homeworking, with 20% in one of our regional offices (Stratford-upon-Avon, Bristol, Glasgow, Belfast, or York).

About the role

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Commercial Underwriting operations? As Underwriting Operations Lead, you’ll be at the forefront of driving change and supporting our commercial growth strategy. Your expertise will directly contribute to our Large and Mid-Corporate Insurance objectives, ensuring we deliver on our vision for market leadership and operational excellence.

You will collaborate with our Large Corporate Insurance, Head Office Underwriting, and regional teams to ensure that both transformational projects and quick-win initiatives are implemented effectively and deliver substantive value. Your focus will be on operational readiness, process improvement, and ensuring that our underwriting teams are empowered to excel. In this role you’ll lead and support initiatives that underpin our commercial growth aspirations, with a particular focus on Large and Mid-Corporate Insurance whilst focussing on ensuring the right underwriting technical outcomes are delivered. You’ll shape and improve underwriting processes and drive efficiency to ensure alignment with evolving business needs and market opportunities within our intelligent underwriting intervention framework. You’ll act as a Subject Matter Expert to support and drive transformational projects, ensuring changes are delivered effectively and sustainably. You’ll also act as the vital link between Head Office, Large Corporate Insurance and regional teams, ensuring clear communication and shared goal, and use data‑driven insights to inform decision‑making and support the deployment of new processes and systems.

About you

We’re seeking a proactive, self‑motivated professional with Commercial Underwriting experience. Your background will demonstrate a deep understanding of underwriting processes and systems, ideally gained within a commercial insurance environment. You are proficient with tools like Power BI, and confident in using data to inform decisions and measure success. You have experience driving business growth and leading projects that achieve measurable results.

To join our team

• Hands‑on involvement in delivering transformational projects, with the ability to manage change and drive improvement at scale.
• The ability to see the bigger picture, align operational activity with business strategy, and influence at all levels.
• Excellent relationship‑building skills, able to connect and collaborate across functions and teams.
• The ability to manage competing demands, hold others to account, and influence decisions with resilience and diplomacy.

At NFU Mutual, we support an inclusive workplace and value all the differences that make us unique. We celebrate the creativity and innovation that comes from diverse perspectives and experiences and share a common vision of doing the right thing for our customers and employees.

We recognise that some candidates may experience barriers during the recruitment process. So, we encourage candidates to discuss any adjustments or accommodations they need to be the best they can be throughout our recruitment process.

We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, a Race at Work and Women in Finance Charter signatory and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, regardless of age, ethnicity, disability, neurodiversity, gender, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background.

Benefits and Rewards

When you join our team,you can expecta supportive cultureandanattractive range ofrewards and benefitsincluding :

• Salary up £50,000 depending on experience
• Annual bonus (up to 17.5% of salary)
• Contributory pension scheme, up to 20%, including your 8% contribution
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays + buy / sell / save holiday trading scheme
• A Family Friendly policy that helps you balance your work and family responsibilities
• Access to savings at High Street brands, travel and supermarkets
• £20 contribution to a monthly gym membership – subject to T&Cs
• Health and wellbeing plan- cashback for dentist, opticians, physio and more
• Access to voluntary benefits, including health assessments, private medical insurance and dental insurance
• Employee Volunteering - volunteerin the community for one day each year
• Unlimited access to Refer a Friend £500 bonus scheme
• Life Assurance coverof 4 x salary
• Employee discounts of 15% on a range of NFU Mutual insurance policies.
• Salary sacrifice employee car scheme - subject to eligibility

Working at NFU Mutual

We’reone of the UK’s leading general insurance and financial services companies. For over 110 yearswe’veput our customers at the heart of everything we do.Ourpeopleare just as important to us.

Wepride ourselves on being “a great place to work” and our Gallup Exceptional Workplace 2025 award was not only awarded with Distinction but also named us as the first UK‑based company to receive a Gallup Exceptional Workplace for ten years in a row. We are also the only Insurer to feature in the LinkedIn Top 15 Companies 2025 list of ‘Best midsize employers to grow your career in the UK’, the Glassdoor Best Places to Work UK List 2023 and 2024, and were recognised as a certified UK Top Employer by the Top Employers Institute in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

We offer a supportive culture where we empower and inspire our people to perform, offer them opportunities to grow, and recognise and reward their contribution. Our people are proud to work for a company that respects them and their communities, and they trust us to be financially sustainable, so we are successful now and in the future.