Director of Underwriting — Hybrid, Group Benefits Leader

The Hartford; Hartford (CT); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 192,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Job summary

The Hartford is seeking a Director of Underwriting to lead a team of 5-6 underwriters responsible for profitable acquisition and retention of group life, disability, and supplemental health customers. You will coach, mentor, and drive performance against underwriting guidelines and profitability targets.

Reporting to the AVP of Underwriting & Shared Services, this role supports strategic initiatives, ensures quality standards, and collaborates with clients and partners on pricing, treatment of

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• 7+ years of group benefits experience with strong technical knowledge related to product, pricing, and risk selection.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including ability to influence audiences with varying levels of expertise.
• Ability to think analytically about business problems, make recommendations and propose solutions.
• Demonstrated success in developing and maintaining solid relationships with internal and external business partners in current role.
• Demonstrated organization and prioritization management skills, including project management and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced work environment.
• Prior experience managing a team preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 5-6 underwriters responsible for providing underwriting services to our group life, disability, and supplemental health reinsurance clients.
• Build and retain a highly motivated and technically competent underwriting team by providing effective coaching, training, motivation, career development, and performance management.
• Ensure team and clients adhere to underwriting guidelines, rate development protocols, authority limits and documentation protocols and achieves quality standards.
• Ensure operating routines are in place to maximize team collaboration, productivity, and engagement.
• Communicate effectively and persuasively with clients and business partners on underwriting issues including decisions on declinations, terminations, exposure, and plan design concerns.
• Monitor key underwriting metrics and develop strategies to ensure profitability, pricing, persistency, and service objectives are met.
• Recommend changes in products, underwriting guidelines and/or pricing protocols to ensure continued growth and sustained profitability for our organization and our reinsurance clients.
• Provide clear and consistent communication to employees regarding business goals, performance expectations, process, procedural and organizational changes.
• Actively drive and participate in assigned project work geared towards helping the organization achieve our financial performance, customer value and employee engagement goals.
• Implement new Clients as required with competent project management.
• Support strategic initiatives of department and team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Project management

Team leadership

Relationship building

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor’s degree

7+ years group benefits experience

Job description

The Hartford is seeking a Director of Underwriting to lead a team of 5-6 underwriters responsible for profitable acquisition and retention of group life, disability, and supplemental health customers. You will coach, mentor, and drive performance against underwriting guidelines and profitability targets.

Reporting to the AVP of Underwriting & Shared Services, this role supports strategic initiatives, ensures quality standards, and collaborates with clients and partners on pricing, treatment of