Director, Underwriting

AuguStar Life; United States; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Healthcare coverage

Life insurance

401(k) plan

Parental leave

Adoption reimbursement

Flexible time-off

Dress for your day

Inclusion and culture

Flexible work options

Well-being programs

Community connections

Job summary

AuguStar Life, based in the United States, seeks a Director, Underwriting to lead our enterprise underwriting program and report to the VP Operations. You will partner with Distribution, Product, Actuarial, Legal, and Claims to balance prudent risk, growth, and customer outcomes.

The ideal candidate brings 8+ years of senior underwriting leadership, FALU and FLMI designations, and a track record of transforming underwriting organizations while driving profitable growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, insurance, risk management, or a related field is required.
• FALU and FLMI designations demonstrate advanced technical expertise.
• Experience leading a complex life underwriting organization with authority evaluating large, complex, high-value life risks.
• Experience applying reinsurance treaties, regulatory requirements, and enterprise risk-appetite standards is essential.
• Proven record of leading organizational change and developing underwriting talent.
• Experience managing reinsurer and vendor relationships and using data and analytics to improve risk selection and operating performance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and technical leadership for large and complex life insurance cases involving high value risks.
• Lead strategic initiatives and manage vendor and reinsurer relationships with governance, performance expectations, and accountability.
• Build and sustain a high-performing underwriting organization through talent strategy, succession planning, coaching, and development.

Skills

Leadership

Underwriting leadership

Data analytics

Strategic risk management

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, insurance, risk management

FALU designation

FLMI designation

Job description

Director, Underwriting

will bring a record of leading complex life underwriting organizations, deep technical credibility, and the executive judgment to balance prudent risk management, growth objectives, and an exceptional experience for distribution partners and customers. This opportunity is well suited for a strategic, collaborative leader who can influence across the enterprise, navigate complexity, and translate underwriting expertise into sustained business performance.

This candidate will be an accomplished underwriting executive to serve as Director, Underwriting and a key member of the Operations Leadership Team, reporting to the Vice President, Operations. This highly visible role carries enterprise-level influence over underwriting strategy, risk appetite, and decisions involving complex and high-value life insurance cases. The Director will set the direction for underwriting quality, risk selection, and market competitiveness while helping position the business for disciplined, profitable growth.

As the senior leader accountable for execution of the underwriting program, the Director will advise executive stakeholders and partners across Distribution, Product, Actuarial, Legal, Compliance, Claims, and Operations. The role leads a team of underwriting consultants, builds leadership and technical capability, and serves as a trusted partner to Home Office Distribution, field partners, reinsurers, and the medical director.

Your role and impact

Here’s a glimpse of your responsibilities and the meaningful impact you’ll create as the Director, Underwriting:

• Provide strategic and technical leadership for large and complex life insurance cases involving $10+ million of risk, applying sound judgment to balance risk appetite, competitive positioning, customer outcomes, and profitable growth within reinsurance treaty guidelines and authority limits.
• Lead strategic initiatives and third-party relationships involving vendors and reinsurers, establishing clear governance, performance expectations, and accountability. Leverage underwriting data, analytics, and emerging trends to provide actionable management insights, identify opportunities, and improve risk selection, operational effectiveness, and business performance.
• Build and sustain a high-performing underwriting organization by setting a clear talent strategy, strengthening succession and capability planning, and coaching, mentoring, and developing underwriters. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and disciplined decision-making aligned with enterprise priorities.

What’s in it for you

• Competitive pay: Fair compensation for your hard work.
• Healthcare coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision from day one.
• Life insurance: Company-paid coverage for you and your loved ones.
• 401(k) plan: Matching contributions to help secure your financial future.
• Family support: Paid parental leave and reimbursement for adoption and surrogacy expenses.
• Work-life balance: Flexible time-off policy to recharge and pursue passions.
• Dress for your day: Express your style comfortably at work.
• Inclusion and Culture: A respectful environment that values unique contributions.
• Flexible work options: Remote, hybrid, and onsite opportunities at various locations across the U.S. for better work-life integration.
• Well-being focus: Programs to support a healthy balance between work and home life.
• Community connections: Build strong relationships through virtual and in-person interactions, with resources for your growth.

What sets you up for success

• A bachelor's degree in business, finance, insurance, risk management, or a related field and 8+ years of progressively responsible life underwriting experience are required.
• Candidates must hold the Fellow, Academy of Life Underwriting (FALU) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations, demonstrating advanced technical expertise and professional achievement recognized across the life insurance industry.
• Qualified candidates will also bring leadership experience within a complex life underwriting organization, demonstrated authority in evaluating large, complex, and high-value life insurance risks, and comprehensive knowledge of medical, financial, and non-medical underwriting principles.
• Experience applying reinsurance treaties, regulatory requirements, and enterprise risk-appetite standards is essential.
• Candidates must have a demonstrated record of leading organizational change, developing underwriting talent and succession pipelines, managing reinsurer and vendor relationships, using data and analytics to improve risk selection and operating performance, and influencing executive and cross-functional stakeholders.