Director, Underwriting - Life

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 138,000 - 243,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vis

Life insurance and disability coverage

Paid time off and holidays

Pension plan and 401(k) match

Business casual work environment

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Director, Underwriting - Life to lead a life underwriting function supporting national brokerage relationships and delivering sound, timely decisions on complex cases. This remote role centers on large-case underwriting, team leadership, and strengthening the underwriting experience through strong partnerships.

The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise, relationship management, and the judgment to balance service, risk, and growth in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in life underwriting, including large-case decisions.
• Proven ability to coach and develop underwriting teams.
• Experience with $10M+ cases and brokerage/BGA environments.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to adapt to ambiguity and rapid change.

Responsibilities

• Lead a life underwriting team focused on national brokerage relationships.
• Own and enhance underwriting experience through stakeholder collaboration.
• Provide senior-level judgment on complex medical and financial cases.
• Align team capabilities to meet demand based on production and relationships.
• Foster team growth through coaching and exposure to large-case underwriting.
• Explain underwriting decisions and strengthen partnerships as a field representative.
• Collaborate across departments for efficient case outcomes and service excellence.

Skills

Life underwriting

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Negotiation

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Director, Underwriting - Life to join the team of a leader in the Finance & Insurance space. This leader will oversee a life underwriting function that supports national brokerage relationships and delivers sound, timely decisions on complex cases. The role is centered on large-case life underwriting, team leadership, and strengthening the overall underwriting experience through strong partnership with internal and external stakeholders. The ideal candidate will bring deep technical expertise, relationship management skill, and the judgment needed to balance service, risk, and business growth.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Compensation: $138,000 – $243,000 annually

Responsibilities

• Lead a life underwriting team focused on national brokerage relationships
• Own and enhance the underwriting experience by collaborating with stakeholders
• Provide senior-level judgment on complex medical and financial underwriting cases
• Align team capabilities to meet demand based on production and relationship needs
• Foster team growth through coaching and exposure to large-case underwriting
• Act as a field representative to explain underwriting decisions and strengthen partnerships
• Collaborate across departments to ensure efficient case outcomes and service excellence

Qualifications

• Deep life underwriting expertise with decision-making skills in complex situations
• Experience with large-case life underwriting, preferably $10 million-plus cases
• Background in relationship-driven life insurance environments like BGA or brokerage
• People leadership experience with the ability to coach and develop teams
• Strong communication and negotiation skills to advocate for underwriting decisions
• Familiarity with underwriting guidelines while demonstrating sound judgment and practical problem-solving capabilities
• Ability to thrive in ambiguous and rapidly changing environments

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance and short/long-term disability coverage
• Minimum of 18 days paid time off and nine paid holidays annually
• Additional paid time off for special occasions like Unity Day
• 401(k) plan with company match and a company-paid pension plan
• Business casual work environment and support for continuous learning opportunities

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.