Head of Life Underwriting & Team Performance

northwesternmutual; Franklin (WI); On-site; USD 131,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual is seeking a senior underwriting leader in Wisconsin to guide a team of professionals in risk assessment, policy terms, and performance initiatives. The role focuses on driving high-performance operations, stakeholder collaboration, and strategic planning to sustain client-focused outcomes.

The position emphasizes people leadership, process improvements, and cross-functional alignment with internal departments and field managers, ensuring consistent underwriting standards and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or advanced degree in business or related field.
• 5-8 years of progressively responsible management level experience emphasizing decision making, team building, communication, personnel development, analytical thinking and project management.
• Prior people leadership experience required with preferred experience of 3-5 years.
• Preferred prior Underwriter experience.
• Ability to lead in an active continuous and learning value stream that engages employees while delivering results with a voice of the client focus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage, develop and motivate a diverse staff in a continually changing environment.
• Proven ability to anticipate client needs and business issues while developing and implementing innovative solutions to achieve desired results.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build rapport, negotiate and gain acceptance at all levels in the Home Office and Field.
• Preferred experience of 3 to 5 years of people leadership either in underwriting or another operational area.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership through managers of traditional underwriting professional teams that evaluate the risk and exposure to determine acceptable business.
• Accountable for determining premiums terms, and conditions based on established rules, rates and guidelines.
• Develop divisional plans, including business, production, operational and/ or organizational priorities.
• Control resources and policy formation in area of responsibility.
• Manage multiple relationships with other internal departments to facilitate processing of applications, as well as manage relationships with the field to ensure high client satisfaction.
• Serve as communication liaison/resource providing problem resolution with field management, financial representatives, company management, other companies and insurance departments regarding underwriting concerns and issues.
• Provide input to all aspects of these systems and process improvements including workflow, process changes, and systems development initiatives.
• Act as a liaison to other insurance operations departments when implementing initiatives.
• Help drive high performance across Underwriting Production; establishing metrics, reports, operation workflow changes, etc.
• Help integrate Underwriting transform efforts across operations, being a lead in change advocacy.

Skills

Leadership

Decision making

Communication

Project management

Analytical thinking

People development

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

Job description

Northwestern Mutual is seeking a senior underwriting leader in Wisconsin to guide a team of professionals in risk assessment, policy terms, and performance initiatives. The role focuses on driving high-performance operations, stakeholder collaboration, and strategic planning to sustain client-focused outcomes.

The position emphasizes people leadership, process improvements, and cross-functional alignment with internal departments and field managers, ensuring consistent underwriting standards and