Life Underwriting Lead & Team Performance Director

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC; Franklin (WI); On-site; USD 131,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC is seeking an experienced leader to head a team of underwriters and drive performance across underwriting operations. You will manage performance, guide career development, and ensure consistent risk assessment aligned with mortality goals while meeting service level agreements.

The role focuses on leading managers of underwriting teams, determining premiums, and coordinating with internal departments to support timely processing of applications 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

Data Literacy

Data Application

Customer Support

Customer Centricity

Insurance Acumen

Resource Management

Decision Making

Underwriting Practices

Negotiation & Managing Objection

Attention to Detail

Adaptive Communication

Mortality, Morbidity, & Risk Analysis

Consulting

Education

Bachelor's degree or advanced degree in business or related field

Job description

Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC is seeking an experienced leader to head a team of underwriters and drive performance across underwriting operations. You will manage performance, guide career development, and ensure consistent risk assessment aligned with mortality goals while meeting service level agreements.

The role focuses on leading managers of underwriting teams, determining premiums, and coordinating with internal departments to support timely processing of applications and