Life Underwriting Specialist

Northwestern Mutual; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 61,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedules

Concierge service

Comprehensive benefits

Employee resource groups

Job summary

Northwestern Mutual is seeking an entry-level underwriter in Wisconsin to learn risk assessment while delivering excellent client service. You’ll build relationships with financial advisors and internal partners, and gain experience in field and client interactions in a fast-paced environment.

You’ll participate in a comprehensive training program, develop skills in underwriting standards, mortality and morbidity concepts, and collaborate to provide the best offers within guidelines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or 4+ years combined education/experience.
• Strong analytical skills and independent judgment in applying underwriting rules.
• Excellent written and oral communication with handling confidential information.

Responsibilities

• Field & Client Experience.
• Maintain credible relations with field and customers.
• Guide and assist NM Financial Network and Representatives on case underwriting.
• Prescreen inquiries with guidance.
• Underwrite applications within NM standards and product types.
• Communicate modified/declined decisions to Field Partners.

Skills

Learning Agility

Decision Making

Adaptive Communication

Negotiation

Change Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Office Software

Job description

Introduction

Join our team as an entry-level underwriter in a dynamic and supportive environment. This role offers the opportunity to apply your critical thinking, drive for results, adaptive communication, and relationship building skills, as you learn the art of underwriting risk assessment from the best in the business. Through our comprehensive training program, you’ll develop the essential skills needed to excel in a fast-paced production environment focused on quality risk assessment, and exceptional field and client service. Bring your enthusiasm and be part of a collaborative team driving innovation solutions.

Summary

Builds relationships with Financial Advisors and internal partners. Develops the skills necessary to successfully underwrite Life insurance policies in an inclusive and fast-paced environment ensuring all quality, service and production goals are met.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Field & Client Experience.
• Responsible for credible and effective relations and communications with field and customers.
• Provides guidance and assistance to the Northwestern Mutual Financial Network and Financial Representatives regarding case underwriting and risk appraisal.
• Responsible for prescreen inquiries, with guidance.

Underwriting

• Responsible for the analysis and appraisal of a broad range of insurance applications; approves, classifies, or declines applications for various ages and policy amounts with guidance.
• Demonstrates a basic understanding of application review and adherence to underwriting standards , NM (Northwestern Mutual) product types and changes.
• Develops and demonstrates change agility while maintaining mortality and morbidity expectations.
• Demonstrates continuous learning through the early adoption of new ways of underwriting.
• Develops a basic understanding of financial, medical, and lay underwriting assessments and reinsurance programs.
• Underwrites applications, maintaining industry-leading mortality and morbidity giving the best possible offer that can be made.
• Provides active case and requirement management and provides customized service with guidance.
• Communicates & negotiates with Field Partners to explain modified or declined decisions & assist in policy placement.
• Actively utilizes the most effective means to obtain the necessary information, including Internet searches, digital health data, direct contact with the insured, and communication with third party advisors (Accountants, Attorneys, etc.), with guidance.
• Responsible for adherence to procedures and regulatory processes.
• Understands and meets all quality, service, and production goals.
• Solve issues & escalations with guidance.
• Discusses cases with peer reviewers, medical and technical staff, as needed.
• Partners with Underwriting Support for case management.
• May serve as underwriting representative for improvement in product process w/collaboration w/functional partners.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree preferred or a minimum of 4 years equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Analytical skills with the ability to make independent decisions and apply sound judgment in the application of rules.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to handle confidential information, exercise tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness.
• Proficient in computer skills and using various software packages.
• Ability to work accurately while maintaining speed and flexibility in a team and independent production environment.
• Highly organized and the ability to establish priorities and meet deadlines.
• Displays agility to manage multiple tasks and adapt in a changing work environment.

Skills You Have

• Learning Agility & Critical Thinking: Learns from experience, applies feedback, connects information from different sources, and uses sound judgment when the answer is not immediately clear.
• Decision Making: Assesses available information, recognizes risk, and makes timely decisions without needing every detail.
• Adaptive Communication: Explains complex information clearly and adjusts the message based on the audience and situation.
• Negotiation & Managing Objections: Navigates difficult conversations, explains the reasoning behind decisions, and works toward practical outcomes.
• Change Adaptability: Remains open to new processes, systems, feedback, and ways of working while maintaining accuracy and productivity.

Candidates must successfully complete and pass any required testing.

Compensation Range

Pay Range - Start:
$60,880.00
Pay Range - End:
$91,320.00

Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do.

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

Skills

• Reasoning
• Client Application Data Evaluation (NM)
• Customer Support (NM)
• Communication Curation (NM)
• Customer Centricity (NM)
• Insurance Acumen (NM)
• Learning Agility (NM) - Intermediate (Inactive)
• Change Adaptability (NM)
• Underwriting Practices (NM)
• Decision Making (NM)
• Collaborative Negotiation (NM)
• Information Gathering
• Underwriting Ecosystem (NM)
• Attention to Detail (NM)
• Adaptive Communication (NM)
• Consulting (NM)
• Mortality, Morbidity, & Risk Analysis (NM)

We’re excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups