Senior Underwriting Research Analyst - Life Insurance

Sammons Financial Group Inc.; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 106,000 - 177,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Incentive program

ESOP and 401(k)

Fridays off

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Sammons Financial Group is seeking an experienced professional to lead underwriting research, driving development, analysis, and continuous improvement of underwriting strategies and workflow processes under the Director, Underwriting Research.

You will steer data-informed decisions using mortality data, influence automation, and collaborate across business, operations, and technology to align underwriting with efficiency and risk management.

Qualifications

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of underwriting strategies and workflows.
• Analyze mortality data and automation impact to guide decisions.
• Develop rules and automation using advanced analytics and visualization tools.
• Communicate complex findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Manage projects end-to-end, meeting established timelines.

Responsibilities

• Drive continuous improvement of underwriting workflows and streamline processes.
• Lead in-depth data analysis of underwriting opportunities and assess mortality trends.
• Identify trends and develop actionable recommendations using Tableau and Power BI.
• Lead design, evaluation, and refinement of traditional and automated underwriting rules.
• Translate research findings into actionable recommendations for business and technology partners.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Data analysis

Communication

Stakeholder management

Adaptability

Education

FALU designation in progress

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Excel

Job description

What You Can Expect In This Role

Lead the development, analysis, and continuous improvement of underwriting strategies, rules, and workflow processes at the direction of Director, Underwriting Research. Drive data-informed decision making through advanced research trend analysis, and cross-functional collaboration. Influence underwriting philosophy, enhance automation, and align mortality outcomes with operational efficiency.

What You’ll Do In This Role

• Drive continuous improvement of underwriting workflows, identifying opportunities to streamline processes.
• Lead in-depth data analysis of underwriting opportunities to assess mortality and process effectiveness trends; make recommendations that advance automation goals and align our underwriting approach with mortality results and efficiency goals.
• Identify trends and develop actionable recommendations to improves rules and processes using advanced data analytics and visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI.
• Lead the design, evaluations, and continuous refinement of traditional, accelerated, and automated underwriting rules.
• Conduct research projects related to new data sources. Leverage strong research skills to analyze tools that streamline and enhance the underwriting process.
• Translate complex research, analytics, or technical findings into actionable recommendations for business, operations, and technology partners. Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Serve as a senior resource in reviewing, enhancing, and documenting underwriting procedures, guidelines, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), including identifying training needs and supporting adoption of process changes.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on the creation and revision of application forms and the filing process.
• Lead or participate, as assigned, in reviewing strategic Underwriting opportunities for Sammons Financial Group Companies, including possible Underwriting niches.

What We’re Looking For

Possess excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously

Ability to effectively own projects from initiation through completion, and consistently meet established time deliverables

Strong and effective leadership, decision-making and motivational skills

Strong interpersonal skills for relationship building

Flexible and adaptable in navigating ambiguity, changing priorities, and shifting project priorities.

Excellent communication skills, including listening, oral, presentation and written

Strong analytical skills in assessing medical evidence, mortality data, underwriting outcomes, and process performance.

Able to effectively use Excel

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

designation or working toward completion of FALU required

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

May be required to travel to a company office or location other than your normal workplace for trainings, meetings, conferences or to support business needs.

Other Requirements

Criminal background check required.

Salary Range Information

USD $105,901.00 - USD $176,501.00 /Yr.

What you can expect when you join Sammons Financial Group

• Comprehensive health coverage for you and your family, including Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA & FSA options, and term life insurance.
• Competitive compensation with a performance-based incentive program tied to clear goals and individual and/or company success.
• Invest in your future with our 100% company-funded Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), plus automatic enrollment in our 401(k).
• Work–life balance that means something. Friday afternoons off year-round, generous paid time off, and paid holidays.
• Commit to your growth with paid development time, tuition reimbursement, and professional development opportunities across industry, individual, and leadership programs.
• Make an impact beyond the workplace through volunteer time off, and our company nonprofit matching gift program, supporting the causes that matter most to you.
• An ownership culture that inspires; join a connected, values-driven workplace where employees take accountability, support one another, and are empowered to do their best work—together shaping our future shared success.

Work Authorization/Sponsorship

At this time, we’re not considering candidates that need any type of immigration sponsorship now or in the future or those needing work authorization for this role (This includes, but is not limited to students on F1-OPT, F1-CPT, J-1, etc.)

Additional Information

Sammons Financial Group Is An Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

ADA Sammons Financial Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in all aspects of the employment process. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation at any stage of the application or hiring process, including navigating our website or applying for a position, please contact [e-mail] or call 800-728-2987.

E-Verify Sammons Financial Group participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

Policy for External Search Firms and Agencies Sammons Financial Group maintains an internal Talent Acquisition function and does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from search firms, staffing agencies, or other third-party recruiting vendors. Please review our Recruitment Agency Policy for additional information here.