Underwriting Large Case Specialist (Remote)

Guardian Life; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 181,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardian Life is seeking an Underwriting Large Case Specialist to serve as a senior technical expert in life underwriting. You will adjudicate complex, high-value cases, mentor peers, and guide decisions with deep reinsurance insight while partnering with field leadership and home office teams.

The role emphasizes adherence to guidelines, mortality/morbidity/product expectations, and the adoption of modern underwriting tools within remote work arrangements. Travel is limited.

Qualifications

• 15–20 years in individual life underwriting.
• Experience handling large, complex cases for high-net-worth applicants.
• Industry education (FALU, FLMI, etc.).
• Expertise in complex and high-dollar life underwriting, including reinsurance.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to mentor others.

Responsibilities

• Adjudicate the most complex and high-value cases within approval authority.
• Provide expert guidance on escalated cases and complex issues.
• Collaborate with field partners and home office to gather information and convey decisions.
• Build partnerships with distribution leaders to ensure alignment and service excellence.
• Apply deep reinsurance knowledge to assess treaty requirements and partner with underwriters.
• Mentor and train underwriters in advanced financial underwriting.
• Monitor industry trends to inform prudent decisions.

Skills

Large-case underwriting

Senior decision-making

Reinsurance knowledge

Underwriting technology

Communication & collaboration

Education

FALU/FLMI education

Job description

• Industry related education (FALU, FLMI, etc.)

Do you want to be the go-to expert for complex life underwriting decisions and help lead the departments understanding of complex financial underwriting? As the Underwriting Large Case Specialist you will serve as a senior technical expert within the Life Underwriting practice for Financial Protection and Retirement Solutions. You will apply specialized expertise to adjudicate the most complex cases, troubleshoot escalations, and guide peers in leveraging modern underwriting technologies. This role ensures competitive, customer-centric, and compliant underwriting practices while aligning with our values of We do the right thing, We believe people count, We courageously shape our future together, and We go above and beyond for the people we serve.

You are

The ideal candidate will be able to work autonomously and confidently, make underwriting decisions that provide the best offer within their assigned approval authority and protect mortality. They will also be able to transform conceptual thinking into competitive decisions that align with company philosophy and department guidelines.

You have

• Minimum of 15-20 years of experience in individual life underwriting
• Proven track record handling large and complex cases for high-net-worth applicants
• Industry related education (FALU, FLMI, etc.)
• Specialized depth and breadth of expertise in individual life underwriting, including authority on complex and high dollar cases.
• Demonstrated experience working within reinsurance frameworks, including interpreting treaty language, understanding retention limits, applying automatic and facultative reinsurance rules, and collaborating with reinsurance partners.
• Expertise reviewing complex financial statements, tax returns, etc.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies (Electronic Health Record (EHR), GenAI, wearable technology) and behavioral economics concepts.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, able to adapt precedent and develop innovative approaches.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of influencing peers and supporting leadership.

You will

• Serve as the large case underwriting and financial specialist, adjudicating the most complex and high-value cases, reviewing appeals, reference, reinsurance submissions, ensuring decisions align with underwriting guidelines, mortality, morbidity, and product expectations.
• Provide expert judgment and guidance on escalated cases, troubleshooting complex issues for all levels of staff and management.
• Communicate with field partners and home office personnel for the purpose of acquiring necessary information, solving problems, negotiating appeals, and conveying decisions in a polite, confident, and professional manner.
• Build and strengthen partnerships with distribution leaders, agencies, and field partners to ensure alignment and service excellence and understanding of adverse decisions.
• Apply deep reinsurance expertise to ensure appropriate use of automatic and facultative reinsurance, evaluate treaty requirements, and partner with reinsurance underwriters as needed.
• Serve as a trusted underwriting partner to Distribution and Field leadership, delivering clear guidance, responsive support, and consultative expertise to drive case placement, strengthen relationships, and ensure a seamless experience for producers and customers.
• Maintain deep knowledge of underwriting guidelines, risk assessment methodologies, and regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance and consistency.
• Champion the adoption and effective use of modern underwriting tools and platforms, ensuring integration into daily workflows.
• Mentor, train, and guide underwriters in advanced financial underwriting.
• Monitor industry trends and share insights to inform prudent business decisions.

Reporting Relationships

As our Underwriting Large Case Specialist, you will report to our Head of Underwriting Risk Management

Location

This position is a remote position.

Travel

Less than 10% Travel required for this position

Salary Range

$110,350.00 - $181,285.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian's Purpose - to inspire well-being - we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [e-mail]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian Life is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment-based visas (e.g., such as an H-1B). In order to be a successful applicant, you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship/support now or at any time in the future.

Notice Regarding Guardian's Use of Artificial Intelligence in Recruitment

As part of Guardian's job application process, Guardian may use artificial intelligence tools ('AI Tools') to automate the sorting and filtering of information provided by applicants as part of its preliminary screening. This preliminary screening may be used to help identify applicant materials and resumes relative to their indication that the applicant meets the requirements for the specific job for which they are applying, as specified in the listing posted on Guardian's jobs website (Careers at Guardian at https://www.guardianlife.com/careers). At Guardian, we do not use AI Tools to substantially assist or replace human judgment or discretionary decision making in our hiring process. All hiring decisions will be made by Guardian colleagues.

Please be aware that if you apply for a specific position with Guardian, you will have the choice of opting out of Guardian's use of AI Tools during the job application process. If you would like to request an alternative process that does not utilize AI Tools or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, within ten business days of your position application, you must email your request to [e-mail], making sure to provide your name and job requisition identification number. Guardian will retain your applicant materials and resume and all information therefrom in accordance with Guardian's document retention policy, a copy of which you may request via [e-mail].

Additionally, at applicable times, Guardian will make public the most recent bias audit results for such AI tools, which may be found here.