Vice President, Underwriting

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in Boston seeks a Vice President of Underwriting to lead a 60‑person team and align underwriting with strategic goals. You will develop and maintain underwriting guidelines, set pricing models, collaborate with actuarial, treasury, and sales, and drive risk management while mentoring leaders across the organization.

You will drive underwriting strategy, ensure regulatory compliance, and partner with cross‑functional leaders to support growth and optimal

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in healthcare, business, math or statistics.
• 10+ years underwriting experience with leadership roles.
• Deep expertise in health insurance underwriting – medical, pharma and stop loss.
• Strong analytical skills with underwriting tools and data analysis.
• Agile and fast-paced environment capable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee underwriting for individual and group health plans.
• Review complex medical applications and assess risk factors for coverage and premium.
• Ensure adherence to state and federal underwriting regulations.
• Conduct audits to maintain underwriting quality and accuracy.
• Monitor industry trends and adapt underwriting practices to regulations.
• Collaborate with actuarial teams to assess risk and pricing.
• Partner with sales to provide underwriting support for growth initiatives.

Skills

Underwriting leadership

Healthcare underwriting

Team management

Risk management

Pricing strategy

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Role Overview

Ready to help us transform healthcare? Bring your true colours to blue. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Underwriting will lead and oversee the underwriting function, ensuring strategic alignment with business goals and risk management objectives. The successful candidate will be a results‑oriented leader who can effectively lead underwriting teams to strategically support and manage risk effectively, develop and maintain underwriting guidelines, policies and procedures, and establish pricing models and methodologies based on risk assessment and market conditions. The successful candidate, who will lead a 60‑person team, will have proven experience in recruiting, managing, and mentoring highly effective, innovative and collaborative teams. The successful candidate will work closely and collaboratively with the Chief Financial Officer and key peer stakeholders across actuarial, treasury, finance, sales and legal departments to optimize risk selection and policy pricing strategies, while serving a wide range of internal clients including the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the executive team, business and functional unit leaders. This role requires a dynamic leader with proven expertise in underwriting strategy, team leadership and collaboration across organizational levels. This full-time role is eligible for our FLEX persona and candidates are expected to be in our Boston or Hingham office location on Tuesday and Wednesday each week at minimum.

Key Accountabilities for the role include:

• Lead and oversee the underwriting process for individual and group health plans
• Review complex medical applications, analyzing medical history, and assessing risk factors to determine coverage eligibility and premium levels
• Ensure adherence to all state and federal regulation requirements regarding health insurance underwriting
• Conduct and monitor audits to maintain underwriting quality and accuracy
• Monitor industry trends and adapt underwriting practices to evolving regulations
• Identify and address potential compliance issues
• Partner closely with actuarial teams to assess risk and establish competitive pricing
• Collaborate with sales teams to provide underwriting support that address customer needs and support growth initiatives
• Communicate underwriting decisions effectively to brokers and policyholders

Key Competencies:

• Shaping strategy: Ability to develop, manage and implement thoughtful underwriting strategies to achieve business goals, with a proven track record of providing strategic analysis and counsel to executive leaders in complex environments.
• Execution-oriented: Demonstrated ability to execute effectively for high-impact and demonstrated outcomes.
• Leading teams: Strong track record of leading, managing, and inspiring teams, including recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent.
• Influencing collaboratively: Exceptional ability to influence and engage internal and external stakeholders.

This document is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. Employees may be required to perform other job‑related duties.

What you Bring:

• Strong commitment to the Company’s mission and values
• Strong attention to detail and ability to deliver high-quality results
• “Player‑coach” mindset, with the ability to balance strategic leadership with hands‑on support
• Strong interpersonal skills to build healthy, collaborative, and trusting relationships across the Company.
• Self‑motivated problem‑solver and a curious thinker
• Strong executive presence with excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Education & Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required (healthcare, business, mathematics or statistics preferred)
• 10+ years in underwriting experience, with significant leadership roles
• Deep expertise in health insurance underwriting principles and practices – particularly in medical, pharma and stop loss (FI and ASC)
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in underwriting tools and data analysis
• Proven success in leading high‑performing teams in dynamic environments
• Agile and nimble with an ability to thrive in a fast‑paced environment and meet deadlines
• Healthcare experience is required

The Organization At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com), our mission is to show up for everyone like they’re the only one. Our 4,000 associates deliver on that mission every day, guiding members to the exceptional care they deserve – affordably, equitably, and seamlessly.

Our vibrant culture is built on five core values: Be the Example, Be Kind, Be Curious, Be Courageous, and Be Community Focused, Always. We’re proud to have an inclusive culture where all associates feel valued, respected and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives, across all levels of the organization.

We’ve been recognized by Forbes and U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Employers.”

Headquartered in Boston for more than 87 years and managing approximately $10.3+ billion revenue from 2025, we’re a not‑for‑profit health plan that is committed to supporting our employer customers, community and more than three million members in Massachusetts and across the country.

We develop market‑leading benefit plans (medical, pharmacy, dental and vision) and key partnerships to help improve the affordability, accessibility and quality of care for every member.

In 2024, we were named one of the top health care plans in the nation by NCQA for quality and member experience.

We’re rated No. 1 among Massachusetts health plans by JD Power.

We innovate and lead the way on the most important issues in health care, including health equity, mental health, women’s health, and value‑based care.

We’re also one of the first plans in the nation to introduce pay‑for‑equity contracts to measure and improve equity outcomes, engaging every major health care organization in Massachusetts.

We’ve been recognized as one of the 50 most community‑minded companies in the nation by the Points Of Light Foundation for six years in a row and as the national “Health Care Sector Leader” in 2025.

We and our foundation invest more than $12 million annually in financial grants, volunteer hours, and in‑kind support to more than 460 non‑profits across our state.

Through our partnerships with civic and community leaders, we focus on overcoming immediate barriers to physical, mental, and emotional wellness, while working to dismantle their root causes.

We’re proud to support our employees’ engagement in the community as well.

In 2024, 85% of our employees participated in our corporate volunteering, contributing over 22,000 volunteer hours in support of nonprofit partners across Massachusetts.

Minimum Education Requirements: High school degree or equivalent required unless otherwise noted above

Location Boston

Time Type Full time

The job posting range is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue‑based metrics, and business or organizational needs and affordability. This job is also eligible for variable pay. We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and a suite of well‑being benefits to eligible employees.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company’s sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is an Equal Employment Employer - veterans/disability. Applicants are considered for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts's legal duty to furnish information.