Chief Underwriting Officer

Old Mutual Insure Limited; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Old Mutual Insure Limited invites a seasoned leader to head the Lead Specialty underwriting function. The role focuses on establishing practical underwriting standards, controls and capabilities to deliver sustainable risk-adjusted returns.

You will guide executive business-line leaders with objective technical challenge, while preserving accountability for commercial outcomes. Responsibilities include developing and maintaining underwriting philosophy, policies, and delegated authorities;

Qualifications

• Extensive non-life underwriting experience, 12+ years, including commercial or specialist risks.
• At least 5 years leading technical underwriting teams.
• Ability to provide technical challenge to business leaders while maintaining commercial accountability.

Responsibilities

• Establish underwriting standards, controls and capabilities for sustainable risk-adjusted returns.
• Develop and maintain underwriting policies, delegated authorities and referral framework.
• Oversee pricing adequacy, portfolio performance and risk-selection quality with actuarial teams.
• Ensure governance, compliance and delegated authority limits are met.
• Represent Specialty underwriting in Group reinsurance design and programme decisions.
• Set technical requirements for underwriting tools and data quality.

Skills

Underwriting leadership

Technical underwriting

Pricing strategy

Risk analysis

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Degree in Insurance/Actuarial/Finance

Tools

Underwriting tools

Data analytics

Risk modelling

Job description

Let's Write Africa's Story Together! Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Lead Specialty’s technical underwriting function

establishing practical underwriting standards, controls and capabilities that support sustainable risk-adjusted returns. Provide objective technical challenge to business-line leaders without displacing their accountability for commercial execution and results.

Underwriting strategy, policies and mandates

Develop and maintain the Specialty underwriting philosophy, policies, class guidelines, delegated authorities and underwriting referral framework within Group standards. Review and authorise technical guidelines, underwriting mandates, rating tools and material product underwriting terms in line with agreed delegations. Translate business appetite into commercially usable risk parameters, minimum underwriting hurdles and disciplined exceptions processes.

Pricing adequacy and portfolio performance

Oversee technical pricing methodologies, portfolio profitability reviews, rate adequacy and risk-selection quality in collaboration with actuarial and business-line teams. Track changes in loss cost, rate achievement, attritional and large-loss performance, concentrations and emerging exposures; propose timely technical interventions. Lead technical portfolio reviews, quality assurance and peer challenge while requiring business-line remediation where agreed hurdles are not met.

Technical governance and regulatory compliance

Maintain underwriting quality controls, documented decision-making, technical audit programmes and appropriate oversight of underwriting delegations. Provide technical assurance and challenge on binderholders, UMAs and other delegated underwriting arrangements, working with business-line owners and risk functions. Ensure underwriting practices comply with applicable insurance licences, regulatory requirements, approved policies and delegated authority limits.

Specialist reinsurance and capacity interface

Represent Specialty underwriting requirements in Group reinsurance design, renewal discussions, facultative referrals and exposure management. Contribute credible underwriting, risk engineering and accumulation information needed to assess retained risk and programme effectiveness. Work with the Group CUO and Reinsurance Officer, who retains ownership of Group reinsurance strategy, placement and programme decisions.

Automation, data and innovation

Set technical requirements for underwriting tools, product rules, data quality and automation; sponsor use cases that improve consistency and decision quality. Use data, exposure analytics, predictive insights and responsible AI to augment specialist underwriting judgement and strengthen monitoring. Support technical evaluation of new insurance products, markets and partnerships before they enter the portfolio.

Leadership, performance and resource stewardship

Build specialist underwriting talent, technical succession, communities of practice, coaching and professional development. Set objectives, report underwriting-quality performance, manage technical resources and deliver the function’s approved operating budget. Prepare clear technical recommendations and reporting for Specialty leadership, risk committees and relevant Group forums.

Authority and key interfaces

May refer, decline or stop underwriting outside approved technical limits; material disputes escape through the Specialty CE and Group CUO. Group CUO & Reinsurance Officer owns Group treaty and facultative reinsurance programme decisions. The Specialty CE retains overall business performance, leadership and capital allocation accountability. The role operates within approved OMI Group policies, risk appetite, delegations and control frameworks. Cross-functional priorities are resolved through agreed governance and escalation to the Specialty CE.

Required experience

Extensive non-life underwriting experience, 12+ years, including substantial experience in commercial or specialist risks and at least 5 years leading technical teams. Demonstrable authority in technical risk selection, underwriting governance, delegated authorities, pricing adequacy and complex portfolio analysis. Strong understanding of reinsurance economics, exposure management, claims drivers and the practical application of South African insurance regulation.

Qualifications and leadership capabilities

Relevant degree in insurance, actuarial science, finance, engineering, risk or a related discipline; advanced insurance designations or professional accreditation advantageous. Able to challenge senior commercial stakeholders constructively; sound judgement, financial literacy, integrity and effective communication.

Success measures

Underwriting quality, technical pricing and risk-selection adequacy. Effective delegated-authority governance, portfolio reviews and timely remediation. Technical capability development and data-supported underwriting decisions. Specific objectives, grading, delegations and reporting arrangements are subject to the approved OMI governance and organisational processes.

Skills

na Skills Accounting, Budget Management, Change Management, Data Compilation, Executing Plans, Financial Acumen, Legal Practices, Management Reporting, Numerical Aptitude, Policies & Procedures, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Risk Management, Servant Leadership, Underwriting Management Competencies Balances Stakeholders Builds Effective Teams Business Insight Communicates Effectively Ensures Accountability Financial Acumen Instills Trust Manages Ambiguity Education NQF Level 9 – Masters Closing Date 11 November 2026 , 23:59 The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

The Old Mutual Story!

Old Mutual is a premium African financial services organisation that offers a broad spectrum of financial solutions to retail and corporate customers across key market segments in 14 countries. The lines of business including Life and Savings, Property and Casualty, Asset Management and Banking and Lending. We are rooted in our purpose of Championing Mutually Positive Futures Every Day and believe that a great customer experience is anchored in a great employee experience.