Commercial Underwriting Specialist (JHB)

Sanlam Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 800 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in South Africa is seeking a Commercial Underwriting Specialist to provide technical expertise and mentor the underwriting team. This role involves assessing complex risks, drafting policy documents, and ensuring compliance with underwriting mandates. Candidates should have 6-8 years of experience in Commercial Technical Underwriting and relevant qualifications. Join a dynamic team dedicated to enhancing client outcomes and achieving strategic goals.

Qualifications

• 6-8 years of experience in Commercial Technical Underwriting.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced technical underwriting expertise and mentor the COE Underwriting team.
• Assess complex or referred risks ensuring compliance with risk mandates.
• Assist in drafting technical policy wordings and handling reinsurance.
• Prepare and analyze operational and underwriting reports.

Skills

Analytical Thinking

Brand Knowledge

Business acumen

Decision making

Strategic awareness

Planning & Organising

Process Orientation

Performance focus

Coaching & Developing Others

Education

NQF Level 6 Qualification in Insurance Studies or equivalent

BCom

Completed RE1/5 certification

Job description

Commercial Underwriting Specialist (JHB)

Location: Sandton, Gauteng, ZA

The role

An exciting permanent opportunity has become available within Santam Client Solutions for a Commercial Underwriting Specialist to join the team. The successful incumbent will be based at our offices in Alice Lane, Gauteng.

What will you do?

The Commercial Underwriting Specialist role will exist to provide advanced technical underwriting expertise and mentor the COE Underwriting team. The role is responsible for coaching and developing team members, managing workflow and quality assurance, and handling complex or referred risks requiring specialist knowledge. Through effective technical guidance, operational oversight, and collaboration with internal stakeholders, the role enhances underwriting accuracy, team capability, service delivery, and overall operational efficiency, contributing directly to improved client outcomes and the achievement of Santam’s strategic objectives.

What will make you successful in this role?

• Coach and support Underwriting Consultants to ensure high-quality underwriting decisions and optimal team performance.
• Assess and approve complex or referred risks, ensuring compliance with Santam’s risk appetite and underwriting mandates.
• Assist in drafting technical policy wordings, underwriting manuals, and handling reinsurance.
• Prepare, review, and analyze operational and underwriting reports to monitor performance, quality, and risk exposure.
• Adhere to service-level agreements, and assist with efficient team operations.
• Stakeholder Collaboration & Escalation Management – Liaise with Contact centres, Claims, QA, Technical, HO, Assessors, and Forensics to resolve queries and escalations and ensure smooth business operations.

Qualification and Experience

• NQF Level 6 Qualification in Insurance Studies or equivalent
• BCom would be advantageous
• Completed RE1/5 certification is highly advantageous
• 6-8 years of experience in Commercial Technical Underwriting

Knowledge and skills

• Analytical Thinking
• Brand Knowledge
• Business acumen
• Decision making
• Strategic awareness
• Planning & Organising
• Process Orientation
• Performance focus
• Coaching & Developing Others

Personal Attributes

• Drives results
• Cultivates innovation

Who are we

Santam is the market leader in the general insurance industry in Southern Africa. We are a large, diversified, expanding and transforming company and whilst based in South Africa, we are rapidly moving into a number of emerging markets, both in Africa and Asia.

Our success is rooted in our passion for our clients and everything we do is centered on delivering our clients’ freedom from worry. We’re about people. People drive our business so it follows that we want to recruit the best people possible whether they work for us permanently or for a short time as temporary employees.

At Santam we are committed to transformation and embracing diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse workplace with employment equity as a key goal to create an inclusive workforce, representative of the demographics of our society. In achieving our employment equity goals we give preference to applicants from the designated groups in alignment with the Divisions Employment Equity targets.