Senior Specialist Agricultural Technical Underwriting

Old Mutual; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 500,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

Old Mutual is seeking an experienced Agricultural Lines Underwriter to provide technical underwriting expertise with a focus on growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction. The role requires a diploma in general insurance and a strong background in agricultural asset insurance, with 8-10 years of relevant experience. Responsibilities include risk evaluation, market monitoring, and ensuring compliance with underwriting guidelines. Join us in advancing our Agricultural insurance products.

Benefits

Comprehensive health benefits

Retirement savings plan

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of the agricultural sector and risks.
• Minimum 8 to 10 years experience in agricultural insurance.
• Fluent in English and Afrikaans.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and select risks for new and renewal business.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to enhance product offerings.
• Monitor compliance with underwriting guidelines.

Skills

Action Planning

Insurance Product Management

Risk Management

Underwriting Management

Communication

Data Controls

Numerical Aptitude

Education

NQF Level 7 - Degree or equivalent

Tools

Policy Administration System (PAS)

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.

Job Description

Minimum experience, knowledge & skills required

• Diploma and/or equivalent NQF Level 6 qualification in general insurance.
• Must have a strong knowledge and understanding of the agricultural sector, the different agricultural risks, liability exposures, equipment, machinery, and farming segments, and worked in an agricultural asset insurance environment in the operations and underwriting space for a minimum of 8 to 10 years.
• Having claims experience and technical knowledge in the agricultural asset insurance environment will be an advantage.
• Policy Administration System (PAS) and product structure experience will be an advantage.
• English and Afrikaans proficient (read, write and speak).

Provide Agricultural Lines technical underwriting expertise (excl. Agriwine) with a clear focus on growth, product enhancements, profitability, efficiency and customer satisfaction. Determine, implement and monitor the effectiveness of the Agricultural Lines products set in line with the company risk appetite and business strategy. Responsible for risk evaluation and selection/rejection of new and renewal business to ensure profitability across all assigned accounts within the portfolio. Responsibilities

Responsible for risk evaluation and selection/rejection of new and renewal business to ensure profitability.

• Perform risk evaluation on new and renewal business (excl. Agriwine) using tools to support the underwriting framework including product wording, risk acceptance and risk classification criteria, underwriting rules & guidelines, industry and occupational classifications, retention limits, survey standards guide experience information (e.g. premium, claims, reserves, and rate history and average exposure) for all assigned accounts.
• Monitors the Agricultural Lines market conditions, competitive landscape regulatory and technological changes.
• Provides feedback on complaints via various internal and external sources to ensure the product offering remains relevant and competitive.
• Set and manage the underwriting framework and guidelines (excl. Agriwine) in line with business strategy and implement into the various Third-Party Service Provider policy administration systems.
• Define underwriting compliance metrics (excl. Agriwine), monitor and track compliance to underwriting guidelines and make recommendations to senior management to mitigate any risks identified.
• Collaborate with business to facilitate the process of product procurement approvals, on-boarding and launch to market.
• Assist business with the relevant onboarding, due diligence and compliance requirements of Agricultural Lines business (excl. Agriwine).
• Approve above mandate referrals by combining research outcomes, experience, intuition and commercial / business acumen to fully understand the risk and the impact of the referral.
• Collaborate with the business to facilitate the process of product procurement approvals, on-boarding and launch to market (where applicable).

Provide technical underwriting expertise with a clear focus on growth, profitability, efficiency and customer satisfaction

• Review/maintain/enhance the Agricultural product sets:
  • Product wordings
  • Product schedules
  • Product specifications
  • Structure and product benefits and excess changes, etc. (with analytics, and market insights)
  • Underwriting acceptance guidelines
  • Underwriting mandate structures
  • Product changes
  • Product documentation/content to customers
  • Off platform product wordings, schedules, limits and excesses sign off
  • Monitor exposures/overexposures
  • Technical underwriting tools improvement
• OML-OMI Product approval policy compliance.
• Provide training to the larger underwriting teams working in the business environment on Agricultural products (excl. Agriwine), changes, upgrades, limitations, etc. Assist with training with all stakeholders, internal and external.
• Approve above AgriPlus (not Agri Wine) mandate referrals by combining research outcomes, experience, intuition and business acumen to fully understand the risk and the impact of the referral.

Continuous improvement to ensure effective service

• Ensure statutory and legislative knowledge is always current to resolve customer complaints, to advise the business on corrective solutions to mitigate risks and to improve the customer experience whilst complying with governance requirements.
• Ensure adherence to organisational policies, practices and procedures.
• Identify solutions to enhance cost effectiveness and increase operational efficiency

Service delivery to ensure customer satisfaction

• Maintain and manage service, quality and desired outputs within a specific functional process through ensuring compliance to AgriPlus (not Agri Wine) policies, procedures and standards.
• Establish productive operational relationships with key stakeholders in the various channels and administrative teams.
• Develop work routines in line with operational plans / schedules to manage achievement of service delivery goals.
• Share knowledge on, and participate in the creation of new standards, control systems and procedures to maintain service delivery.
• Collaborate, develop and maintain the referral framework for queries emanating from the Office of the Internal Ombud Office, National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa (NFO) and Claims.

Cost control and governance adherence

• Proactively ensure use of time, of resources, money, materials or equipment is in line with policies and procedures.
• Comply with corporate governance policies, procedures and standards.
• Operate within agreed mandates.

Quality people practices

• Align own behaviour with the organisation culture and values.
• Share and transfer product, process and systems knowledge to colleagues and all relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure achievement of own performance objectives.
• Actively share information with other team members regarding successes, issues, trends and ideas.
• Actively participate in own professional development and career path.
• Actively promote a culture of learning and high-performance culture amongst team members in an Agile business environment.

Minimum experience, knowledge & skills required

• Diploma and/or equivalent NQF Level 6 qualification in general insurance.

Minimum requirements:

• Must have a strong knowledge and understanding of the agricultural sector, the different agricultural risks, liability exposures, equipment, machinery, and farming segments, and worked in an agricultural asset insurance environment in the operations and underwriting space for a minimum of 8 to 10 years.
• Having claims experience and technical knowledge in the agricultural asset insurance environment will be an advantage.
• Policy Administration System (PAS) and product structure experience will be an advantage.
• English and Afrikaans proficient (read, write and speak).

Competency Descriptors

• Customer: Putting the customer at the heart of business decisions and driving to improve value for customers.
• Collaboration: Creates trust, respect and builds meaningful relationships. Able to handle a wide range of relational challenges to ensure collaboration across boundaries.
• Leading with Influence: Influences and rallies people behind common goals; actively supports growth and inspires others to exceed expectations. Communicates clear strategies and objectives for own function.
• Innovation: Generates creative/out of the box solutions. Challenges the status quo and/or demonstrates ability to relate to challenges from a range of diverse but relevant perspectives. Willing to take calculated risks when introducing novel ideas.
• Personal Mastery: Learns and actively works to build self-awareness; develop through experience and feedback from others. Copes effectively with stress and has the resilience to take on stretching and challenging assignments. Adjusts effectively to work within new work structures; processes; requirements and cultures.
• Executing: Displays consistent energy, drive and perseverance to deliver results. Demonstrates a willingness to take calculated risks to achieve stretch performance goals.

Skills

Action Planning, Computer Literacy, Data Compilation, Data Controls, Default Risk, Insurance Product Management, Insurance Sales, Legal Practices, Management Reporting, Numerical Aptitude, Oral Communications, Professional Presentation, Risk Based Pricing, Risk Management, Underwriting Management

Competencies

Action Oriented Business Insight Communicates Effectively Decision Quality Financial Acumen Instills Trust Manages Complexity Optimizes Work Processes

Education

NQF Level 7 - Degree, Advance Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate or equivalent

Closing Date

13 June 2025 , 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!