Strategic Product Underwriting Leader

firstrand; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

FirstRand seeks a Product Underwriting Business Owner to own and evolve underwriting strategy across FNB Life's product portfolio. Reporting to the Product Pricing and Analytics Head, you will translate insights into action to ensure shareholder value and exceptional client outcomes.

You will define underwriting policy, oversee guidelines, and monitor performance while collaborating with pricing, analytics, and IT teams to drive efficient processes and strong risk management.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualification: University degree
• Preferred qualification: Actuarial Science, Data Science, Engineering or similar
• Experience: 3-4 years in product, pricing or data analysis in Life insurance preferred
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with data analytics techniques; clear communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment

Responsibilities

• Define underwriting policy and strategy for life insurance products to maximise client and shareholder outcomes
• Oversee development and maintenance of underwriting guidelines, rating classes, medical/non-medical underwriting rules
• Monitor underwriting performance: decline rates, experience vs expectations, rejections, lapses, outcomes
• Translate data into insights for decision-making and track performance over time
• Collaborate with actuarial pricing and experience investigations teams to feedback into strategy
• Design underwriting processes that are efficient, fair, and customer-friendly with controls
• Manage underwriting risk (fraud, adverse selection, medical risk) with proper documentation
• Contribute to business planning: volume forecasts, pricing setting, capital requirements, cost of underwriting
• Consult with analytics team to drive models that enhance underwriting outcomes
• Drive changes with IT underwriting business lead

Skills

Strategic thinking

Underwriting policy

Data analytics

Leadership

Education

University degree

Actuarial Science

Tools

Excel

Job description

FirstRand seeks a Product Underwriting Business Owner to own and evolve underwriting strategy across FNB Life's product portfolio. Reporting to the Product Pricing and Analytics Head, you will translate insights into action to ensure shareholder value and exceptional client outcomes.

You will define underwriting policy, oversee guidelines, and monitor performance while collaborating with pricing, analytics, and IT teams to drive efficient processes and strong risk management.