Team Manager: Underwriting

Sanlam; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 750,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance provider in Johannesburg is seeking a Team Manager: Underwriting. This role involves preparing reports, managing workflows, and leading the Underwriting team. Candidates should have strong technical expertise in underwriting, proven management experience, and a commitment to fostering a learning culture. This position provides an excellent opportunity for professionals driven by performance and client satisfaction.

Benefits

Diversity and inclusion commitment

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Five years’ experience working in an underwriting department.
• Proven experience managing a department of people.
• Thorough technical, product, and wording knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Preparation of BLO and Retention daily reports.
• Monitor quality of work and provide coaching.
• Manage the delivery of KPA requirements.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Excellent interpersonal skills

Negotiation skills

Flexibility

Planning and organizing

Solution oriented

Education

Grade 12 (Matric Certificate)

Higher Certificate in Insurance

Tools

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

This career opportunity is available at Personal Lines Contact Centre: Underwriting for the Team Manager: Underwriting, who will be based in Park Town.

What will you do?

• Preparation of BLO and Retention daily, weekly and monthly reports.
• Allocation of work and management of workflow for all the BLO and Retention departments.
• Reviewing and authorising the renewal of recommendations proposed by the department.
• Monitor quality of work produced and provide leadership/coaching where necessary to encourage learning and decision-making.
• Managing the delivery of all KPA requirements in line with set standard operating procedures and service level agreements.
• On-going enhancement of the existing processes in the BLO and Retention departments by adapting and responding to changes in the environment and recommendations from external and internal sources.
• Planning and organising in order to manage other ad-hoc day-to-day operations, processes and department outputs.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders and within the departments directly reporting into this role.
• Implementing profitability whilst managing intermediaries’ activities on external systems – ability to influence and get buy-in.
• Dealing with staff issues and resource optimisation,including building technical expertise to deliver on KRAs.
• Communication skills, (understanding, speaking and writing of English and Afrikaans).
• Ability to perform under pressure and maintain a resilient approach despite setbacks.
• Inherent ability to Live the Santam Values.

What will make you successful in this role?

• This role will be expected to support the PLCC, COE and Broker services in terms of Team Manager duties for the Retention and Broker Liaison Officer departments.
• The position calls for a person who will provide strong technical underwriting expertise and mentoring to assist the BLO and Retention departments operationally and to embed and enhance retention and client experience processes that support the models overall profitability strategies.
• The successful candidate will be responsible for managing department performance and requires the incumbent to embrace and encourage a culture of learning and growing.
• Internal stakeholders:
  • Networking, consulting, joint projects, collaboration with:
    • Broker Services
    • Heads
    • Regional Managers
    • Technical Managers
    • Relationship Managers
  • COE/CU Technical Managers
  • HO Underwriting
  • IT
  • HR
  • Sanlam specialist areas, example WFM
• External stakeholders:
  • Engaging with, providing service for:
    • Intermediaries
• Ensuring daily service and quality levels are maintained. This includes inter alia the BAU activities of performance management, individual and team productivity, quality assurance, rework, retention of business queues and violations management.
• Leading and managing the BLO escalation channel and Retention departments including all associated activities
• Collaborating closely with the PLCC Team Managers to ensure service levels and operational efficiencies are achieved for the PLCC.
• Collaborating closely with all stakeholders in Broker Services, Governance teams and to ensure needs and requirements are met, and the strategies to grow the Business are full supported.
• Actively managing the relationship with Brokers/Intermediaries on an ongoing basis to ensure gaps in service delivery are observed and corrected. This includes being available for brokers on matters which are escalated to management.
• Adhering to a set of SOPs (high complexity) which is the framework within which the BLO and Retention activities are delivered.

Qualification and Experience

• Proven experience managing a department of people.
• Five years’ experience working in an underwriting department (Senior Underwriter or similar management role).
• Assessing risks, determining pricing and terms across all classes of Personal insurance.
• Grade 12 (Matric Certificate) qualifications with acceptable pass mark.
• Higher Certificate in Insurance or equivalent.
• Regulatory Examinations (RE) with full qualification.
• Computer literacy (MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint – intermediated proficiency levels) FAIS compliance is a business requirement.
• Thorough technical, product and wording knowledge.

Knowledge and Skills

• Analytical thinking - ability to analyse and apply information and data.
• Appreciation of insurance and underwriting principles.
• Business partnerships.
• Commercial and profit driven.
• Conceptual thinking.
• Curious about new developments and technologies and application to risk
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Execution and deadline oriented.
• Flexibility.
• Good communication skills (verbal and written).
• Hunger for improvement.
• Impact & Influence.
• Information seeking.
• Innovation - innovative flair or ability to unlock this in business and people.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Negotiation skills.
• Planning and organising - ability to cope with conflicting demands and to prioritize tasks.
• Presentation skills.
• Solution oriented.
• Team work and cooperation.
• Tenacity.
• Self-Confidence

Personal Attributes

• Delivering results and meeting customer expectations
• Relating and networking
• Analysing
• Applying expertise and technology
• Achieving personal work goals and objective

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth.

Santam is committed to diversity, inclusion, and belonging. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities.