Underwriting Manager

Badger & Bird Talent; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 200 000; Full time

Job summary

A professional services firm in Johannesburg is seeking an Underwriting Manager to lead a team and manage complex property and asset risks. This role requires a proven track record in underwriting, strong negotiation skills, and a valid RE5 certification. The ideal candidate will transform the underwriting function into a client-focused unit, ensuring optimal risk solutions for large asset portfolios. National travel is part of the responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Proven track record in building and scaling technical underwriting teams.
• Experience in managing complex property and asset risk placements.
• Certificate RE5 is required.

Responsibilities

• Architect the firm's strategy for complex property and asset accounts.
• Lead and mentor the underwriting team to improve analytical rigor.
• Lead face-to-face negotiations with key clients and insurers.
• Act as the primary technical authority on property risk structures.
• Support client acquisition with advanced technical solutions.

Skills

Technical underwriting expertise

Negotiation skills

Analytical thinking

Client relationship management

Team leadership

Education

RE5 certification

Relevant university degree or advanced insurance diploma

Job description

Opportunity

Join to apply for the Underwriting Manager role at Badger & Bird Talent

Position Overview

As the Underwriting Manager, you will be the firm's senior technical expert, responsible for the strategic placement of the most significant and complex risks, particularly in the property and asset classes.

You will take an existing team and transform it into a commercially astute, client-facing unit.

Your mandate is to design the strategies, foster market relationships, and instil the analytical rigour required to structure optimal risk solutions for large, complex clients with major asset portfolios (often in the hundreds of billions), navigating protracted engagement cycles that can last up to 12 months.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect the firm's technical broking and market placement strategy for complex property and asset accounts, ensuring optimal terms and coverage for the largest clients.
• Lead, mentor and restructure the underwriting team, embedding a culture of deep critical analysis and a consultative, Account Executive-style approach.
• Personally lead high-stakes, face-to-face negotiations with insurer markets and key clients.
• Act as the lead technical presenter in engagements with C-suite executives, boards of state-owned enterprises, unions and central banks.
• Serve as the ultimate technical authority on complex property risk structures, including reinsurance, self-insurance and aggregate funds.
• Drive the growth of the business by providing sophisticated technical support throughout complex and lengthy client acquisition processes.

Essential Requirements

• A demonstrable track record of having previously built, restructured and scaled a high-performance technical underwriting / broking function.
• Deep experience gained within a major insurance brokerage is non-negotiable.
• Extensive short-term commercial insurance experience, with a specific focus on underwriting and structuring solutions for large-scale property and asset portfolios for complex corporate and public-sector clients.
• Verifiable expertise in property risk placement involving reinsurance, self-insurance and other complex risk financing structures.
• A valid RE5 certification is mandatory.

Highly Advantageous

• A valid RE1 certification.
• A relevant university degree or advanced insurance diploma.

Logistics

This role is based at our Johannesburg head office but will require national travel to meet with clients and insurers.

Seniority level

Not Applicable

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Finance and Sales

Industries

Professional Services