Underwriting Manager - P&C SME - UK Wide

Posted: 07 June 2024

Job description

We are very pleased to be working with this very reputable and professional insurance company who is seeking an experienced SME Underwriting Manager. You could be based anywhere in the UK, where you can work either fully remote of hybrid, or plug in to one of their many regional offices located throughout England.

This is a newly created role, and it is a fantastic opportunity where the company fully support career development/progression within, and there would be a great deal of autonomy in managing your time effectively.

What Is the Opportunity?

• Business Insurance (BI) SME provides Property and Casualty insurance for Small to Medium sized businesses through our Broker networks and deals with high volume eTrade Insurance.
• We’re looking for an Underwriting Manager to manage the SME portfolio, and partner with brokers to provide insurance solutions to customers. In this role you will analyse and evaluate risk to achieve business goals, helping shape, form, and execute strategic initiatives.
• Using your technical expertise in etrade or digital underwriting, you will ensure the Underwriting decisions and standards are implemented and maintained across the SME portfolio.
• We are looking for a decisive and detail-oriented person to build relationships internally and externally and negotiate terms to drive results. Your ability to independently analyse a portfolio, negotiate terms, and sell our products in challenging markets will contribute to the sustainable profitability and success of the company.

What Will You Do?

Be Committed, Be Connected, Be Creative and Be Energised – these are the values they are passionate about.

• Work with product development on coverage analysis in new or optimisation of products to be market relevant and in line with their underwriting strategy.
• Provide UW guidance for referral handling within the team – what info to collect, risk management approaches to use.
• Identify and take corrective action based on portfolio analysis across SME, ensuring rules are working as expected and that any knowledge or behavioural gaps are addressed through communication, coaching  and training.  
• Manage the profitability, growth, and retention across the portfolio ensuring the underwriting quality is maintained. 
• Proactively manages SME portfolio, ensuring key performance indicators are consistently achieved and you actively target new business and retention.
• Identify and capture opportunities to write additional lines of business using knowledge of products, risk characteristics and appetite.
• Prepare, lead and present Underwriting Reviews for individual policies or portfolios/schemes and manage action points.
• Develop and rollout UW training material to support SME product trading as a result of new products, product optimisation, UW strategies developed with the product portfolio owner and national UW officers.
• Support and collaboration across SME, providing coaching and guidance, including referrals.

What Will the Ideal Candidate Have?

• Knowledge: Expert knowledge of products, the regulatory environment, and the local insurance market.
• Portfolio Management: Ability to execute strategic direction across assigned portfolio in partnership with leadership.
• Analytical/Critical thinking: Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to underwrite, market products, identify financial challenges, and analyse available information to make decisions in alignment with our risk appetite.
• Communication/Influence: Excellent communication skills with the ability to successfully negotiate in difficult situations with brokers.
• Inclusion:
• Ability to work with and lead people from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, races, etc. and views those differences as assets to be leveraged to accomplish business goals and objectives.
• Leadership: Experience coaching and mentoring others.

They would also consider candidates wishing to make the next step up (Maybe a Senior SME Underwriter), so if you have a pro-active approach and willingness to succeed this could be the ideal career move.

Dependent on experience (area you, the basic salary is from £85K to £100K (Possibly more) with excellent additional benefits such as, PMI, Bonus, Pension, and a generous holiday entitlement.

If you would like to find out more regarding this opportunity, please contact Andy Baker on 07834 596414/0113 4931720, or email andy@cryerbaker.co.uk