Head of Product Underwriting (Insurance) Johannesburg, Gauteng
Salary: R1 300 000.00 - R1 800 000.00 CTC pa
Job Description: Our client is a leading commercial risk specialist in Southern Africa dedicated to proactive risk management and superior customer service. With deep industry insights and expert knowledge, we partner with customers and brokers to safeguard their businesses and enhance their risk profiles across the continent.
This role reports to the Chief Underwriting Officer and is responsible for product underwriting across the Company Distribution, Specialist Insurance, with some governance review support of Company Insurance Partners. The key responsibilities include:
Key Tasks and Accountabilities:Personal linesCommercial linesFlexifliteFarmersBody CorporateAccident and HealthLiabilityAsset All RisksCoordinate: Manage and report on Underwriting Quality and Product adherence, ensuring profitability targets are achieved throughout the portfolio.
Assist Distribution: Identify opportunities for growth within our risk appetite and profitability requirements.
Manage Underwriting delegation of authority to regions and others. Monitor and report on adherence to risk appetite across the portfolio.
Develop and implement product and underwriting enhancements.
Oversee the underwriting first line of defence governance function, including adherence to risk appetite, exception reporting, and accumulation monitoring.
Manage Company's Underwriting Operational Risk Register and the Underwriting Risk register and control framework.
Maintain and manage Company's Sasria relationship, including implementation and meeting operational requirements.
Develop, maintain, and implement Underwriting training and peer-to-peer reviews.
Co-ordinate Technical Underwriting Reviews for all the regions; ensuring these are done on an annual basis.
Drive to create efficiencies: Improve customer service and expand talent capability within the Risk Engineering Team.
Provide and consolidate key data on environment, market, competitor, business segments, products, and marketing activities.
Manage all Risk engineering functions, including setting risk surveying rules and management of the risk surveying team.
Identify new and additional Risk Engineering opportunities. Financial forecasting and budgeting for the area, with quarterly and monthly reporting as required.
Monitor, review, and drive service excellence in all aspects to all customers.
Relationships:Internal: Underwriting, Claims, Risk Management, Sales and Distribution.
External: Company Insurance Partners, Network of contacts within the industry, Participation in professional/industry groups.
Qualifications & Experience:Minimum: NQF Level 7, i.e. University degree.
Minimum 5 – 8 years' short-term insurance experience, including technical underwriting and policy wording.
Experience in providing underwriting advice to senior management.
5 or more years of general management experience.
Experience in project management is advantageous.
Behaviours:Demonstrate ability to collaborate effectively across functions and influence outside of own function.
Exhibit self-motivation and drive; take initiative without the need for approval.
Professional, enthusiastic, and positive attitude. Demonstrate a proactive mindset to help drive business and profitability initiatives.
Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Ability to manage a team of people to achieve the required performance outcomes.
Knowledge:Intermediate knowledge and awareness of economic trends, directions, and major issues as they impact underwriting context.
Proficient product knowledge: understanding how policy wording is born out in policy response and claims handling processes.
Proficient knowledge of the insurance industry's trends, directions, major issues, regulatory considerations, and trendsetters.
Knowledge, insight, and understanding of business concepts, tools, and processes for making sound decisions.
Knowledge of practices and policies governing disclosure of information about the organisation.
Technical Skills:Proficiency in English with at least one other language.
Strong communicator of technically complex concepts to various audiences.
Advanced knowledge of the policy underwriting life cycle. Intermediate knowledge and past exposure to enterprise underwriting strategy development and implementation.
Advanced knowledge of portfolio management and optimisation methods.
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