Manager, Underwriting

What You Can Expect In This Role

Ensure the Underwriting team is evaluating life insurance applications in a timely manner, applying guidelines to ensure fairness to the proposed insured, the agent and the company. Support, train, counsel and guide the underwriting staff in order to facilitate workflow and ensure consistent, fair and timely underwriting decisions. Stay abreast of industry best practices, regulatory guidelines, life underwriting tools and techniques, and fraud prevention, and apply critical thinking in daily operational and risk management decisions.

• Perform compliance review of larger complex cases in order to provide our agents with timely and fair underwriting decisions.
• On a daily basis, direct workflow among staff to ensure timely processing of all cases within the underwriting teams. Lead daily huddle boards and problem solve for peak workload days or unexpected challenges.
• Foster the professional and technical development of the Underwriters to empower them to more effectively execute and communicate full spectrum underwriting and meet key producer expectations.
• Establish guidelines and procedures to ensure understanding of and competency in Full Spectrum Underwriting in order to give Sammons Financial Group product lines underwriting a competitive advantage.
• Give direction, guidance and counsel to Underwriters on difficult unusual cases and escalations.
• Handle problem cases or situations with an Underwriter, Sales Support Team or Service Account Manager (SAM) when these problems or situations exceed the authority or expertise of the Underwriters.
• Collaborate with internal/external business partners and Distribution Partners to ensure timely, open communication about field matters to maintain good field relationships and to encourage additional sales of quality business; active participation in occasional field meetings. Provide coaching to Underwriters based upon feedback received from internal/external business partners and Sales Distribution Partners.
• Review Underwriting audits performed by Corporate Underwriting for each Underwriter’s performance to ensure consistency in decisions and appraise individual Underwriter growth and professionalism; perform additional or special audits, as circumstances require. Provide feedback and coaching to Underwriters based upon Audit results; take appropriate corrective action based upon internal audit performance guidelines.
• Complete evaluations and compensation level reviews based upon each Underwriter’s performance.
• Responsible for training and developing Underwriters on career development; handle Corrective Action situations; identify high potential Underwriters, mentor and groom for promotional opportunities; communicate developmental criteria and assist in creation and execution of each Underwriter’s action plan.
• Responsible conducting appropriate performance evaluations and TIP reviews; provide SMART goals with measurable milestones and action items; monitor in scheduled one on one’s.
• Approve vacation requests and monitor Underwriter absenteeism.
• Actively pursue professional growth through LOMA, ALU and CLU and promote staff participation to foster solid relationships between field organizations and the Executive Office.
• Keep abreast of current developments in risk selection, business administration, medicine, insurance law, claims decisions, competitors’ activity, mortality/morbidity trends and general socio-economic, political and military matters in order to advise management and staff of developments which need to be addressed in the underwriting and risk management process.
• Conduct regular underwriting meetings and coordinate subject assignments to ensure informative, effective and educational benefits to the underwriting staff.
• Execute compliant procedures for all departmental Operational Readiness; ensure consistent adherence to internal guidelines and controls by underwriting team.
• Execute, maintain, and ensure departmental compliance with Record Information Management (RIM) requirements.
• Conduct or direct the handling of issued cases referred for rescission consideration, contestable claim review and…