Underwriter: Financial Lines

What will you do?

We have an exciting opportunity for an Underwriter within our Financial Lines team based in Illovo, Sandton.

To provide specialist legal and underwriting knowledge in respect of the Financial Lines portfolio (which incorporates Directors and Officers, Crime and Civil Liability classes, including Commercial Crime, Trustees and Private Equity Management Liability insurance).

This position forms part of the Head Office Financial Lines Underwriting department alongside the Cyber portfolios.

The key activities of a Financial Lines Underwriter are:

• Examine insurance proposal for new and renewal business, gathering and assessing background and supporting information and providing views and analysis on the risk/account.
• Attending to conducting necessary research, evaluating and assessing the risk (including but not limited to coverage analysis, pricing and structure) and discussing/negotiating risks with the broker in order to effectively win or renew the risk.
• Evaluate possible risk and determine appropriate insurance premiums using underwriting tools and practices, underwriting information and own judgement and experience.
• Quote within designated authority levels and refer the account where necessary in accordance with company policy and technical guidelines.
• Monitor portfolio performance and ensure that renewals, new business, lost business and cancellative reserve are tracked and actioned.
• Set accurate, realistic premium forecasts and draft financial reporting as required in a timely manner to enable management to set budgets and monitor performance targets for your own portfolio of accounts and as a contribution to the team portfolio.
• Be able to confidently articulate technical messaging and deliver training, as and when necessary, internally as well as to brokers and clients.
• Accurately enter data into company systems/portals and produce management reports that ensure that the company remains aware of the nature and financial impact of all risks written for your own portfolio.
• Maintain accurate electronic records for auditing and regulatory purposes.
• Proactively participate in projects or other initiatives designed to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the department.
• Undertake any other reasonable tasks as requested by the Head or Manager in order that the team achieve its objectives.
• Adhere to and where possible, improve, all operational and procedural standards.
• Handle accounts queries and credit control queries to the satisfaction of all parties.

• BComm or Legal Degree
• 3-5 years experience within insurance
• A demonstrated interest in risk, insurance, corporate, commercial or financial law
• Competent user of Excel, Word, Outlook and other Microsoft platforms.
• Understanding of insurance industry including the reinsurance market and the terminologies used.

• Critical thinking and analysis of complex risk
• Good technical understanding of policy wordings
• Able to evaluate information from a variety of sources and solve problems
• Good decision-making skills which includes being able to consider the costs and benefits of various options and recommend the appropriate one as part of the referral process (to management or the technical team).
• Good communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable with phone and face to face complex discussions with underwriters, brokers and any other relevant stakeholders.
• Good work ethic and deadline focused; able to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines and able to organise own workload effectively to prioritise and delegate to meet service standards.
• Operationally efficient including the ability to follow all process requirements.
• Solid Presentation skills which include being able to present informally and formally for training (internal and external), marketing and renewal purposes.

• Collaborates, develops and maintain relationships with brokers and clients at all relevant levels of their businesses.
• Liaise with brokers, clients and potential clients preparing quotes and negotiating terms as required, writing polices and specifying any conditions that should apply to policies.
• Visi…