Underwriting Operations Specialist in London

The Underwriting Operations Lead will be responsible for guiding and optimising underwriting support teams across both Company Market and Lloyd’s Syndicate platforms. This role ensures smooth operational delivery for client’s underwriting teams, enables high-quality risk setup workflows, and drives operational excellence across the business. The ideal candidate will combine strong knowledge of the London Market with hands-on experience partnering closely with underwriters, improving processes, and supporting the execution of operations strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day underwriting operations across multiple business lines and clients, ensuring efficient processing, data quality, and compliance.
• Act as the primary operational contact for underwriters, helping remove friction from their workflows and ensuring they receive timely, accurate support.
• Champion consistent operating standards across Company Market and Lloyd’s Syndicate environments.
• Build strong, constructive relationships with client underwriting operations managers, underwriters, underwriting assistants, and underwriting management, fostering collaboration and proactive problem-solving and work as a conduit between onshore and offshore teams.
• Coordinate with underwriting teams to understand business priorities, product needs, and pipeline demands.
• Support in ensuring knowledge gaps are addressed and teams can process risk setup requests with clear understanding and SLA guidelines.
• Assist in capacity planning for underwriting support teams, ensuring adequate coverage during peak cycles and renewals.
• Evaluate and enhance underwriting operations processes, reducing delays and ensuring compliant, audit-ready documentation.
• Support in the creation of a knowledge base to address client requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across submission intake, policy administration, bordereaux handling, sanctions checks, and issuance workflows.
• Implement and refine controls to ensure accuracy of data entering underwriting, finance, and regulatory systems.
• Monitor performance metrics, identify operational bottlenecks, and implement root-cause solutions.

Governance, Compliance & Controls

• Ensure underwriting processes comply with Lloyd’s minimum standards, internal policies, and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Oversee audit activity within the underwriting operations function, preparing documentation and facilitating remediation plans where required.
• Maintain robust record-keeping practices and ensure operational readiness for Lloyd’s reviews, external audits, and internal governance forums.
• Manage and mentor an underwriting operations team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and service excellence.
• Set team objectives, conduct performance reviews, and ensure ongoing professional development.
• Drive morale, clarity of expectations, and cross-training to build a resilient and versatile operations function.

Skills & Experience Required

• Proven hands-on experience in underwriting operations within the London Market, including both Company Market and Lloyd’s environments.
• Strong understanding of Lloyd’s processes, governance requirements, and market systems (e.g., DCOM, SDC, PPL, Delegated Authority tools, bordereaux platforms).
• Hands-on experience with Market policy admin and placement systems like Eclipse, Subscribe, Whitespace.
• Demonstrated experience working closely with underwriters and senior underwriting leadership.
• Familiarity with end-to-end policy lifecycle processes, including submissions, endorsements, renewals, and technical accounting interfaces.
• Strong analytical ability and comfort working with operational MI, data quality dashboards, and process KPIs.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and influencing skills.
• Experience leading or mentoring operational teams.
• Detail-oriented approach with the ability to see the bigger picture and balance operational demands with strategic objectives.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience with delegated underwriting authority operations and cover holder oversight.
• Background in underwriting transformation or system-implementation initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of process-improvement techniques (Lean, Six Sigma, etc.).