Retail Property Underwriting Lead - UK Market

HDI is a Corporate & Specialty Insurer part of the Talanx Group. With over 120 years of experience, HDI operates across five continents, around 40 countries and employs over 5,000 people worldwide.

The role of Underwriting Manager is in place to perform a key leadership role for the UK Retail Property Team. Working closely with the Head of London Market Property, you’ll help shape and deliver strategic and business growth for the London account. You’ll apply deep Retail Property expertise across Lead, Follow, Captives and Multinational business.

• Contribute to setting and delivering the Team and Branch business plans.
• Work collaboratively with business partners (customer, claims, risk consulting, head office, finance, network, policy wordings, compliance and other lines of business) and colleagues to successfully deliver our product and proposition.
• Develop and maintain relationships with key brokers and clients at all relevant levels of their business.
• Underwrite individual risks, responding to insurance proposals, gathering background information, assessing the risk and determining appropriate insurance premiums.
• Ensure all cross-sell opportunities are leveraged, working alongside Distribution and other Lines of Business.
• Support the Head of London Market Property in building a UK team who collaborate and share best practice.
• Supervise, mentor, develop, performance manage and lead Underwriters and Assistant Underwriters. Provide a structured training program based on HDI’s Underwriter Development Pathway, enabling development and career progression.
• Manage day-to-day workload to ensure work is completed within deadlines and that individual workload is within each team members’ capability.
• Represent the Team and actively participate on internal Branch and Head office sponsored forums, committees and projects. Deputise for the Head of London Market Property as and when required.
• Comply with all HDI-UK and Ireland financial policies and manage and control departmental expenditure within agreed budgets.
• Comply with HDI-UK and Ireland branch and Global policies, underwriting guidelines and underwriting authority.

• In-depth knowledge of underwriting a range of Property lines.
• Retail property experience including Lead, Follow, Captives and Multinational business.
• Team management experience, with a track record of managing a dynamic team and maintaining employee engagement.
• Ideally ACII qualified, or equivalent qualifications.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills; confident in negotiation and networking scenarios.
• Ability to formulate and implement underwriting strategy.
• Up to date knowledge of existing insurance laws and legal frameworks and awareness of upcoming changes.
• Understanding of analytics and pricing tools.
• Ability to critically evaluate information from a variety of sources and solve highly complex problems, displaying creativity, innovation and an entrepreneurial approach.
• Ability to organise own workload effectively to meet service standards.
• Ability to work under pressure to deliver to tight deadlines when required.

As an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, recognising that a diverse and inclusive workplace is a creative and prosperous one.