Lead Underwriter - ESG Risk Solutions

About us

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. ESG Risk Solutions is HDI Global’s newly established business dedicated to Environmental Impairment Liability (EIL) and the development of innovative insurance solutions addressing today’s evolving ESG challenges. We are a truly global team, with specialist underwriters across Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, and USA. Our ambition is to be a trusted partner with appetite across the full spectrum of EIL risks—combining technical excellence with innovative thinking to support our clients through ESG driven transformation.

The role

As Lead Underwriter, you will be accountable for building and maintaining a profitable sub‑product portfolio in line with the business plan, driving underwriting performance, and shaping the future of ESG Risk Solutions in the UK & Ireland. You will function as a senior market representative (in the market, at trade associations, relevant product forums), technical referral point, and leader within the wider Liability and ESG Risk Solutions teams. This includes managing more junior underwriters in the future and build up the team in UK & Ireland. Contribute to new ideas, products, strategy, and projects as required.

Key accountabilities

• Define and implement ESG Risk Solution products in line with overall Product Line strategy and corporate objectives.
• Identify growth opportunities, emerging ESG risks, and drive innovation to maintain market relevance and competitiveness.
• Contribute to strategic underwriting planning and to the overall leadership of the UK & Ireland branch.
• Build strong and trusted relationships with brokers and clients across the UK and London markets, positioning HDI as an insurer of choice.
• Represent HDI externally at industry events, forums and trade associations to enhance and promote the HDI brand and proposition.
• Work collaboratively with business partners (customers, claims, risk consulting, Head Office, finance, network, policy wordings, compliance, and other Product Lines) and colleagues to successfully deliver HDI’s products and proposition.
• Represent the Team and actively participate in internal Branch and Head office sponsored forums, committees, and projects.
• Actively contribute to internal projects, initiatives and forums to improve performance, efficiency and capability.
• Oversee and manage the performance of the sub-Product Line, ensuring profitability and alignment with HDI’s underwriting appetite and risk tolerance.
• Develop and execute initiatives to optimise portfolio mix, improve retention, and drive growth in target segments and regions.
• Underwrite complex risks, including pricing, structuring and portfolio optimization to deliver sustained profitability.
• Drive cross‑sell opportunities in close collaboration with Distribution and other Product Lines.
• Be responsible for the timely collection of business data to generate quality MI that creates meaningful business insights and informs strategy.
• Leverage and utilize analytics and market insights to monitor and evaluate portfolio performance, competitor trends, and market dynamics through Data-Driven Decision-Making.
• Support the Underwriting Director in building a collaborative, high‑performing team culture aligned with central functions (pricing, claims, risk management).
• Provide coaching, technical support and structured development aligned to HDI’s Underwriter Development Pathway.
• Act as the escalation and referral point for junior underwriters and support future team growth.
• Manage day-to-day workload to ensure work is completed within deadlines and that individual workload is within each team members’ capability.
• Comply with HDI-UK & Ireland branch and Global policies, underwriting guidelines, and underwriting authority.
• Comply with all HDI-UK & Ireland financial policies and manage and control departmental expenditure within agreed budgets.

Skills & experience

• Understanding of products and services and ability to develop product specific strategies.
• Up to date knowledge of existing insurance laws and legal frameworks and awareness of upcoming changes.
• 10+ years professional experience within the Product Line and local or comparable international markets.
• Proven leadership experience (3+ years) managing and developing high‑performing teams.
• 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.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills; confident in negotiation and networking scenarios.
• Proactive, commercially minded and comfortable driving change.
• Innovative thinker with strong problem‑solving capability.

Other

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.