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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead Pikl's underwriting strategy and develop innovative insurance products for digital marketplaces.
- Company: Join a fast-growing insurtech company revolutionising the vacation rental market.
- Benefits: Flexible working, 28 days holiday, and support from an award-winning CEO.
- Other info: Be part of a team that values curiosity, empathy, and progress.
- Why this job: Shape the future of insurance while driving growth in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in underwriting with strong analytical and communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
Pikl is on a mission to enable the growth of digital marketplaces, starting with vacation rentals. We design and deliver insurance-enabled solutions that help platforms, property managers and owners unlock new revenue and deliver better customer experiences. Founded in 2016, we began by protecting individual hosts and homeowners with specialist holiday-let cover. That experience now powers our insurance-enabled products, which increase participation, lift conversion and drive revenue across the marketplace value chain: platforms, homeowners and guests. With offices in Norwich and London, and plans for international expansion, we work with some of the most recognised brands in travel as well as major insurance aggregators.
About the Role
The Head of Underwriting is a senior leadership position responsible for shaping, governing, and driving Pikl’s underwriting strategy across all product lines. This role will lead the development of underwriting philosophy, technical standards, governance frameworks and pricing oversight, ensuring Pikl delivers sustainable, profitable growth across its portfolio. You will work closely with internal teams including Business Solutions, Digital Studio & Commercial as well as with insurer capacity partners to build a market-leading underwriting function. You’ll own delegated authority frameworks, oversee the creation and approval of new insurance products, ensure compliance, and drive continuous improvement in underwriting processes and performance. This role is pivotal in enabling Pikl’s next phase of scale and expansion.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership & Underwriting Governance
- Develop and own Pikl’s underwriting strategy, philosophy and appetite across all product lines.
- Establish and maintain underwriting governance frameworks, controls and standards.
- Lead oversight of delegated underwriting authorities, ensuring compliance with capacity provider terms, regulatory requirements and internal policies.
- Build and mentor a high performing underwriting team, promoting technical excellence and continuous development.
- Product & Proposition Development
- Oversee the creation, refinement and sign-off of policy wordings, endorsements and underwriting guidelines.
- Partner with the Head of Propositions and wider product teams to shape and approve new product designs, ensuring alignment with underwriting appetite and capacity arrangements.
- Provide underwriting leadership in the operationalisation of new and bespoke products, ensuring seamless integration with systems and workflows.
- Capacity & Partner Management
- Act as the primary technical underwriting contact for insurer partners, maintaining strong relationships and ensuring continued support and capacity allocation.
- Lead reporting, portfolio reviews, performance insights and renewal negotiations with existing and prospective capacity providers.
- Support partner product implementations, underwriting due diligence and technical validation.
- Oversee pricing governance and portfolio monitoring, working with pricing and data teams to ensure performance meets loss ratio and profitability targets.
- Use emerging trends, data insights and market intelligence to shape underwriting strategy and inform product development.
- Ensure the business remains compliant with regulatory changes impacting underwriting and product design.
- Stakeholder Collaboration
- Provide expert underwriting insight to support commercial initiatives, sales conversations, and partner onboarding.
- Work closely with operations and technology teams to drive efficiency, improve underwriting workflows, and identify opportunities for automation or optimisation.
- Review and approve marketing collateral and partner customer journeys from an underwriting and regulatory perspective.
About You
- Proven leadership experience in a senior underwriting role, ideally as a Head of Underwriting, or similar.
- Deep technical knowledge across liability and/or property products, with experience in bespoke or niche insurance solutions.
- Strong experience managing delegated authorities, capacity relationships and regulatory compliance.
- Track record of developing underwriting strategy, guidelines and governance frameworks.
- Strong analytical, commercial and decision-making skills, with the ability to balance innovation and risk management.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, able to influence at senior levels both internally and externally.
- Confident leading cross-functional initiatives and partnering with product, operations, commercial and technology teams.
Desirable but not essential
- Professional insurance qualifications (e.g., ACII or equivalent).
- Experience within the sharing economy, platform economy, or digital marketplace sectors.
- Experience working in an MGA or start-up/scale-up environment.
Our Values
At Pikl, our values are the foundation on which our success is built. They guide how we work together, how we make decisions for customers and colleagues, and what we recognise and reward.
- Possibility: We think big and are fearless in turning challenges into opportunities. We stay curious, test ideas and learn quickly.
- People: We put people first, building relationships rooted in empathy and trust. We respect, include, and learn from one another. We celebrate progress.
- Progress: We unlock growth opportunities for our customers and each other yet make it our personal responsibility to own actions and see them through.
Why Work at Pikl
- Flexible working conditions, access to an incredible in-person working space.
- Support from an awarding-winning CEO & Founder.
- Annual holiday entitlement of 28 days plus bank holidays.
Head of Underwriting employer: Pikl
Contact Detail:
Pikl Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Underwriting
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching Pikl and its products. Understand their underwriting strategy and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but someone who truly gets what they do.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be clear about your leadership experience and how it relates to the Head of Underwriting role. Highlight your ability to build teams and drive strategy, making sure to back it up with examples from your past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of the Pikl team and contributing to their mission.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Underwriting
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience in underwriting and leadership. We want to see how your skills align with our mission at Pikl, so don’t hold back on showcasing your relevant achievements!
Showcase Your Technical Knowledge: Since this role requires deep technical knowledge across liability and property products, be sure to include specific examples of your expertise. We love seeing candidates who can demonstrate their understanding of bespoke insurance solutions.
Highlight Your Leadership Experience: As the Head of Underwriting, you’ll need to lead a high-performing team. Share your past experiences in managing teams and driving strategic initiatives. We’re looking for someone who can inspire and mentor others!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Pikl. Don’t miss out!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pikl
✨Know Your Underwriting Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge of liability and property products. Be prepared to discuss your experience with bespoke insurance solutions and how you've managed delegated authorities in the past. This will show that you’re not just familiar with the role, but that you can lead Pikl’s underwriting strategy effectively.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
As a senior position, they’ll want to see your leadership style. Prepare examples of how you’ve built and mentored high-performing teams. Discuss specific instances where you’ve promoted technical excellence and continuous development within your team, as this aligns with Pikl's values.
✨Understand the Market Landscape
Familiarise yourself with the digital marketplace and sharing economy sectors. Be ready to discuss emerging trends and how they could impact underwriting strategies. This will demonstrate your ability to think big and turn challenges into opportunities, which is key for Pikl.
✨Prepare for Cross-Functional Collaboration
Since the role involves working closely with various teams, think of examples where you’ve successfully collaborated across functions. Highlight your communication skills and how you’ve influenced stakeholders at senior levels. This will show that you can drive efficiency and improve workflows at Pikl.