| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Insurance |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Head of Underwriting |
| Direct reports | Underwriter, Underwriting Assistant |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in underwriting with some team handling |
Underwriting Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Underwriting Manager
Department: Insurance
Reports to: Head of Underwriting
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Underwriting Manager runs an underwriting team, approving risks within authority and keeping the loss ratio and turnaround on track. They allocate cases, decide referrals and complex risks, set local guidelines within policy, and support the sales channels with quick, sound decisions. The role reports to the Head of Underwriting. A good underwriting manager selects risk well, keeps the loss ratio healthy, turns decisions around fast so business is not lost, mentors underwriters, and holds the line on discipline without becoming a bottleneck for sales.
Key responsibilities
- Allocate proposals across the underwriting team by line and complexity.
- Decide referrals and complex risks within the authority delegated by the head.
- Keep the loss ratio of the underwritten book within target.
- Set local underwriting guidelines for the team within the overall company policy.
- Keep turnaround fast so the sales channels are not held up.
- Review declined and loaded cases to keep decisions consistent and fair.
- Mentor the underwriters in the team and check their tougher risk decisions.
- Coordinate reinsurance for large risks above the team authority.
- Monitor portfolio quality and flag segments running poor loss ratios.
- Report loss ratio, turnaround and referral quality to the head.
Requirements
- Graduate in any stream, insurance qualification an advantage
- Strong underwriting knowledge in the product lines
- Associate of the Insurance Institute is an advantage
- 6 to 10 years in underwriting with some team handling
KRAs and KPIs for a Underwriting Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Loss ratio | Loss ratio on the team book held within the agreed target |
| Turnaround | Underwriting decisions within the service time above the agreed level |
| Decision quality | Decisions passing underwriting audit above the agreed level |
| Risk selection | Referral and risk selection quality above the agreed level |
| Consistency | Guideline breaches by the team kept below the agreed level |
| Channel support | Sales escalations on underwriting delays kept below target |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Underwriting workbench, Rating and pricing tools, MS Excel, Portfolio dashboards, Medical or risk databases.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Underwriting, Regional Underwriting Head, Product Manager
Interview questions for a Underwriting Manager
- How do you keep the loss ratio healthy while supporting sales?
- How do you decide a complex risk referred to you?
- How do you keep underwriting decisions consistent across a team?
- How do you keep turnaround fast without loosening risk selection?
- How do you mentor an underwriter making poor risk calls?
- How do you handle sales pressure to accept a doubtful risk?
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What does an Underwriting Manager do?
An Underwriting Manager runs an underwriting team, approving risks within authority and keeping the loss ratio and turnaround on track. They allocate cases, decide referrals and complex risks, set local guidelines, support sales with quick decisions and mentor underwriters, holding risk discipline without becoming a bottleneck.
What is the difference between an Underwriter and an Underwriting Manager?
An Underwriter assesses individual proposals and decides terms within their authority. An Underwriting Manager runs the team: allocating work, deciding referrals and complex risks, setting local guidelines, owning the loss ratio and turnaround, and mentoring underwriters. The manager carries wider authority and accountability.
What skills does an Underwriting Manager need?
The role needs strong risk assessment and policy interpretation, command of underwriting guidelines and loss ratio management, and sound referral judgement. Add team management, reinsurance basics and analytics, plus the communication to support sales channels while holding firm on risk selection and consistency.