Head of Underwriting Lincoln HomeLet Full time Permanent
Join our dynamic and rapidly growing team at Barbon, where innovation meets integrity. As a leader in tenant referencing and specialist lettings insurance, we thrive on energy, creativity, and a passion for excellence.
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Head of Underwriting to lead and direct underwriting strategy, operations, and policy development across product lines. This role is pivotal in ensuring that our business operations maintain the highest levels of integrity and ethics in a fast-paced environment.
If you're ready to take on a high challenging leadership role in a high-energy environment where your expertise can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. Apply now and become a key player in shaping the future of Barbon!
The Head of Underwriting’s prime responsibilities will be the general management, support and development of the Product Governance and Underwriting Team’s. Assist in the monitoring and reporting of the performance and profitability of our products to our insurers and key stakeholders. Review and implementation of any changes to be made to our current product set, as well as the introduction of any new products, with the assistance of the Underwriting Technical Analyst and other key members of the underwriting and product team. Maintaining of product stability, oversight of product performance. Taking responsibility for the adherence to insurer’s delegated authority and maintaining insurer relationships.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Lead, manage, coach and support the Team Leaders for the Underwriting, Product Governance Teams, ensuring that SLA’s are adhered to and improve business efficiencies through controlled empowerment roll-outs to the Sales Teams.
2. Monitor and report on performance and suitability of each product against set parameters throughout their lifecycle.
3. Ensure that all activities undertaken by the Underwriting Team are within agreed Insurer scope and permissions and reinforce underwriting integrity across the Group.
4. Drive any product rationalisation projects across the Groups brands and review rationalisation opportunities.
5. Chair the Product Governance Committee and maintain and develop the product governance framework itself ensuring the group’s processes incorporate the latest legislative and regulatory requirements.
6. Oversee the Team Leaders within the Underwriting, Product function to ensure all HR responsibilities for the department including holiday and sickness monitoring, quarterly reviews, team meetings, are met.
7. Maintain, with the support of the Underwriting Technical Analyst, a specific product based management information reporting suite and issue a “Product Performance Dashboard” at agreed intervals to the PGC and other key stakeholders which should include but not be restricted to Consumer Duty performance, new business and retention levels, complaints, cancellations, margin levels, underwriting loss ratios, claim frequencies and repudiations & risk level set against the groups tolerance / risk appetite.
8. Be the point of contact for insurer relationships and manage these effectively. This includes, but is not limited to, taking ownership for the group’s delegated authority with insurers to ensure full compliance as well as improvements where necessary, attend all insurer review meetings, undertake any remedial action requested by insurers and support them with referrals where necessary.
9. Manage the relationship with insurers. Overseeing regular underwriting meetings and QBR’s as well as demonstrating a strong understanding of the contractual arrangements and profit share scheme.
10. Contribute and ensure smooth implementation of strategic business objectives and product development.
SMCR Regulatory Responsibility
11. Under the FCA’s Senior Manager & Certification Regime (SMCR) this role is deemed to be responsible for the following certification function:
12. Significant Management Function – this role has significant responsibility, including key decision making for insurance sales
13. The job holder will be required to meet the requirements of the Certification Regime, including but not limited to:
14. Fitness & Propriety assessments
15. Completion of 15 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) on an annual basis
16. Adherence to Conduct Rules
Person specification
Essential
Desirable
Education/ Qualifications
At least 4 GCSE’s/O Levels (grade c or above) including Maths and English
Cert CII, progression towards or at the very least a commitment to enrol for these Insurance qualifications upon appointment
Dip CII / ACII or progress towards (or comparable in other financial services sectors)
Experience
and knowledge
At least 3 years general insurance / financial services experience working with insurance products
At least 5 years general insurance experience with involvement in project management
Skills/ Aptitude
Collaborative Working- Encourages Co-Operative Working
Communicating Clearly- Promotes Two-Way Communication
Leading & Developing- Enables the Performance of Others
Thinking Customer- Strives to Deliver Excellence
Commercial Mind-set- Identifies opportunities to reduce costs
Analysing & Initiating- Applies Analytical Rigour
Adapting & Responding- Adapts to Change
Taking Ownership- Seeks New Opportunities
Creating & Innovating- Encourages Innovation
Planning & Prioritising-Plans and Monitors
Attitude
Positive and intelligent, have a ‘can do’ attitude, ability to work within a team and on own.
Further information
As well as a competitive salary we offer the following benefits -
17. Competitive holiday allowance with the annual option to buy additional days
18. Death in Service benefit of x4 salary
19. Company pension scheme
20. Enhanced maternity and paternity leave packages
21. A flexible benefits package which allows you to add additional benefits to your overall package
22. Our benefits portal offers discounts on technology & electronics, cinemas, restaurants, days out, mortgage advice, travel and many more
23. Referral schemes
24. Discounted rates on PIB products
25. We offer a first-class employee benefits and welfare package to support our employees with financial management, cycle to work scheme, counselling support, health screening, will writing, menopause support, books, stopping smoking and much more
26. If supporting the local community, engaging with charities and having the opportunity to ‘give something back’ interests you, you have the opportunity to take an extra day to support this with a Volunteering day.
27. We also offer a wide range of discounts including a kids pass – giving you discount to over 4500 attractions and activities, discounts at hairdressers and beauticians, climate change projects with lots of other options to choose
28. PIB has a comprehensive learning & development framework, including professional study options and apprenticeships which are available to all employees, and which will support your career development
29. Being a part of our PIB Community Trust, we support fundraising where you can apply for grants from PIB Group towards your chosen charity
30. PIB Group are committed to improving their environmental impact in a responsible way. From the individual actions that our colleagues take every day through to installing the right facilities across our premises, there are many measures in place to help reduce PIB’s carbon footprint.