Head of Casualty Underwriting

Allianz; London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 100,000

Job description

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Location: London/hybrid
Salary: Dep on exp + annual bonus + car allowance + benefits

Who we are: Allianz is a global insurance company serving across 70 different countries, but from the very first day you join our team you'll know that your contributions are valued. We offer world class learning and career development opportunities while we celebrate an inclusive culture.

Purpose of the role: The purpose of this role is to set the direction of the specific line of business including Head Office and branches, whilst maintaining support for the overall Technical ambition and strategy. The Head of Casualty holds the highest level of Underwriting authority for each line of business and this supports the development of key customer relationships.

The Casualty account (£180m GWP) represents a key offering of our mid-corporate commercial account with ambitions to grow and develop the customer proposition. This role (Reporting to the Commercial CUO) sits within a Head Office underwriting function within a team of account managers and technical specialists.

Key accountabilities:

• Assumes overall responsibility for individual line of business, which includes delivering KPIs with Underwriting rigour and control whilst supporting Compliance and Governance across the underwriting discipline.
• Drives the creation and innovation of profitable growth areas in our Casualty lines.
• Monitors the performance of accounts and lines of business within the business unit, identifying under and over performance, implementing remedial and opportunity actions as appropriate.
• Delivers KPI targets across complex cases/portfolios worked upon to deliver the high level line of business strategies and understands Account Management principles and the impact of individual cases on the account.
• Adheres to Underwriting Authority and understands the impact case decisions have on Profit and Loss and the achievement of plan and is able to articulate this impact clearly and concisely.
• Holds Casualty Underwriting authority for Commercial, supporting the Trading Team where necessary for "four-eyes" sign off.
• Builds business relationships both internally and externally to drive technical excellence and generate business opportunities and represents the Companies Technical area at appropriate internal and external and global forums.
• Owns and develops key relationships within AGCS, Global Commercial and the OE network.
• Makes important Commercial decisions when they are required to support profitable development of broker relationships, supporting the broker segmentation strategy to deliver plan. Provides support to stakeholders on broker business development activities.
• Drives the technical development within individual line of business through ownership of the Technical training activity and identifying the training needs of the staff and owning the technical content delivered. Responsible for granting new Underwriting authorities.

About you:

Technical skills:

• An in-depth understanding of the make-up of policy wordings, clauses and non-standard covers available and their implications with an ability to convey that understanding.
• Able to identify cover and hazards influencing the acceptance, pricing or terms applicable to a risk and apply risk management techniques to ensure sufficient breadth of risks are available.
• Thoroughly understands causes and costs of claims and can apply appropriate risk management tools to mitigate loss.
• Demonstrates an understanding of Underwriting skills required to actively contribute to segmentation and product development activities.
• Understanding of Treaty and facultative re-insurance programmes and how facultative reinsurance can be used to widen risk acceptance or control exposure.
• Ability to interpret statistical data, including identification of trends, influences and anomalies on a case-by-case and local account basis.
• Understands the regulatory environment including an awareness of external factors, which affect regulation - political, social, and economical. This also includes an awareness of the regulatory horizon and how this can affect the individual line of business.
• Full working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Qualifications:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Achieved the highest level of Underwriting authority in line of business.
• Relevant Level 3 Underwriting Academy modules completed.
• Strong financial acumen including Financial Tools for Account Managers completed.
• Completion of ACII qualification.
• Has an understanding of Project Management within the Company.

Experience:

• Extensive proven experience of working within a general insurer environment with responsibility for top and bottom line performance of a Casualty portfolio (or similarly long tail).
• Knowledge and experience of other lines of business (e.g. Financial Lines) would be an advantage.
• Demonstrates advanced leadership skills.
• Proven ability to understand key underwriting concepts and principles.

What we will offer you:

Recognised and rewarded for a job well done, we have a range of flexible benefits for you to choose from- so you can pick a package that's perfect for you. We also offer flexible working options, global career opportunities across the wider Allianz Group, and fantastic career development and training. That's on top of enjoying all the benefits you'd expect from the world's number one insurance brand, including:

• Annual bonus scheme
• Car allowance
• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Private medical insurance
• Contributory pension scheme
• Life cover
• Group Income Protection
• Flexible buy/sell holiday options
• Flexible working arrangements
• A discount up to 50% on a range of insurance products including car, home and pet
• Retail discounts

Our ways of working: Do you need some flexibility with the hours you work? Let us know as part of your application and if it's right for our customers, our business and for you, then we'll do everything we can to make it happen. Here at Allianz, we are signatories of the ABIs flexible working charter. We believe in supporting hybrid work patterns, which balance the needs of our customers, with your personal circumstances and our business requirements. Our aim with this is to help innovation, creativity, and you to thrive - Your work life balance is important to us.

Our Purpose and Values: We secure your future Be Brave | With Heart | Everyone Counts | Inspiring Trust Our purpose and values are more than just words on a website - they are the why and how of Allianz. They influence everything we do and guide us how to do it. Created by our people, for our people, they shape our culture, bring us together, and inspire us to be the best. Building an inclusive culture for us all to succeed.

Diversity & Inclusion: At Allianz, we value diversity and inclusion and back this up with our accreditations. Allianz is EDGE certified for gender inclusion, members of the Women in Finance Charter, members of the Stonewall Diversity Champion programme, signatories of Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter, and an Armed Forces Covenant gold standard employer. We have a range of employee networks focusing on gender inclusion, cultural diversity, LGBTQIA+, disability and long term health conditions (including neurodiversity), intergenerational and life stages, parents and carers, mental wellbeing, menopause support and armed forces and veterans, all supporting you to bring your best and authentic self to work.

Join us - Let's Care for Tomorrow