Underwriter

The position is responsible for the assessment of new business, additions, alterations or other relevant transactions for all of MetLife’s risk products within their delegated authority. Additional key responsibilities include mentoring underwriters; undertaking over-authority checking; developing and presenting training to staff as required; and working with the technical underwriting team to develop guidelines as appropriate.

Principal Responsibilities

• Analyse personal, financial and medical data in order to assess insurance applications via desktop and telephone underwriting
• Underwrite all product lines and benefits within established underwriting authority, service standards and productivity targets
• Underwrite to MetLife’s stated underwriting standards and principles to ensure profitable and reasonable risks are accepted
• Contribute to development and monitoring of underwriting rules for MetLife’s automated underwriting engine
• Consults with senior staff, other underwriters and the Chief Medical Officer as required
• Keeping abreast of industry trends and providing input into the formulation of the underwriting policy, philosophy and process as required
• Provide technical advice and guidance to other team members, including reviewing and signing off when second signatory is required
• Provide coaching and mentoring to underwriters within the team
• Build and maintain strong relationships with advisers/brokers, reinsurers, intermediaries, and service providers
• Work within Legal, Compliance and other regulatory framework
• Undertake retrospective underwriting reviews in a timely manner within legal frameworks
• Promote MetLife’s values to external clients and customers
• Provide underwriting opinions to Claims and other teams
• Perform other appropriate tasks as designated by Underwriting Management

Knowledge/Skills/Competencies Required

• Self motivated with excellent time management skills
• Ability to contribute positively and consistently to the underwriting team’s rules of engagement and MetLife’s culture of Fast, Easy and Caring
• Experience in underwriting of all products (Term Life, TPD, Critical Illness and IP including complex medical and financial risks
• Ability to work across multiple product lines including retail, group and corporate streams
• Expertise maintaining relationships at all levels whilst displaying strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Solid commercial and industry awareness
• Strong customer focus, excellent problem solving ability, analytical skills and adaptability to change
• Computer literate in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook (email), Internet Explorer, Powerpoint, etc
• Desire to be actively involved in industry seminars, discussion groups and forums

Qualification Required

• Minimum five years of underwriting experience across all risk types (retail, group and Corporate)
• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant qualification desirable

Key Business Relationships

Internal

• Underwriting team members
• Technical underwriting team
• Claims team members
• Product teams
• Administration teams
• Distributions, marketing and actuarial teams
• Legal and Compliance

External

• Advisors/brokers, clients, Funds/Trustee, Administrators, intermediaries, service providers
• Reinsurers / CMO’s
• Life insurance industry