Senior Manager, Underwriting Operations

A rapidly growing specialty insurance business is looking to appoint a Senior Manager within its international underwriting operations function.

This is a newly created position offering broad responsibility across delegated authority due diligence, programme implementation, underwriting support and operational improvement. You will work closely with underwriting, operations, finance, actuarial, claims, legal, technology and data teams, acting as the central point of coordination for new insurance partnerships from initial approval through to launch.

The role

You will take ownership of the operational work required to assess, onboard and renew delegated insurance programmes. This will include reviewing the operational capabilities of prospective partners, coordinating internal subject matter experts and ensuring that each programme is supported by appropriate processes, documentation, controls and data arrangements.

You will also help strengthen the wider underwriting operating model, improving how information is captured, reported and shared across the business.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading operational due diligence for new delegated authority and programme opportunities
• Coordinating onboarding activity across underwriting, operations, finance, actuarial, claims, legal, compliance, technology and data teams
• Running meetings with external insurance partners to assess their operational infrastructure, controls and reporting capabilities
• Overseeing the technical setup of new programmes, including bordereaux specifications, data transfer arrangements, ingestion, testing and reporting
• Acting as the principal contact for new partners throughout implementation and the initial post-launch period
• Managing operational input into binder and programme renewals
• Preparing clear assessments, recommendations and updates for senior stakeholders and governance committees
• Monitoring onboarding timelines, data quality, processing exceptions and other operational performance measures
• Ensuring contracts, underwriting documentation and key correspondence are accurately maintained
• Supporting improvements to underwriting systems, workflow tools, management information and reporting
• Developing clearer procedures, controls and handover arrangements between underwriting and operations
• Identifying opportunities to improve scalability, partner experience and operational efficiency

Requirements:

• Experience within commercial insurance operations, ideally gained in the London Market, delegated authority, programme business or a specialty insurance environment.
• Experience working with MGAs, MGUs, coverholders or delegated insurance programmes
• Strong knowledge of bordereaux, programme onboarding, operational due diligence and data management
• An understanding of the insurance programme lifecycle from initial assessment through to renewal and run-off
• Experience coordinating complex projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders
• Confidence working with underwriting systems, data platforms, reporting tools and workflow technology
• Strong analytical capability, including reconciliation, exception management and data-quality oversight
• Knowledge of relevant regulatory, compliance and sanctions requirements
• The ability to communicate operational risks, findings and recommendations clearly to senior stakeholders
• A practical approach to process improvement, documentation and controls
• Strong client-facing and relationship-management skills
• Experience within a carrier, programme administrator, MGA, MGU or delegated authority environment would be particularly relevant. Exposure to reinsurance operations, ceded data, technology implementation or underwriting transformation would also be beneficial.

The successful candidate will join an ambitious and evolving insurance business in a role offering significant ownership, visibility and influence.

Eames Consulting is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.