Job Profile Summary
The Head, Underwriting Transformation is responsible for driving the end to end transformation of underwriting capabilities, processes, and ways of working to enable scalable growth, improved customer experience, and sustainable underwriting outcomes.
This role leads strategic initiatives across underwriting simplification, automation, data and analytics, and digital enablement, working closely with Operations, Technology, Product, Risk, and external partners to modernise underwriting and support future business models.
Job Descriptions
1. Underwriting Transformation Strategy
- Define and drive the underwriting transformation roadmap aligned to business strategy, customer outcomes, and operational priorities.
- Translate underwriting vision into clear transformation initiatives covering process, technology, data, and people capabilities.
- Act as the underwriting SME for enterprise-wide transformation programmes (e.g. STP, AI-enabled underwriting, new business platforms
2. Process Simplification & Automation
- Lead initiatives to simplify underwriting philosophy, requirements, and decision frameworks to reduce complexity and turnaround time.
- Drive straight-through processing (STP) and increased automation across underwriting journeys while maintaining appropriate risk controls.
- Partner with Operations and Technology teams to redesign end-to-end new business and underwriting processes.
3. Digital, Data & AI Enablement
- Champion the adoption of digital tools, data analytics, and AI to support underwriting decision-making and consistency.
- Oversee use cases such as OCR/IDP, decision support tools, and rule-based or predictive underwriting models, ensuring strong governance and underwriter validation.
- Ensure data quality, transparency, and explainability in all underwriting technology solutions.
4. Governance, Risk & Controls
- Ensure underwriting transformation initiatives comply with internal risk standards, governance frameworks, and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Risk, Compliance, and Medical / Technical Underwriting teams to maintain underwriting integrity while enabling change.
- Establish clear success metrics and controls to monitor underwriting outcomes post-implementation.
5. Stakeholder & Change Management
- Engage and influence senior stakeholders across Operations, Technology, Risk, and Distribution.
- Lead change management efforts to embed new underwriting processes, tools, and ways of working.
- Support capability uplift of underwriting teams through training, communication, and adoption support.
Who we are looking for:
Competencies & Personal Traits
- Strong understanding of underwriting principles, risk assessment, governance, and regulatory expectations.
- Solid appreciation of end-to-end new business and underwriting journeys, including customer, distributor, and operational perspectives.
- Ability to work with technology and data teams on requirements, solution design, testing, and implementation (without needing to be a technologist).
- Familiarity with data, analytics, and AI concepts as applied to underwriting (e.g. rules engines, decision support, OCR/IDP, predictive models).
Working Experience:
- 15-20 years of experience across underwriting, new business, insurance operations, or transformation roles within life / health insurance or financial services.
- Demonstrated experience leading or delivering underwriting, operations, or enterprise transformation initiatives, including process redesign, automation, or digital enablement.
- Hands-on exposure to straight-through processing (STP), underwriting simplification, workflow automation, or AI / analytics-enabled decision support is strongly preferred.
- Proven experience working in complex, matrix organisations, partnering with Technology, Operations, Risk, Product, and Distribution teams.
- Experience engaging senior leadership and steering committees, with the ability to translate strategy into executable roadmaps.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree holder.
- Professional insurance or underwriting qualifications are preferred but not mandatory.
