Senior Manager, New Business Underwriting

Job Purpose
'Responsible for overseeing the end-to-end underwriting operations, ensuring technical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. This role leads a team, manages risk assessment frameworks, and drives continuous improvement in underwriting processes. The Senior Manager also plays a key role in talent development, system enhancement, and cross-functional collaboration to support product innovation, customer satisfaction, and sustainable business growth.

Key Accountabilities (1)

• Operational Oversight & Risk Control
• Lead and supervise the underwriting team, ensuring timely and accurate case assessments.
• Establish and monitor underwriting authority levels, ensuring cases are processed according to delegated limits and company policies.
• Review complex or high-value cases, including VIP clients, legal-sensitive applications, and reputational risk scenarios.
• Collaborate with reinsurance partners to evaluate exceptional cases and negotiate terms for facultative underwriting.
• Analyze operational metrics such as approval/rejection rates, turnaround time, and error frequency to identify trends and improvement areas.
• Resolve escalated complaints and disputes related to underwriting decisions, coordinating with legal and customer service teams when necessary.
• Ensure full compliance with internal policies, industry standards, and local insurance regulations.
• Develop and maintain internal audit mechanisms, including peer reviews, quality assurance protocols, and exception reporting.
• Provide regular performance and risk reports to senior leadership, highlighting key insights and strategic recommendations.
• Safeguard customer data and medical confidentiality across all underwriting activities.

Key Accountabilities (2)

• Process Innovation
• Design and implement competency frameworks for underwriters across all levels, from junior staff to technical experts.
• Develop and deliver advanced training programs covering medical underwriting, financial risk assessment, regulatory updates, and decision-making skills.
• Conduct periodic performance reviews, identify high-potential talent, and propose career development plans.
• Mentor senior underwriters and specialists, fostering leadership capabilities and technical excellence.
• Lead the creation and standardization of underwriting manuals, risk classification guides, and operational templates.
• Partner with IT and product teams to enhance underwriting systems, including automation tools, AI integration, and dashboard analytics.
• Collaborate with product development to align underwriting processes with new product features and risk profiles.
• Initiate and manage process improvement projects aimed at reducing turnaround time, increasing accuracy, and enhancing customer experience.
• Represent the underwriting function in internal committees and external industry forums, sharing best practices and market insights.
• Stay abreast of global underwriting trends, emerging risks, and technological advancements to inform strategic planning.

Key Accountabilities (3)
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Attract, onboard and retain the right talents for a high- performing team
• Communicate team and individual KRAs/ KPIs, goals, action plan, expectations and results to team members
• Manage team performance & provide feedback regularly (following the annual performance management cycle);
• Enable team member's professional and personal development through capability assessment, training, coaching & feedback, etc.
• Motivate and recognize team members' contributions towards the team's shared goals
• Responsible for developing talents within the team
• Act as a role model and promote corporate culture at sub- function level
• Understand & communicate relevant HR offerings to team members.

Key Relationships - Direct Manager
Head of New Business Underwriting

Key Relationships - Direct Reports
Expert/ Senior Expert/ Officer/Senior Officer, Underwritting

Key Relationships - Internal Stakeholders
Internal function, division in company

Key Relationships - External Stakeholders
Clients & Insurance Advisors; International Reinsurance Partners; Medical Institutions & Data Providers; Industry Associations,…

Success Profile - Qualification and Experiences
Bachelor's degree or higher in Medicine, Finance, Insurance, Risk Management, or related fields.

Minimum 8 years of experience in life insurance underwriting, with ≥4 years in a managerial role.

International certifications such as FALU, CLU, FLMI, ALU are highly preferred.

Strong leadership, strategic planning, risk analytics, and cross-functional communication skills.

Proficiency in underwriting systems, performance dashboards, and case management software.