Underwriting Manager at Discovery Limited

Job description

Key Purpose of the role

To manage the Underwriting Teams and to ensure operational efficiencies in line with Lean Six Sigma and IQS. To ensure that the company strategy is applied to the teams and risk tools and protocols are used.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Liaising with systems teams to ensure that key/critical systems enhancements are delivered to required standard and agreed timelines. This will include, building business cases from start to delivery.
• Managing relationships with the sales distribution channel by liaising with internal and external key stakeholders. The aim of this is to increase client’s perception by creating strategies, understanding issues in the area, and imparting Running internal forums, that bring together key stakeholders, ensuring alignment around UW policy
• Keeping abreast with legislative and industry changes and how this affects your business units.
• Dealing with the day to day operations in the area. Monitoring inflows and outflows of work. Delivering daily reports and managing projects in the area.
• Providing the team with clear direction. Setting appropriate standards of behavior. Delegating work appropriately and fairly. Motivating and empowering others. Providing staff with development opportunities and coaching individuals in the team.
• Providing guidance for the division by actively communicating and being a visionary leader. Assisting the team in obtaining medical / technical expertise. The role includes interviewing and recruiting staff of high caliber as well as conducting disciplinary action when required,
• Developing the underwriting strategy in the area by thinking ‘out of the box’ and spearheading key initiatives in the area. Constantly challenging the status quo and developing the area.
• Analysing problems in the area by identifying the root cause. Creating statistics and trends to support this analysis and making clear decisions on this basis by weighing up these risks involved. Reporting on trends by creating statistics and reports.
• Coordinating activities and work force planning in the area.
• Aligning and setting goals for the area and establishing the implementation and roll out of this in the area. The goals will be aligned to the industry, the division, as well as the team.
• To manage the Underwriting and to ensure that the team leaders are guided, coached and mentored to effectively manage their own teams.
• To deal with the CRMs in terms of trending, determining if the processes are working effectively, dealing with escalated queries and looking for improved efficiencies in the teams.
• To benchmark the quality of the work of the teams and to ensure that quality is superior.
• To meet SLAs and to build relationships with the sales channels.
• To ensure all Underwriting protocols and guidelines are up to date.
• To ensure that all Risk tools are effective and working
• To liaise with Actuaries, Clinical and R&D in terms of Underwriting. Internal relationships to be managed include: Clinical, health actuarial, legal, compliance, distribution channels, discovery connect, systems, new business, scheme office for the various schemes (fund managers) under administration.
• To ensure that rules for Underwriting are implemented and measured and that decisions made in terms of these rules are consistent and defensible.
• To contribute to all projects to ensure successful implementation of these projects.

Education and Experience

• Clinical qualification advantageous
• Risk management qualification advantageous with healthcare industry experience
• Underwriting experience in either health or life insurance industries
• Knowledge of Discovery Health’s risk management strategy and clinical funding protocols
• Project management qualification
• 2-3 years Underwriting, new business experience
• 2 Years leadership experience
• 2-3 years management experience
• Experience managing relationships with key clients
• Proven track record of senior management experience
• New business operations
• 2-3 years project management experience

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply