Life Service & Underwriting Director

Team Adviser Service Life - Leadership Team

Working Pattern - Hybrid 2days per week in the Vitality Bournemouth or London (min of one one day a week expected to work within our Bournemouth) with regular travel to South Africa.Full time hours.

Top 3 skills needed for this role:

• Underwriting experience in Life
• Transformational change delivery experience
• Driving operational excellence (processes/improvements/strategic steerage)

What this role is all about:

The Life Underwriting Director will play a pivotal role in managing and driving transformational change across our underwriting processes. This role will oversee the underwriting nurses concierge and new business teams from quote to cover ensuring the seamless integration and efficiency of operations. Do you have a proven track record in life underwriting and evidence of leading transformation change projects The idea candidate will also need to have strong leadership skills and a passion for innovation and continuous improvement.

The role will drive the adviser service strategy and lead the delivery of consistent World Class service to our Intermediaries across Vitality Life. This includes dealing both directly with members and intermediaries and will sit on the Life Exco and deputise for the Group Retention & Adviser Service Director in other key Excos.

Key Actions

• Define the strategy and plan for Life Adviser Service Operations in alignment with the overall business strategy and goals.
• Provide mentorship guidance and professional development opportunities for team members
• Create a high performance culture where people have the freedom and desire to develop and aspirations to over achieve.
• Drive and implement transformational change initiatives to optimize underwriting & service processes.
• Develop and execute strategies to improve efficiency accuracy and customer experience.
• Delivery of technology solutions to meet changing broker franchise and employer requirements and provide optimal simplicity in engaging with the business.
• Engaging with a significant change programme and driving change in the business by ensuring that the team are empowered to identify.
• Oversee the end-to-end underwriting process from quote to cover. Ensure adherence to underwriting guidelines risk assessment protocols and regulatory requirements.
• Working collaboratively with all other Operational Division Heads on matters of innovation efficiency and the quality of the Customer experience being the main priority.
• Establish Management Information and KPIs analyse data to determine operational effectiveness and areas for improvement.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to understand needs and deliver exceptional service.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients brokers and other partners.
• Identify and implement innovative solutions to enhance underwriting efficiency and accuracy.
• Deliver efficiency and effectiveness targets focusing on automation and customer experience.

What do you need to thrive

• Evidence of working at senior levels and sales teams
• Private Medical Life or Insurance experience
• Excellent leadership attributes
• An understanding of how to build motivate and mature call centre teams
• Excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication coaching and feedback skills
• Substantial experience in life underwriting with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience in managing transformational change initiatives.
• Strong understanding of underwriting processes risk assessment and regulatory requirements.
• Evidence of supporting the delivery of large system change specially to drive process and customer benefit
• Bachelors degree in Business Finance Insurance or a related field (advanced degree preferred)
• Ability to think strategically and drive innovation.