Underwriter

Reference: ASPUKRS00098

, Zurich

Permanent - Full Time

**About us**:
Since Aspen was founded in 2002, we have become a leading, diversified specialty insurance and reinsurance company. We respond thoughtfully and creatively to find the best outcomes for our clients and business partners through carefully-tailored solutions.
We believe the way we work is just as important as the work we do, and we are guided by our core values of respect, honesty, trust and professionalism.
Aspen is a great place to develop your career offering an exciting and challenging environment where achievement is rewarded.

**The role**:
To appropriately underwrite risks in accordance with the business plan and within delegated underwriting authority.

“Our Aspen Values are expected to be reflected in the delivery and performance of every role.”

**Key accountabilities**:
**Strategy and Planning**
- Assists in the preparation and implementation of the operational team plans to ensure these are in line with wider business strategy and reflect key priorities.
- Determines own work priorities and activities in line with agreed plans to ensure the achievement of the function’s objectives.
- Benchmarking of delivery to plan objectives.

**Policy, Process and Procedures**
- Supports the implementation of the underwriting strategy to enable delivery of overall business targets.
- Adheres to underwriting standards, instructions and good practice to minimise risk and maximise efficiency.
- Ensures the recording and measurement of insurance risks, including delegated underwriting authorities (DUA’s) where relevant, to ensure accuracy and good practice.
- Performs underwriting activities in accordance with all legal and regulatory requirements to ensure obligations are met.

**Environmental Awareness/Customer Focus**
- Establishes, strengthens and develops relationships with stakeholders including customers, brokers, business partners and colleagues to support their needs, maximise influence, and achieve business objectives
- Responds to internal and external stakeholder requests in accordance with service standards.
- Demonstrates an understanding and awareness of market dynamics and market cycle to enhance business performance.
- Legal compliance.
- Positive feedback from stakeholders/business.
- Risk avoidance.
- Open and regular communication.

**Technical Performance**
- Underwrites insurance risks in accordance with the business plan and the delegated underwriting authority to meet business objectives.
- Participates in the review and analysis of the portfolio to identify progress toward business objectives.
- Acts as a technical expert to support the identification of issues and opportunities within area of expertise.
- Supports the senior underwriting team in the production of management information reports, to enable effective monitoring of underwriting activity.
- Ensures entries are properly and promptly recorded on relevant systems to ensure accuracy of data in relation to underwriting and aggregate exposures.
- Understands and contributes to the aggregate management and peer review processes to encourage and develop excellence

**People Management**
- Supports a specific team within the function / department or specialism to ensure that people, resources and processes are aligned with business needs and fit for purpose.
- Support, resource, motivate, develop and focus the team to ensure the required standards of performance and support the continuing personal and professional development of all team members.
- Supports appointment, dismissal, performance management and reward of the team to effectively manage resources within the function.
- Establish clear accountabilities and authority levels for direct reports and build a strong culture of accountability and performance in order to ensure delivery of goals.

**Skills & experience**:
**Knowledge**
- Extensive and relevant knowledge of underwriting in appropriate area.
- Good working knowledge of relevant Aspen underwriting systems.
- Understanding of class specific underwriting and reinsurance knowledge.
- Proven knowledge of relevant market conditions for specific class/portfolio.
- Knowledge of use of risk profiling, pricing tools and loss models.
- Good knowledge of legal and regulatory requirements (specific reference to FCA/Lloyds regulation)
- Good knowledge of Aspen’s underwriting process and procedures including EPA’s

**Skills**
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Good organisational skills.
- Able to work independently.
- Able to manage conflicting priorities to achieve deadlines.
- Able to plan effectively and efficiently.
- Strong customer orientation skills.
- Ability to collaborate effectively within a team environment.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Strong investigative skills.
- Negotiation skills.
- Able to produce MI and detailed reports at various levels.
- Ability to analyse data and use for decision-making.
- People management -