Intermediate Underwriter

**Main duties and responsibilities**:
Process optimisation and efficiencies:

- Underwriting cases within the agreed service level agreements (SLAs)
- Responsible for achieving and maintaining standards in Underwriting Life
- Assisting with regular audits on the Underwriting department, ensuring that standards are maintained
- Providing constructive feedback to Underwriting Manager/Underwriter regarding matters arising
- Assessing specific underwriting cases
- Responsible for financial underwriting to ensure accurate financial underwriting decisions
- Participation in projects to improve departmental service - owning your role in the project and completing tasks as required by providing input

Risk and compliance:

- Adhering to internal SLAs to ensure operational efficiency and achievement of agreed customer service standards
- Ensuring adherence to regulatory and compliance requirements

Maintain Product Expertise
- In order to answer customer complaints and questions, an Intermediate Underwriter must be an expert in the products offered by PPS. This requires one to take the initiative to master every feature and benefit of each product. Identifying process and procedure improvements and make recommendations to streamline and simplify processes.

People and Culture:

- Checking and authorising underwriting decisions in terms of the published delegation of authority (DoA)
- Collaboration with relevant stakeholders: Research & Development, Member Services, and Intermediary Services
- Assisting with Arbitration and Ombudsman cases and collaborating with other stakeholder during the Complaints process
- Contributing and assisting with the review of processes and protocols where required to assist in PPS’ delivery of quality underwriting decisions
- Forging strong working relationships with stakeholders

Knowledge Champion:

- Providing guidance and support to junior underwriters
- Empowering team members with transfer of knowledge
- Ensuring that one’s own knowledge is kept abreast with industry and regulatory information and changes through various internal and external information sources
- Providing technical information and support

**Education**:

- Medical Diploma (NQF 6) or equivalent
- Medical degree would be preferred

**Experience**:

- 3+ years’ underwriting experience in the Long-Term Insurance industry
- 4+ years’ Insurance industry experience

**Knowledge and Skills**:

- Proficient in the assessment oand management of underwriting decisions
- Must understand the underwriting environment and general protocols and processes
- Sound Medical and Life Assurance knowledge
- Fluent in English - both written and verbal
- Good computer knowledge - MS Outlook, Excel and Word are necessary
- Must have a mature, disciplined and driven personality
- Able to work independently as well as being a good team-player with excellent interpersonal skills
- Deadline/target driven, with ability to work under pr essure
- Logical and analytical
- Have a skill set that includes good levels of communication (both written & verbal), negotiation, analytical and numerical skills

**Competencies**:

- Must use underwriting initiative and discretion in decision making
- Planning and organizing
- Attention to detail
- Client centricity
- Building and maintaining relationships
- Resilience