Head: Underwriting

What will you do?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Head: Underwriting & Sales - A&H within Santam Specialist Solutions.

What will make you successful in this role?

Key responsibilities:

• Responsible for both top-line growth in line with the annual budget as well as underwriting result of your relevant business area.
• Provide sustainable strategic input for your relevant business area that will contribute to the financial health of the organisation through the generation of income.
• Provide detailed analysis and reporting on the Underwriting performance of your relevant business area.
  
  Actively seek ways to maintain a competitive advantage in the market.
• Provide feedback on market intelligence.
  
  Identify and establish relationships with the top-performing brokers nationwide, prioritizing those contributing significant A & H insurance placements.
• Develop tailored strategies to strengthen partnerships with large as well as specialist Brokers.
• Proactively generate new business opportunities to grow market share in the A & H insurance segment.
• Assist regional marketers in retaining and expanding existing high-value client portfolios through focused engagement strategies.
• Act as a central point of contact for national broker relationships, ensuring consistent and meaningful interaction.
• Support regional marketers by facilitating broker meetings, presentations, and negotiations where needed.
• Conduct targeted training sessions for brokers on A & H products, risk mitigation and policy wording changes and / or trends.
• Share insights and best practices to enhance broker capability and engagement.
• Monitor national market trends, competitor activity, and opportunities for growth.
• Collaborate with regional teams to identify and explore untapped markets or segments.
• Leverage data and analytics to identify growth opportunities within Brokers or Broker segments.
• Work closely with regional marketers to align national strategies with regional objectives.
• Provide mentorship and support to regional teams in broker engagement and business development activities.
• Attend to all underwriting responsibilities related to a relevant line of business including but not limited to risk evaluation, preparation and loading of quotes, checking and signing of policy wordings and endorsements, in respect of both new business and renewals.
• Assist underwriters with analytical and strategic input in the interpretation of underwriting information.
• Ensure adherence to underwriting governance and underwriting authorities.
• Ensure accuracy of referral documentation and treaty compliance of risks when presented by Underwriters.
• Provide a special focus on large / important clients and or accounts within your relevant business area.
• Provide guidance on technically complex quotes and renewals and ensure quality control in respect of underwriting standards.
• Day-to-day management of staff on sales related matters and other issues.
• Contact visits with brokers to discuss renewals, new business and to promote the Company.
• Manage and maintain successful business relationships with relevant clients.
• Ensure that clients are provided with consistent superior service and products.
• Handle and resolve all relevant client queries within authority levels and liaise with service providers.
• Work in conjunction with all internal resources and support structures to achieve desired business outcomes.
• Prepare a sales budget that is in line with the overall company strategy for growth and financial sustainability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Post graduate qualification.
• FAIS compliance
• 10 years insurance experience

Skills

• Administrative Skill
• Analytical and decisive
• Attention to Detail
• Client Orientation
• Communication Skills including negotiation
• Creativity
• Empowerment and optimising performance
• Follow Up
• Initiative
• Interpersonal Skills
• Managing work and delegation
• Organisational Awareness
• Planning and Organising
• Teamwork
• Tolerance of handling high pressure work environment
• Ability to cope under pressure
• Computer Literacy
• Financial Acumen
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills