Job Description

Standard Bank Group is a leading Africa-focused financial services group, and an innovative player on the global stage, that offers a variety of career-enhancing opportunities – plus the chance to work alongside some of the sector’s most talented, motivated professionals. Our clients range from individuals, to businesses of all sizes, high net worth families and large multinational corporates and institutions. We’re passionate about creating growth in Africa. Bringing true, meaningful value to our clients and the communities we serve and creating a real sense of purpose for you.

To lead and manage the Underwriting Function within a larger portfolio, developing and implementing effective underwriting strategies that minimise risk while achieving business objectives. This role is responsible for ensuring the quality and consistency of underwriting decisions while driving continuous improvement in processes and practices.

Qualifications

Type of Qualification: First Degree
Field of Study: Business Commerce, Finance and Accounting, Legal, Mathematical Sciences, Risk Management, Engineering Sciences Study Direction

Experience Required
Insurance

Insurance

8-10 years

Ability to translate business objectives into effective underwriting strategies and operational plans

Develop, lead, and implement the operational underwriting strategic vision, roadmap, and annual operating plan for the

Underwriting function, ensuring alignment with the IAM Business Unit's overall objectives and risk appetite

Continuously monitor industry trends, competitor activities, global best practices in underwriting, and regulatory developments to

identify opportunities and threats, informing strategic adjustments and ensuring competitive positioning.

Develop, implement, and maintain underwriting standards and guidelines to ensure consistent, high-quality risk assessment and

pricing across the portfolio. Continuously review and refine underwriting standards in response to portfolio performance, claims

trends, and market conditions

Define and embed the risk appetite framework, including target segments, exposure limits, and restricted classes of business.

Monitor and enforce alignment of underwriting activity with the organisation’s risk appetite and strategic objectives. Recommend

adjustments to risk appetite based on emerging risks, underwriting performance, and external market developments

Establish, monitor, and manage underwriting authority limits and portfolio risk appetite, ensuring robust controls are in place to

maintain portfolio quality and adherence to defined risk parameters. Identify and quantify risk exposure, define coverage limits,

exclusions, deductables etc and guide the team in applying underwriting guidelines, models and professional judgement.

Oversee and provide final adjudication for complex, high-value, or sensitive underwriting cases that fall outside standard authority

limits or require expert judgment, ensuring equitable and compliant outcomes.

Oversee processes for effective, clear, transparent, and empathetic communication of underwriting decisions to clients and

intermediaries, strictly adhering to “treat Customers Fairly” (TCF) principles.

Resolve complex and high-risk, high nett worth underwriting queries, disputes, or issues and orchestrate the resolution by

facilitating and coordinating the decisions and actions of various internal and external stakeholders

Provide expert underwriting input, feasibility assessments, and sign-off for the development and launch of new insurance

products, ensuring their profitability, market viability, and alignment with the underwriting strategy and risk appetite.

Oversee and rigorously analyse the performance of the Underwriting portfolio, including key metrics such as loss ratios, expense

ratios, hit rates, retention rates, and claims experience, identifying trends and implementing corrective actions.

Promote and leverage advanced data analytics and predictive modelling within the underwriting function to generate actionable

insights, identify emerging risks, support product development, and refine underwriting models.

Develop and present comprehensive reports and insightful analyses on underwriting performance, portfolio risk exposure, and

strategic initiatives to executive leadership (e.g. Portfolio Head) and other relevant executive committees.

Formulate, implement, and continuously review underwriting policies, guidelines, and procedures across all relevant product lines

(e.g., life, health, general insurance) to ensure consistency, profitability, and regulatory compliance. Ensure adherence to

underwriting protocols, including risk selection, pricing discipline, policy structuring, and documentation standards in the

underwriting function.

Essential Functions

• Direct the underwriting function to ensure stringent adherence of all underwriting activities to all relevant South African financial services legislation (e.g., FSCA, TCF, POPIA, FAIS, AML) and internal Standard Bank Group governance policies and ethical standards.
• Establish and maintain robust internal controls within the underwriting function, ensuring constant readiness for internal and external audits and efficiently implementing all recommended corrective actions.
• Implement and oversee robust controls, processes, and training within underwriting to proactively detect, prevent, and mitigate fraud, misrepresentation, and adverse selection.
• Design, implement, and manage a robust quality assurance framework for all underwriting decisions, conducting regular audits and reviews to ensure accuracy, consistency, and strict adherence to established standards and policies.
• Champion initiatives for continuous process improvement, automation, and digital transformation within the underwriting function to enhance efficiency, reduce turnaround times, and improve the client and intermediary experience.
• Drive the effective utilisation and continuous enhancement of underwriting systems, data analytics tools, and technology solutions to support efficient risk assessment, robust data management, and informed decision-making.
• Lead or actively participate in cross-functional projects that impact the underwriting function, ensuring effective representation of underwriting perspectives and successful project delivery.
• Collaborate effectively with key internal departments such as Actuarial, Claims, Product Development, Sales, Operations, Legal, Finance, and Compliance to ensure seamless workflow, mutual understanding of impacts, and strategic alignment Additional Responsibilities Manage and nurture strategic relationships with key external partners including reinsurers, brokers, medical service providers

Additional Responsibilities

• Manage and nurture strategic relationships with key external partners including reinsurers, brokers, medical service providers, third-party administrators, and industry bodies to optimise risk transfer, identify new business opportunities, gather market intelligence, and ensure best practice adoption Lead, mentor, coach, and develop a high-performing team of underwriting managers, senior underwriters, and specialists, fostering a culture of technical excellence, continuous professional development, and strong risk acumen.
• Implement robust talent management practices, including recruitment, performance management, training needs identification, and succession planning, to ensure a skilled and sustainable underwriting workforce.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the annual budget for the underwriting department, ensuring optimal allocation of financial resources and adherence to financial targets set by the Portfolio Head

Behavioural Competencies:

• Checking Things
• Developing Strategies
• Directing People
• Examining Information
• Exploring Possibilities
• Following Procedures
• Generating Ideas
• Managing Tasks
• Producing Output
• Pursuing Goals
• Taking Action
• Upholding Standards

Technical Competencies:

• Automation Acumen
• Claims Knowledge and Management
• Client Acceptance & Review
• Client Relationship Management
• Coaching and Mentoring Operational Practices
• Collaboration
• Continuous Improvement
• Insurance Principles
• Insurance Products & Services
• Operations Risk Management
• Process Management
• Resource & Capacity Optimization
• Risk Perception & Assessment
• Strategic Alignment & Execution
• Underwriting and Pricing Risk
• Underwriting Management
• Underwriting Process