United States onlyJob Description:
The Associate (VP) Chief Underwriter is a senior enterprise underwriting leader responsible for underwriting production, risk selection strategy, and underwriting talent acrossateam of underwriters. Reporting directly to the Chief Underwriter, this role serves asaprimary underwriting executive, with accountability for underwriting quality, mortality outcomes, field partnership, and organizational capability.
The Associate (VP) Chief Underwriter provides strategic direction for underwriting risk selection, leads and develops underwriting leaders and teams, and ensures underwriting practices align with product pricing, reinsurance strategy, and enterprise underwriting philosophy. This role combines deep technical underwritingexpertisewith strongpeopleleadership, operational oversight, and decision-making authority, while supporting enterprise underwriting initiatives and major projects sponsored by the Chief Underwriter.
Responsibilities
Provide executive leadership over underwriting risk selection strategy, ensuring underwriting guidelines align with mortality assumptions, product pricing, and profitabilityobjectives.
Deliver expert underwriting judgment and final decisioning on the most complex,high risk, and jumbo caseswith limited personal production of high death benefit cases.
Build, lead, and develop underwriting leaders and teams, with accountability for talent development, succession planning, organizational design, and team cohesion.
Establish andmaintainstrong, influential relationships with field leaders andFinancial Professionals, including the ability to deliverdifficult decisionswhile preserving trust and partnership.
Partner closely with Product, Actuarial, and Reinsurance to assess risk,productpricingand mortality assumptions,andcollaborate withAssociate (VP) Chief Underwriter,UnderwritingStrategy and Governancetoevolve underwriting guidelines as product strategies change.
Own and execute an effective caseescalationframework, serving as the final escalation point and ensuring clear communication of decisions to field leadership.
Define, implement, and overseetheunderwriting quality, mortality, and performance management forthe underwriting team, including audits, trend analysis, and corrective action planning.
Lead and sponsor underwriting initiatives and projects supporting businessobjectives.
Collaborate with Associate(VP)Chief Underwriter,UnderwritingStrategy and Governance onprocess improvements, technology adoption, and vendor solution implementation.
Champion the responsible adoption of AI and advanced analytics in underwriting, ensuring alignment with governance standards, risk controls, and underwriting judgment.
Represent underwriting leadership in enterprise forums, industry discussions, and key internal and external meetings asappropriate.
Ensure compliance with company policies, regulatory requirements, and professional standards, whileremainingcurrent on industry, mortality, and underwriting trends.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
Deep,enterprise levelexpertisein life underwriting riskselection, including medical, financial, and non-medical assessment.
Demonstrated success leading large underwriting organizations and senior underwriting leaders.
Strong strategic orientation with the ability to align underwriting practices to product pricing, reinsurance strategy, and distribution needs.
Proven ability to influence field behavior and outcomes through strong relationships, credibility, and executive presence.
Advanced knowledge of the reinsurance marketplace andlarge caseunderwriting dynamics.
Ability to balance underwriting discipline with growth, customer experience, and distribution effectiveness.
Strong analytical,decision making, andproblem-solvingskills.
Executive levelcommunication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Experience leading underwriting modernization efforts, including technology, vendor solutions, andAI enabledunderwriting capabilities.
Commitment tomaintainingbestinclass underwriting practices and professional standards.
Education
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent related experiencerequired.
Master’s Degree or MBA preferred.
Experience
15+ years of progressive life insurance underwriting experience, including extensive experience with complex, highfaceamount, and jumbo cases.
Demonstratedexecutive levelunderwriting authorityof $20M+.
Proven experience leading large underwriting teams and leaders, with accountability for quality, mortality, and talent outcomes.
Experience partnering with distribution, product, actuarial, and reinsurance leaders to shape underwriting strategy and outcomes.
Track recordof leading underwriting transformation initiatives, including technology adoption andAI enabledunderwriting solutions.
Certifications
ProfessionaldesignationsACS, ALU, FLMI, FALU, CLU (or progress toward one or more) preferred.
Base Salary Range - $260,000 - $285,000
For over 175 years, Penn Mutual has empowered individuals, families and businesses on the journey to achieve their financial goals. Through our partnership with Financial Professionals across the U.S., we help instill the confidence and reliability that comes from a stronger financial future. Penn Mutual and its affiliates offer a comprehensive suite of competitive products and services to meet the unique needs of Financial Professionals and their clients, including life insurance, annuities, wealth management and institutional asset management. To learn more, including current financial strength ratings, visitwww.pennmutual.com.
Penn Mutual is committed toEqual Employment Opportunity(EEO). We provide employment and advancement opportunities to all qualified applicants and associates, according to applicable laws. This is reflected in our practices for hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, recruitment, compensation, selection or training, and all other terms and conditions of employment. All employment-related decisions and practices are free from unlawful discrimination. This includes: race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship age, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, domestic partnership or civil union status, marital status, genetic information, disability, religious observance or practice, liability, veteran status or any other classification protected under applicable law.
