Lead Underwriting Specialist

Job Classification:

Operations - Insurance Operations

Group Insurance is an operating unit within the U.S. Businesses Division that primarily focuses on creating, distributing, and administering a complex range of life, disability and supplemental health insurance products for many top Fortune 500 companies.  Prudential has been underwriting group insurance plans since 1916. Today, our Group Insurance business unit is the nation’s second largest group life carrier and a leading disability carrier, proudly servicing nearly 20,000 clients—and insuring more than 20 million employees and their families. Group Insurance has operation centers across the United States.

The Lead Underwriting Specialist is accountable for underwriting Group Life, Disability, or Supplemental Health proposals, renewals and on-going case activity in accordance with statutory regulations and existing underwriting policies and practices, assessing risk and making and communicating decisions in a manner which contributes to the profitability of the product and reputation of the company.  

What you can expect:

• Assesses, calculates and specifies the conditions under which Prudential is willing to accept risk on Group Life, Disability, and/or Supplemental Health business for prospective and in-force customers. This includes, but is not limited to, the review and analysis of risk criteria, demographic data, financial data, rating formulas, case specific experience, product filings and statutory requirements.
• Independently applies Underwriting judgment, formulates pricing decisions, negotiates within their authority limit, and handles standard to complex reporting requests. Understands and applies current pricing strategy across the book of business.
• Confidently and effectively communicates point of view through both verbal and written communications and negotiates with internal/external partners in various roles, including renewal /proposal positioning.
• Influences others through their behavior.
• Actively engages in supporting the positive consultative outcomes crucial to our long-term success, identifying opportunities to provide consultative creative solutions and making recommendations.
• Creates accurate offers, standard experience reports and/or evaluations, projections for assigned accounts and may create detailed and customized reporting to support cases. May provide case specific information for multi-year planning efforts and makes projections based on emerging account experience and trends.
• Maintains updated records and case files in accordance with underwriting and records policies & procedures.
• Demonstrates an awareness of regional trends, competitive landscape and factors that influence the marketplace and regulatory environment
• Actively supports the Leadership initiatives, offering continuous guidance and proactively sharing expertise with others, and serving as a resource for less experienced underwriters
• Demonstrates a strong ability to help others gain an understanding of the underwriting process, including case reviews, identifying training needs and developing and delivering training.
• Acts as a subject matter expert for medium/high complexity topics
• Actively participates in or leads projects which may be broader/cross-functional, demonstrates an understanding of both the upstream and downstream impacts of changes within and outside of Underwriting.
• Directly supports management in the analysis and interpretation of portfolio profitability metrics and serves as a conduit to drive understanding throughout team.

What you’ll need:

• Group Life, Disability and/or Supplemental Health underwriting experience, preferably 7+ years,
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• Ability to work independently
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Ability to prioritize work with limited oversight
• Results and profit oriented
• Strong Analytical and mathematical skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and email software
• Excellent Excel skills
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Ability to develop strong working relationships
• Understands and adheres to policies and procedures
• Exhibits behaviors aligned with leadership competencies

What we offer you:

Prudential is required by state specific laws to include the salary range for this role when hiring a resident in applicable locations. The salary range for this role is from $107,300.00 to $166,400.00. Specific pricing for the role may vary within the above range based on many factors including geographic location, candidate experience, and skills.

• Market competitive base salaries, with a yearly bonus potential at every level. 

• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, Paid Time Off (PTO), and leave of absences, such as parental and military leave. 

• 401(k) plan with company match (up to 4%). 

• Company-funded pension plan. 

• Wellness Programs including up to $1,600 a year for reimbursement of items purchased to support personal wellbeing needs. 

• Work/Life Resources to help support topics such as parenting, housing, senior care, finances, pets, legal matters, education, emotional and mental health, and career development.  

• Education Benefit to help finance traditional college enrollment toward obtaining an approved degree and many accredited certificate programs.  

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Shares can be purchased at 85% of the lower of two prices (Beginning or End of the purchase period), after one year of service. 

Eligibility to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance. To find out more about our Total Rewards package, visit Work Life Balance | Prudential Careers. Some of the above benefits may not apply to part-time employees scheduled to work less than 20 hours per week.