JOB DETAILS:
Client Brief;
Our client is an integrated financial service provider in East Africa, partnering with individuals and corporates to offer financial solutions including General Insurance, Life Insurance, Asset Management, Investment, and Banking.

Position Summary;
Our client is seeking a dynamic Underwriting Manager who can lead and manage the medical underwriting team, ensuring sound risk assessment, profitability, compliance with policies, and maintaining a balance between risk exposure and product development. The role ensures that business growth is achieved through the implementation of effective underwriting strategies while delivering quality service to clients and intermediaries

Duties and Responsibilities;
• Risk Management: Ensure proper medical risk assessment and that only quality business is accepted to maintain the company’s profitability.
• Documentation and Compliance: Oversee accurate and timely preparation of documentation, including endorsements, KYC, and membership setups, and ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including clients, intermediaries, and healthcare service providers.
• Team Leadership and Development: Provide leadership, mentorship, and technical guidance to the underwriting team to ensure consistent growth, knowledge transfer, and productivity.
• Product Development: Collaborate with product development teams to create relevant and competitive medical insurance products, adapting to market needs and emerging trends.
• Credit Control: Ensure effective credit control practices, working with accounts to minimize unpaid premiums.
• Oversee medical underwriting processes to ensure alignment with the company's policies, regulatory standards, and loss ratio targets.
• Review and approve medical underwriting decisions, including high-risk cases, ensuring medical history and clinical data are analyzed.
• Ensure efficient and accurate use of medical underwriting systems for membership data updates, card issuance, and account reconciliations.
• Supervise the onboarding of new schemes, ensuring contract completion, accurate member listings, and payment set-ups.
• Maintain positive engagement with intermediaries and clients, providing timely responses within the company’s service level agreement (SLA).
• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports on medical underwriting performance, including loss ratios, endorsements, new business growth, and risk assessment trends.

• Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching, and upskilling of underwriting staff to enhance technical knowledge and soft skills.
• Work closely with service providers, reinsurers, and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance, service delivery, and efficient claim management.
• Stay updated on market trends, competitor offerings, and industry innovations to help shape the company’s medical insurance products.
• Collaborate with the claims department to track claims experience and ensure underwriting practices align with loss control.
• Participate in strategic planning for the medical insurance portfolio to enhance the company's market position and profitability.

Key Competences;
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills to assess complex medical risks and develop appropriate underwriting strategies.
• Deep understanding of healthcare systems, medical procedures, clinical diagnosis, and their impact on insurance claims and pricing.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and develop teams, ensuring continuous improvement in service delivery and efficiency.
• Strong understanding of industry regulations related to medical insurance and underwriting in the healthcare sector.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills to build effective partnerships with brokers, agents, clients, and providers.
• Ability to manage multiple complex tasks and projects while maintaining a focus on precision and compliance.
• Proficiency in medical underwriting software, MS Office, and other relevant tools.

Qualification;
• Bachelor’s degree in insurance, Business, Healthcare Management, or a related field.
• Professional certifications like ACII, CII, or LOMA are an added advantage
Preferred Additional Qualifications;
Master’s degree in business administration (MBA) with a focus on Healthcare Management