Underwriter job description
An Underwriter in insurance assesses proposals, decides whether to accept them and on what terms, and balances fair treatment of customers with the insurer's need to price risk correctly.
Why the role exists
The Underwriter works in an insurer's underwriting team, in life, health or general lines, and reports to an underwriting manager. The role reviews proposals from agents, branches and brokers, asks for the right medical or survey information and gives a clear decision. Sound underwriting keeps premiums fair and claims manageable.
What the person does
- Review new proposals and endorsements against underwriting guidelines and decide to accept, load, restrict, defer or decline within delegated authority.
- Read proposal forms, medical reports, financial documents or survey reports and note facts that change the risk.
- Request additional tests, reports or clarification from the customer or sales team and set clear deadlines for responses.
- Explain decisions to agents, branches or brokers in plain terms so they can pass the reason to the customer without confusion.
- Escalate large, unusual or borderline cases to the senior underwriter or the committee, with a short note of the risk and the proposed terms.
- Watch for non-disclosure, inconsistent answers or signs of fraud and report them as the insurer's internal process directs.
- Update the policy system with decisions, loadings and conditions and make sure every file shows the reason for the decision.
- Join case reviews with claims and actuarial colleagues and feed back what the claims experience shows about the risks the team accepts.
Skills and tools
- Applying the insurer's underwriting guidelines to health, life, motor or commercial proposals
- Reading medical reports, financial documents and survey reports and spotting what matters
- Judgement on risk, including when to ask for more information and when to decline
- Fair and clear decision notes that stand up to audit and to customer queries
- Policy administration systems and workflow tools used by Indian insurers
- Working knowledge of how claims and pricing link back to underwriting choices
- Communication with agents, doctors, surveyors and brokers in a firm and polite tone
- Document review for forged or altered papers and for patterns that suggest misrepresentation
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Graduate in commerce, science, medicine-related fields or management preferred, or equivalent experience in insurance operations or claims.
- Prior experience in proposal review, claims or policy servicing in life, health or general insurance is preferred.
- Any underwriting certification or authority depends on the insurer and the facts; confirm it with the employer's own adviser.
- Strong reading and judgement skills matter, and the candidate should be comfortable with consistent documented decisions.
How the work is judged
- Quality of decisions, judged by internal audit and by later claims experience as set by the company
- Turnaround time for proposals and referred cases, within the insurer's service standards
- Adherence to guidelines and delegated authority, as seen in audits and case reviews
- Clarity of decision notes and communication to the sales and customer-facing teams
- Handling of complex and borderline cases, including timely escalation and fair treatment of customers
Where the role can lead
- Senior Underwriter with higher authority limits or a specialist line
- Underwriting Manager leading a team and shaping guidelines with senior management
- Roles in product, risk, claims strategy or reinsurance liaison, depending on the insurer
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Describe a proposal where the facts did not match the form. How did you decide what to do?
- A broker pushes you to accept a large risk quickly. How do you respond and what do you document?
- How do you decide between loading a premium and declining a proposal?
- Explain a decline to an agent who is upset, in simple words.
- Tell us about a decision you reviewed after a claim. What did you learn?
- How do you stay consistent with guidelines when two similar cases look very different?
Hiring tips for this role
- Use a case study with a proposal and ask for a decision and a short reason. Decision quality and writing both show.
- Check the candidate's comfort with saying no to sales. Underwriters who agree to everything can harm the insurer's results.
- Match the line of business. Health, life and motor underwriting need different knowledge, so do not treat them as interchangeable.
- Agree on authority limits and escalation steps before hiring. Confirm any needed certification with your own adviser.
Questions about hiring a underwriter
An Underwriter reviews proposals, decides whether to accept them and on what terms, and records the reason. The role works with sales, medical and claims teams and escalates cases beyond its authority.
Many insurers train graduates as junior underwriters after a period in operations or claims. A fresher needs structured training on guidelines and supervised decisions before getting any authority.
It depends on the insurer, the line of business and the facts. Do not assume either way. Ask your own adviser what applies and state the answer clearly in the job description and offer.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates for permanent hiring and supports the offer. We look at line of business experience and case reasoning so shortlisted people suit your guidelines.
Hiring a underwriter?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.