Underwriting Specialist

The Canada Life Assurance Company • Toronto, ON

3d • CA$90,400 - CA$140,400 • Remote

About The Position

The Underwriting Specialist will be responsible for the ongoing professional development of our underwriting talent for Individual Life Insurance. They will work closely with the Medical Board and the Performance Management team to develop individualized training plans aimed at providing the underwriters with the tools necessary to succeed and continue to grow in their role. They are the Underwriter’s resource for risk assessment expertise and assistance navigating our technology platform.

Requirements

• Demonstrated coaching skills and comfortable with difficult conversations
• Superior risk assessment experience (7 + years) and solid expertise working in our New Business system.
• Comfortable with change and able to actively sponsor and participate in change initiatives
• Critical thinker
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal in; comfortable making presentations
• Effective communicator amongst varied audiences and in challenging circumstances
• Decision maker with superb negotiation skills
• Ability to work with changing priorities and multi-task; able to prioritize effectively
• Able to deal with escalated complaint situations
• Foster collaborative relationships across functions in the business using credible and trusted advice
• Possess a continuous improvement orientation, encouraging new approaches and challenging the status quo
• Reliability Status Security Clearance – this can only be completed with candidates who receive an offer of employment. This is a personal security status that is required as a condition of employment before an employee can gain access to Protected B information, assets or work sites as outlined by the Government of Canada website. The cost of submitting these checks will be covered by Canada Life.

Nice To Haves

• FLMI and FALU designations an asset
• Expertise in underwriting CI an asset
• Bilingualism in English and French considered a strong asset

Responsibilities

• Provide underwriters with daily mentoring and case consultation; fostering a culture of collaboration, critical thinking and customer centricity
• Develop a comprehensive training plan for each underwriter and continually assess their development needs
• Co-sign cases above the underwriter’s signing authority limits, ensuring appropriate assessment of medical, non-medical and financial risks and adherence to our underwriting philosophies and guidelines.
• Conduct regular team meetings to discuss underwriting issues and provide case clinics
• Review and communicate the underwriter’s quality assurance reviews, providing constructive feedback and development opportunities
• Promote a positive customer experience by developing and sustaining effective business relations with all key stakeholders (customers, distribution, leaders, etc.)
• Provide the Assistant Manager with regular feedback for the underwriter’s performance management plans and responsible for completing the quality assessment portion of their annual review.
• Provide technical expertise on escalated and complex cases
• Provide business process and systems expertise in our New Business technology platform including AURA and OnBase
• Collaborate with Reinsurers, Pricing, Marketing, Medical Department and Actuarial Marketing on complex cases in an effort to provide the best possible underwriting offers
• Participate on projects for the purpose of further developing and improving underwriting expertise, customer experience and marketplace competitiveness
• Provide coaching and training on location, as well as remotely through Microsoft Teams, Zoom or other platforms

Benefits

• Career Development: Opportunities for career advancement, access to industry-leading learning programs and up to $2,000 annually towards education reimbursement.
• Health & Wellness: Flexible health and dental benefits, plus a $5,000 mental health benefit to support your well-being.
• Time Off: In addition to regular vacation and personal days, we support community involvement with a volunteer day.
• Financial Security: Company-matching pension plan, share ownership program and additional investment options.
• Rewards and Recognition: Employee recognition programs, service milestone celebrations, employee discounts and more!
• Emphasis on Community: We provide a workplace where employees feel connected and supported through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), mentorship programs, social clubs and events.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior