Job Introduction

We have a fantastic opportunity for an engaging, commercially focused Head of Underwriting to lead our Underwriting team in the Commercial Services division.

The main purpose of the role is to lead and empower the Underwriting team to provide an excellent underwriting service for our members; a service which is trusted and valued and known for providing fair treatment and outcomes. With around 300,000 members and a growing Lloyd’s of London presence, the Head of Underwriting is a pivotal role for MPS.

We are looking for a confident people leader with excellent stakeholder management skills to bring their expert knowledge of commercial insurance markets and underwriting practices (particularly in the healthcare sector) to MPS.

In return we can offer you the opportunity to:

1. Do something good – We are the world’s leading Medical Defence Organisation (MDO), providing protection for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals; by joining our team you can take the lead on making a real difference for our members.
2. Join a dynamic team – We have real experts in the team including medical, dental and commercial professionals who are eager to work collaboratively to achieve the overall strategy of the Commercial Services division.
3. Work on exciting projects – Here at MPS we are ambitious, we are currently looking to broaden our product offering as well as venture into more countries globally, the Head of Underwriting will play a pivotal role in bringing these ambitions to life.
4. Participate in the Lloyd’s environment – Asta, the third-party managing agent at Lloyd’s has received “in principle” approval from the Lloyd’s Council for the transition of the Medical Protection Society’s (MPS) Special Purpose Arrangement (SPA) 1892 to a full syndicate, effective Jan. 1, 2022 which will involve MPS’s underwriting team.
5. Grow – This is a highly visible position working with the Executive Director of Commercial Services and presents a real opportunity for an experienced professional to enhance our current practices and grow the position into one which plays a key strategic role within the business. 

Role Responsibility

• Be an inspirational people leader who embodies the organisation’s values; investing in your people’s personal and professional development, ensuring we have a strong talent pipeline to ensure we are fit for the future.   
• Offer meaningful decision points to MPS governance forums to ensure that MPS operates within risk appetite, and decision makers are fully informed and equipped as to where financial opportunities exist.
• Work with Policy Leads to develop underwriting philosophy, strategy, risk appetite, technical wordings, and drive improvement opportunities in the likes of wordings, processes, pricing or strategy.
• As the healthcare and risk management landscape continually changes, keep abreast of evolving legislation and best practice; identify and recommend opportunities for MPS to become more efficient and effective.
• Set and deliver the Underwriting budget, ensuring an efficient and effective operating model which minimises cost and maximises financial sustainability without compromising the member experience.

More information on the responsibilities and accountabilities of this role can be found on the attached role profile.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have experience leading an underwriting team and be adept at motivating and engaging their people. With great stakeholder management skills, you will be skilled at building and maintaining internal and external relationships and negotiating optimal outcomes for MPS.

To be successful in this role you will need strong analytical skills and numerical aptitude (understand pricing and basic underwriting assessment to risk) along with an ability to understand and analyse MI to support the underwriting teams in assessment of risk, exposure and performance.

We are especially interested in candidates who have experience of working in the healthcare sector – particularly medical malpractice and/or accident and health.

As we are a global organisation looking to expand, experience of international underwriting would be ideal.

Package Description

• Salary up to £120,000
• Car allowance of £4,670 
• 12% company pension contribution (3% from the individual)
• Family Cover Private Medical Insurance
• Health care cash plan
• 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual bonus scheme up to 22%

About the Company

Medical Protection Society (MPS) is the world’s leading protection organisation for doctors, dentists and healthcare professionals. We protect and support the professional interests of almost 300,000 members around the world, in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, South Africa and Hong Kong.

Our philosophy is to support safe practice in medicine and dentistry by helping to avert problems in the first place. We also actively campaign for regulatory and legal reforms that benefit members and the wider healthcare professions. Membership provides access to expert advice and support together with the right to request indemnity for complaints or claims arising from professional practice.

We continue to invest in our team to ensure that we are delivering the best possible service for members. This was recognised in 2016 when we were awarded an Investors in People Silver award.

Medical Protection Society