Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full-time basis.
Location: Flexible
Closing date for applications: 11th June 2026
The opportunity:
We have a new opportunity as part of ongoing growth within Zurich. You’ll join us as an experienced Life and Disability Underwriter and contribute to driving forward improvements to the technical standards, controls, practices and customer outcomes of our life underwriting philosophy.
You will be working under limited supervision, using your skills and delegated authority to achieve our business goals and maximize customer experience. You will proactively and responsibly take ownership for your personal development to enhance your knowledge and skills, using them to support achievement of your own and the team’s priorities.
You will demonstrate initiative and taking action on daily tasks and a range of more complex projects, planning and following through the handling of the activities in your areas of responsibility through to completion, considering alternatives when faced with obstacles to ensure task or project completion.
Role Purpose
Own it: Take accountability for performing quality sampling of underwriting decisions, retrospective underwriting decisions on claims, or completing individual projects ensuring high quality delivery within required timeframes
Accelerate it: Identify trends and opportunities to help us enhance Zurich quality & delegated authority frameworks and processes to improve underwriting and claims outcomes for customers and Zurich
Win it: Provide insight, challenge and assurance that supports ensuring Zurich’s underwriting philosophy remains robust and accurate
Many of our employees work flexibly in a variety of different ways, including part-time, flexible hours, job share, an element of working from home or compressed hours. This is because we want the best people for our roles, and we recognise that sometimes those people aren’t available full-time. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may need.
Key Responsibilities
- Quality Assurance: Perform monthly reviews of manual underwriting decisions and POS rules, ensuring assessments are completed within agreed timelines.
- Claims Review: Evaluate claims cases to retrospectively confirm underwriting decisions, supporting accurate outcomes.
- Data Analysis & Continuous Improvement: Analyse quality sampling and retrospective decisions to identify trends and recommend updates to underwriting philosophy and processes, aiming to reduce costs and improve results.
- Proactive Optimisation: Use initiative to spot and develop opportunities for improving underwriting philosophy, streamlining processes, and supporting business-driven projects.
- Expert Delivery: Apply specialist Life and Disability underwriting expertise to deliver business solutions and drive initiatives forward.
- Technical Support & Guidance: Offer technical underwriting advice and support to operational underwriters, distribution teams, and other stakeholders as needed.
- Training & Development: Design and deliver training sessions on a range of underwriting topics to upskill teams and share best practice.
- External Relationship Management: Help manage relationships with key external partners to ensure technical standards and service levels are maintained, and changes are implemented smoothly.
- Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure all business practices meet regulatory requirements, risk policies, acceptance criteria, and local legislation (including medical confidentiality and ethical use of genetic testing).
What are we looking for?
- Underwriting Authority: Possess a high level of decision-making authority across all product lines, including Life, Critical Illness, and Income Protection.
- Quality Focus: Consistently maintain high standards in underwriting quality.
- Qualifications: A CII Diploma in Underwriting is preferred but not necessary
- Technical Skills: Confidently use MS Excel, including PivotTables. Experience with Power BI is desirable.
- Data Analysis Experience: Ideally, have experience analysing data and identifying trends, with ability to share actionable insights.
- Customer-Centric Approach: Always put the customer first, combining technical expertise with a strong commitment to customer service.
- Market Awareness: Understand the broader Protection market and be aware of the different proposition types available for UK customers.
As an inclusive employer we want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply.
What will you get in return?
Everyone’s different. That’s why at Zurich, we offer a wide range of employee benefits so our people can choose what fits them and their life. Our benefits provide real flexibility so our people can make considered choices and tailor their benefits throughout the year. Our benefits include 12% defined non-contributory pension scheme, annual company bonus, private medical insurance and the option to buy up to an additional 20 days or sell some of your holiday, alongside a range of other flexible benefits
You can find out more about our wide range of employee benefits on our website.
Who we are:
At Zurich we aspire to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world. Together, we’re creating a brighter future for our customers, our people and our planet.
With over 65,000 employees, you’ll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company that is a long-standing player in the insurance industry.
We’ve made a promise to each other and every employee: to focus on sustainable impact, to care about each other’s wellbeing, to use our diverse expertise to be curious and optimistic and to develop the skills needed for our future.
If you’re interested in working in a dynamic and challenging environment where your creativity, ideas and contributions are recognised and rewarded, Zurich could be just the place for you. Be part of something great.
Our culture:
At Zurich, our strength comes from the diverse experiences, perspectives and talents of our people. Our goal is to create a workplace where every employee can flourish and where everyone feels valued, heard and respected.
Over a quarter of our employees are members of at least one of our inclusion communities (Employee Resource Groups), with groups focused on areas such as social mobility and cultural awareness. We’re proud to have received numerous industry awards recognising our diversity and inclusion policies and initiatives.
We’ve created an environment that places real importance on our people’s wellbeing from a physical, mental, social and financial perspective. We work with our wellbeing partners and industry experts to provide practical advice and access to a wide range of lifestyle support, alongside opportunities to learn, grow and develop the skills needed for the future.
We actively support our employees to give back to their communities through volunteering and charitable activity. Our charitable arm, Zurich Community Trust, is one of the longest‑established corporate trusts in the UK. Together, we’ve supported causes across the UK through grants and volunteering, contributing over £100 million in funding and volunteered time.
Your application:
We’re committed to treating all applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, sexual orientation, disability or any other protected characteristic.
As an inclusive employer we also want to ensure that all candidates feel comfortable and are able to perform at their best during the interview. You’ll have the opportunity to let us know of any reasonable adjustment or practical support needed when you apply.
We’d love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, please send an email to
[email protected]
So, make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported. Love what you do. Work for us.
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