Underwriting Team Lead - Renewals

Position Summary:

The Underwriting Team Lead is responsible for managing, coaching, and developing a small team of underwriters while maintaining hands-on involvement in complex casework. This role serves as a bridge between individual contributors and underwriting leadership, ensuring consistent execution, balanced workloads, strong underwriting judgment, and effective collaboration with Sales, Customer Management, Carrier Management, and Underwriting Operations.

The Team Lead drives performance through real-time case oversight, escalation management, quality assurance, and professional development of team members, while also contributing directly to high-impact and non-standard underwriting scenarios.

Key Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership & Case Management
• Lead day-to-day underwriting execution for a designated team, ensuring timely completion of cases and balanced workload distribution.
• Monitor case progress, turnaround times, and assignment flow using Salesforce and underwriting reporting tools.
• Reassign or reprioritize work as needed to meet business deadlines, accommodate PTO, or address urgent requests.
• Maintain close communication with Sales, Customer Management, and Underwriting leadership regarding timing expectations, priorities, and escalations.
  
  
• Quality Assurance & Underwriting Oversight
• Review complex, high-risk, or non-standard cases to ensure sound underwriting judgment and adherence to guidelines.
• Provide guidance on medical risk assessment, including large claimant review, laser recommendations, and negotiation strategy.
• Support resolution of underwriting errors, including root cause analysis, solutioning, carrier communication, and internal escalation when required.
• Partner with Underwriting Operations on audit and quality assurance initiatives, providing feedback and coaching based on results.
  
  
• Escalation & Complex Deal Support
• Act as an escalation point for challenging underwriting situations, carrier misalignments, or missed terms.
• Assist in block-level underwriting strategies, including coordination of resources, sales alignment, and carrier submission timing.
• Develop and support creative, business-oriented solutions for non-standard or high-risk scenarios, escalating to senior leadership when appropriate.
  
  
• Coaching, Development & Performance Management
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with direct reports to provide coaching, feedback, and career development support.
• Identify individual strengths and development areas; create and monitor action plans for skill and performance improvement.
• Facilitate team meetings focused on case learnings, negotiation strategies, underwriting trends, and process updates.
• Assign and support project work that enhances technical skills and prepares underwriters for career progression.
  
  
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Relationship Management
• Build strong working relationships with Sales, Customer Management, Carrier Management, Underwriting Operations, and regional leadership.
• Serve as a trusted underwriting partner for Sales and Customer Management, enabling effective decision-making without unnecessary escalation.
• Participate in internal projects and external engagements that enhance underwriting credibility and market insight.
  
  
• Individual Contribution & Professional Growth
• Maintain a reduced personal case load, focusing on complex or high-impact accounts.
• Stay informed on market trends, geographic dynamics, and consultant-specific considerations impacting underwriting strategy.
• Participate in leadership development programs, mentorship, and regular coaching with underwriting leadership.

Required Qualifications / Skills:

• Strong expertise in stop loss underwriting and self-funded health plan risk assessment
• Demonstrated ability to coach, mentor, and develop underwriting talent
• Excellent judgment in medical risk evaluation, negotiation, and complex deal strategy
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate underwriting decisions to Sales and external partners
• Highly organized, adaptable, and effective in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Proven ability to balance leadership responsibilities with hands-on execution

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years of stop loss or health plan underwriting experience
• Prior experience in a team lead, mentor, or informal leadership role strongly preferred
• Proficiency with underwriting systems, Salesforce reporting, and Microsoft Office tools

Perks & Benefits:

• Fully paid medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Flexible PTO
• 401k company contribution
• Tuition reimbursement
• Professional development allowance
• Transportation allowance and daily parking reimbursement
• Engaging hybrid work environment