Senior Underwriter SME

A new transformational adventure awaits you… 

How does 5 weeks of annual leave, a fulfilling career you'll genuinely enjoy, and working for a reputable organization that promotes wellbeing and drives digital transformation sound to you?

As one of Forbes 2024 ‘World’s Best Employers’ and Fortune’s ‘World’s Most Admired Companies’ for 2025, Zurich - a leader in the insurance industry, is on a journey towards a brighter future… A brighter future for you - focused on your career, your wellbeing, and your community - as well as our customers and the planet.

Join us on this thrilling journey as we work towards our vision of becoming Australia's leading digital insurer. If you're eager to be part of a values-driven global organisation that's experiencing real growth and transformation, and if you share our commitment to making a tangible difference and taking continuous steps towards a sustainable future for our people, customers, communities, and our planet, then keep reading!

Let’s create a brighter future together, let’s make a difference  

It’s important to know, what you do matters. At Zurich, we don’t just cover, we care.

As a Senior SME Underwriter, you’ll sit at the centre of how we support Australian businesses to grow with confidence. Your decisions will shape outcomes that matter — for brokers, customers and the long‑term health of our SME portfolio.

This role brings together deep technical judgement, strong broker engagement and a clear commercial lens. You’ll help set the standard for underwriting excellence, influence how we work, and play a meaningful part in Zurich’s evolution as a more digital, connected and customer‑led insurer. The result? Stronger partnerships, confident teams and underwriting decisions you can stand behind.

You will also be responsible for the following:

• Building strong, solution-focused relationships with brokers to deliver agreed service and underwriting outcomes
• Applying underwriting expertise to drive profitable portfolio performance and sound risk decisions
• Supporting underwriting governance through consistent application of guidelines and procedures
• Coaching, developing and uplifting technical capability across the SME underwriting teams
• Contributing to sales leadership activities that support sustainable and profitable growth
• Driving continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, quality and customer experience

Important to your success – let’s grow together

You’re someone who leads with care, brings clarity in complexity, and balances commercial thinking with strong judgement. You work collaboratively, communicate with confidence, and enjoy influencing outcomes while supporting others to perform at their best.

In order to be successful, you will have the following:

• Extensive experience underwriting SME or Package business within General Insurance
• Demonstrated ability to deliver profitable underwriting results across top and bottom line
• Strong understanding of underwriting governance, legislation and regulatory requirements
• Experience working closely with broker networks and distribution partners
• Proven capability in influencing stakeholders across a matrix environment
• Experience supporting change, continuous improvement or operating model transformation

Belong. Zurich is here to support you 

There are so many reasons why Zurich is a great place to be and the right choice for you, but here are just a few.

• Enjoy 5 weeks of annual leave for permanent staff through our Z leave initiative, along with 15 days of personal/carer’s leave as we empower our people to manage their own wellbeing. Plus, access to Family Care (parental leave).
• Benefit from a hybrid working arrangement – 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home per week for full-time employees.
• Access programs to stay healthy and feel healthier, receive an AUD$500 wellbeing payment per year, and a AUD$295 new starter e-voucher for your work-from-home setup (flex work - hybrid working), along with other great benefits through our Shine portal.
• Grow and thrive in your career with our award-winning training programs. We support and encourage your development because our strength lies in our people, and we value your individuality.
• Work with global, diverse, and inclusive teams; explore your passions, fuel innovation, drive equity, collaborate, and make a positive difference beyond your role.
• Take advantage of global mobility opportunities across more than 200 countries worldwide.
• Volunteer and work in our state-of-the-art Green Star rated offices (when you are in the office) and dress for your day.
• We plant a tree for every new employee.
• Not to mention our various employer of choice awards/memberships – WGEA; Family Inclusive Workplace; Gold AWEI Employer, Pride in Diversity… to name a few.

We could go on, but the main point is that Zurich is a great place to be, where you can truly belong, be yourself, maintain work/life balance, and thrive in a supportive environment.

Zurich is an equal opportunity employer.  We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is fair and accessible for all candidates. If you require any special accommodations to participate in our recruitment process, we encourage you to please let us know at the time of your application.  

So, if you want to come on an adventure that will build a brighter future together, and feel a sense of togetherness, then please apply today to start your adventure!

Internal applicants

No one fits a job description perfectly. So, if you meet some of the criteria above and think you could be a good fit for the role and want to grow your career and develop new capabilities/skills, we highly encourage you to apply. If you are still unsure, please reach out to the hiring manager or recruiter for more information on this opportunity.

• Hiring manager: Luke Jepson
• Recruiter: Darren Haynes
• Applications close: Friday 22nd May 2026

If you are successful in progressing to an interview, please update your current manager about your application.