Life Senior Underwriting Developer

Working hours: This role is available on a part-time, job-share or full-time basis.

Location: Flexible – ideally within a commutable distance of Swindon as you will be working from our Swindon office approx. once per month

Closing date for applications: 3rd February 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 primarily focused on the monitoring, analysis and development of our underwriting decisions and quality, including identifying trends to help us improve outcomes for our customers and business. You will also use your underwriting expertise to support improvements to our claims experience in providing retrospective underwriting decisions. The team is also responsible for ensuring Zurich’s underwriting philosophy remains robust and accurate.  

Part of the role is performing quality sampling on our operational underwriters and always ensuring that the agreed philosophy is being used. Using your technical mind, you will work alongside the team to review and develop Zurich quality and governance frameworks to ensure that we continue to always deliver the best outcomes.  

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.

What will you be doing? 

• 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?

• Experience of underwriting quality sampling is preferred 

• 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. 

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.

Follow the link for more information about our benefits - Employee benefits | Working at Zurich Insurance UK

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.

Who we are:

At Zurich we aspire to be one of the most responsible and impactful businesses in the world and the best global insurer. Together we’re creating a brighter future for our customers, our people and our planet.

With over 55,000 employees in more than 170 countries, you’ll feel the support of being part of a strong and stable company who are 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 for a company that recognises and rewards your creativity, initiatives and contributions - then Zurich could be just the place for you. Be part of something great.

Our Culture:

At Zurich, our sense of community is strong and we’re particularly passionate about diversity and inclusion, which we’ve won numerous awards for. We want our people to bring the whole of themselves to work and ensure everybody is made to feel welcome, regardless of their background, beliefs or culture. We want our employees to reflect the diversity of our customers, and so are committed to treating all of our applicants fairly and with respect, irrespective of their actual or assumed background, disability or any other protected characteristic.

We’ve an environment that places a 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 the best advice and access to a wealth of lifestyle support. We’re also committed to continuous improvement and we offer access to a comprehensive range of training and development opportunities.

We’re passionate about supporting employees to help others by getting involved in volunteering, charitable and community activity. Our charitable arm, Zurich Community Trust, is one of the longest-established corporate trusts in the UK. In that time, we’ve awarded grants and volunteered time to deserving causes in the UK valued at over £90 million.

So, make a difference. Be challenged. Be inspired. Be supported. Love what you do. Work for us.