Lead Underwriting Governance and Technical Standards
Job Description
As a leading provider of insurance and reinsurance with worldwide operations and employees in Bermuda, U.S., U.K., Continental Europe and Asia, we recognize that our success is derived directly from those who matter the most: our people. At Sompo International, our values of integrity, collaboration, agility, execution and excellence underpin our culture and our commitment to providing an employee experience that attracts and engages the best talent in the industry. As we continue to grow, we strive to find diverse, innovative and driven professionals to join our teams and offer a broad range of career and development opportunities at all levels, in multiple business areas, in each of our locations throughout the world. Our compensation and benefits programs are market driven and competitive, with excellent family friendly policies and flexible working provisions.
Job Description
Are you looking for your next opportunity?
Sompo has a unique opportunity for a Lead Underwriting Governance and Technical Standards in our newly established CUO Office team for Continental Europe.
Reporting directly to the Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) for Continental Europe, you will play an important role in shaping and developing the CUO Office as a central function supporting underwriting excellence and governance across Sompo’s commercial insurance operation in Continental Europe.
As part of a dynamic and evolving team, you will contribute to the building of the CUO Office, offering a unique opportunity to actively shape new structures, processes, and strategies. The role requires strong experience in underwriting governance and management, a pragmatic and solution-oriented mindset, and the ability to translate complex topics into clear and actionable solutions.
Close collaboration with European market underwriting teams and related functions is central to the role. A collegiate approach, strong attention to detail, and the ability to support and empower underwriters within clearly defined governance frameworks are essential.
Location: This position will be based preferably out of our Zurich office, but potential candidates might also sit in our other European office locations in Paris, Milan, Cologne or Munich. We strive for collaboration which is why we offer a work environment where our employees thrive and develop long lasting careers.
Our business, your impact, our opportunity
What you’ll be doing:
Underwriting Governance & Quality Control: Rework and update underwriting policies and procedures, conduct audits and compliance checks, and ensure adherence to underwriting guidelines through file reviews, feedback, and escalation of deviations.
Referral and Authority Management: Oversee referral processes, track underwriting authority levels, and manage onboarding, issuance, and adjustments for Letters of Authority (LoA).
Underwriting Training & Accreditation: Design and deliver technical training programs for underwriters, lead and guide Subject Matter Expert (SME) groups, track underwriter development, and run accreditation and certification programs.
Policy Development and Alignment: Collaborate with Group Functions and Underwriting Leaders to develop and maintain underwriting policies, strategies, risk appetite guidelines, and governance KPIs, ensuring consistency across geographies and systems.
Multinational Underwriting Integration: Integrate multinational requirements into underwriting processes, analyze exposures for pools participation, and update country-specific requirements for multinational structures.
Technical Support for Complex Risks: Provide guidance on complex or non-standard risks, advise on new and evolving exposures, support product development, and adapt underwriting criteria to emerging risks.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with actuarial, risk engineering, and portfolio teams to build underwriting tools, risk scoring models, and capacity management methods, while streamlining and automating underwriting processes.
Documentation and Best Practices: Develop underwriting forms, checklists, best practice documents, and bulletins to ensure consistency and efficiency across the organization.
What you’ll bring:
Comprehensive understanding of commercial underwriting practices, policies, and risk management.
Ability to design, implement, and maintain scalable and compliant underwriting frameworks.
Expertise in creating transparent and meaningful governance metrics for decision-making
Proven experience in leading and aligning cross-functional teams toward strategic goals.
Capability to develop and deliver training programs and manage underwriter accreditation.
Data-driven with strong ability to assess audits, identify trends, and provide actionable insights.
Familiarity with standard databases, underwriting tools, automation, and risk scoring models.
Detail-Oriented: Precise and thorough compliance checks, audits, and policy management.
Strategic Thinker: Visionary with the ability to align practices with organizational goals.
Collaborative: Strong interpersonal skills to foster teamwork across diverse functions.
Leadership and Mentorship: Inspires and guides teams to achieve governance and underwriting excellence.
Adaptable: Flexible in managing change and integrating new tools or processes.
Analytical and Decisive: Critical thinker with effective problem-solving and decision-making skills.
Integrity: Committed to ethical practices and transparent governance.
Results-Driven: Focused on delivering high-quality outcomes and continuous improvement.
Our Benefits
We continuously evaluate and update our benefit programs to ensure that our plans meet the needs of our employees and their dependents. Below are a few highlights of our inclusive benefit programs:
Expansive Health & Wellness Benefits
Generous Retirement & Savings Plans
Global Parental Leave & Adoption Assistance
In today’s world, what do we stand for?
We strive to create exceptional value for our clients and shareholders while maintaining Sompo as an attractive place to work. We foster an environment of ongoing, open dialogue between managers and their direct reports, and believe in an organizational environment where everyone belongs. We proudly are a multi-racial, multi-cultural, global enterprise. We reject all forms of racism, bigotry, prejudice and injustice and continue to invest in building out an inclusive and diverse work environment.
About Us
Expert Partners.
Clarity in complexity.
Unwavering commitment.
We are Sompo, a global provider of property, casualty, and specialty insurance and reinsurance.
Building on Sompo Holding’s 135 years of innovation, we seek to deliver a unified approach to servicing and providing customized solutions for our clients, ensuring that we meet their needs effectively and consistently.
We strive to strengthen engagement with our clients and business partners every day by using the in-depth knowledge and insights of our experts to swiftly navigate the ever-shifting risk landscape in a fast and agile way – providing them with the products and coverages they need – underpinned by exceptional levels of service.
Our values
As we continue to evolve and grow, our core values serve as the foundation for our company’s identity, purpose and culture.
Accountability: Raising the bar on what we deliver
Agility: Keeping it simple as we grow
Collaboration: Building relationships with clients and colleagues
Development: Being curious and having a growth mindset
Integrity: Being trustworthy and doing what’s right
Around the world, our 9,500+ employees use their expertise to learn, improve and find clear answers for your complex challenges. Because when you choose Sompo, you choose the ease of expertise.
Sompo is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
To learn more about visit our website at www.sompo-intl.com