Senior Life Underwriter

Aviva Direct Ireland Limited; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance company in the UK is seeking a Senior Life Underwriter to lead complex decision-making and coaching initiatives. This pivotal role supports ambitious growth plans and requires deep UK Life Insurance underwriting expertise. You'll help shape the underwriting strategy while delivering outstanding outcomes for customers. We're looking for someone with a proven track record, strong analytical skills, and experience in mentoring others. The role offers a competitive salary, bonus opportunities, and extensive benefits for personal and professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Bonus opportunity - 8% of annual salary

Generous pension scheme with up to 14% contribution

29 days holiday plus bank holidays

Aviva-funded Private Medical Benefit

Discounts on Aviva products

Free Aviva shares through Matching Share Plan

Flexible benefits including cycle to work options

3 paid volunteering days

Qualifications

• Proven track record making confident decisions on complex cases.
• Focused on building capability and helping others progress.
• Strong comfort with decision-making and stakeholder interaction.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver underwriting strategy supporting complex decision-making.
• Excel in delivering outstanding outcomes for customers.
• Lead through coaching and mentorship.

Skills

Deep UK Life Insurance underwriting experience

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Experience in coaching and mentoring

Ability to balance customer needs with commercial impact

Influencing stakeholders

Job description

Senior Life Underwriter

Bristol, Leatherhead, Norwich, Sheffield or York — and we’re happy to consider homeworking if none of these locations are within a reasonable commute for you.

Competitive salary

This is a great job for someone who brings confident, well‑judged decision‑making to complex cases and takes pride in delivering outstanding outcomes for customers. You’ll excel if you’re a recognised technical expert who shapes the capability of those around you and sets high standards for underwriting excellence. It’s a role for someone who leads through coaching and mentorship, supporting trainees and experienced underwriters as they progress through authority levels. You’ll also be comfortable partnering with senior leaders, offering clear insight, constructive challenge and performance guidance to strengthen team capability. If you thrive on sharing expertise, driving improvements and influencing how our underwriting approach evolves, this role will give you the scope and impact you’re looking for.

A bit about the job:

We’ve just published a fantastic set of results and are continuing with ambitious growth plans across Aviva. As part of this, we have several key Life Underwriting opportunities within our Insurance, Wealth and Retirement (IWR) business. These Senior Life Underwriter roles have been created to support Aviva’s accelerated growth plans. You’ll play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our underwriting strategy, supporting complex decision‑making and strengthening our technical capability. Most importantly, you’ll help us deliver brilliant outcomes for customers as our business grows.

Skills and experience we’re looking for:

• Deep UK Life Insurance underwriting experience, with strong technical expertise across protection products.
• Proven track record making confident, high‑quality decisions on complex cases.
• Experience coaching, mentoring or leading underwriters, with a passion for building capability and helping others progress.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to balance customer needs, commercial impact and risk appetite.
• Comfortable influencing stakeholders and contributing to continuous improvement, underwriting philosophy and team performance.

What you’ll get for this role:

Our purpose - with you today, for a better tomorrow – is a promise we make to our colleagues too. And one of the ways we live up to that promise is by investing in you. We have so much to offer when it comes to being an Aviva colleague.

• Competitive salary (depending on location, skills, experience, and qualifications)
• Bonus opportunity - 8% of annual salary. Actual amount depends on your performance and Aviva’s.
• Generous pension scheme - Aviva will contribute up to 14%, depending on what you put in.
• 29 days holiday plus bank holidays, and you can choose to buy or sell up to 5 days.
• Aviva-funded Private Medical Benefit to help you get expert support when you need it.
• Make your money go further - Up to 40% discount on Aviva products, and other retailer discounts.
• Up to £1,200 of free Aviva shares per year through our Matching Share Plan and share in the success of Aviva with our Save As You Earn scheme.
• Brilliantly supportive policies including parental and carer’s leave.
• Flexible benefits to suit you, including sustainability options such as cycle to work.
• Make a difference, be part of our Aviva Communities and use your 3 paid volunteering days to help others.
• We take your wellbeing seriously with lots of support and tools.

Take a look to learn more. Put a salary into this calculator to see what your total Aviva Reward could be.

Aviva is for everyone:

We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences. Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply. We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part time and job shares.

We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you. Most of our people are smart working – spending at least 50% of their time in our offices every week - combining the benefits of flexibility, with time together with colleagues.

To find out more about working at Aviva take a look here.

We'd love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, please give Jessica Mason a call on 07387 545 666 or send an email to [e-mail].