Head of Protection New Business and Underwriting

The Opportunity
This is the opportunity to lead MassMutual a top 5 Life and Annuity players Life and DI new business and Underwriting functions. We are in a transformative state and are looking to change the way we do business. MassMutual has been an innovator in driving ease of business and risk assessment techniques.
You will lead all risk assessment functions and new business processes and must possess a customer/advisor mindset and willing to have an agile mindset to improve the process.
You will also collaborate and help drive our underwriting strategy with our Corporate Chief Underwriting, Data Science, Pricing and Actuarial groups that helps us advance our Accelerated and Fluidless programs.
You will also help drive accountability and performance among the teams, while improving efficiency.
The company has grown into a top 5 player over the past 10 years and continues to see growth. We are one of the industry's largest risk assessment shops and have Whole Life as one of our core products and those policyholders are the owners of our companies.
A great opportunity for the right candidate. The right person must be data driven and informed in decision making while balancing our Financial Professional Experience.
The Team
The team is made up of Life and Disability Underwriters, Case Managers, Account Managers, Tele-interviewers who are dedicated to helping our clients obtain the insurance they need.
The Impact:
Principal Duties and Responsibilities :

• Leadership and management of Underwriting/New Business teams in delivering high quality case level product risk assessment underwriting and the best customer service.
• Provide leadership and direction of product administration initiatives that cross many functional areas, while implementing and management of product administration and underwriting enhancements.
• Develop strong and collaborative partnerships across the organization to positively influence underwriting administrative support and satisfaction, while maintain mortality performance and profitability. Effectively manage the training and technical development of the department, while maintaining overall accountability of a group of highly professional underwriters and support personnel.
• Identify areas of improvement/opportunity to improve current underwriting processes/efficiency, customer service and control expenses, while maintaining consistency across distribution channels.
• Maintains positive and open communications with internal stakeholders and sales partners to ensure effective problem solving and the development of appropriate tools and resources needed to insure success.
• Development and implementation of strategies and processes that improve the overall experience while playing an important part of the senior operations leadership team beyond your support product and process development initiatives in collaboration with Product Marketing and Actuarial.
• Initiate and negotiate with internal partners on complex pricing situations that may need deviation from normal pricing assumptions that are beyond the authority of the channel specific Chiefs.
• Act as the liaison for Underwriting and New Business with Legal and Compliance, on product compliance matters. Implementation and monitoring of all compliance items.
• Partner with management on all State DOI inquiries and external audits related to group products, as needed.
• Provide development feedback at the case level on decisions made by members of the Underwriting department via the Chief Underwriters. Insure our New Business processors and support give exceptional service.
• Analyze and identify early and ongoing risk trends. Ability to develop and influence changes to underwriting guidelines, as a result of trends, as needed with the Corporate Chief Underwriter
• Develop personal credibility with key sales representatives and managers.
• Support the achievement of specific top-line, bottom-line, and process performance goals, established for the various work units.
• Develop, track and analyze individual and work unit performance against established goals and measurements.
• Obtains documents and maintains access to comprehensive staff underwriting training on all products and systems.
• Develop and motivate highly skilled underwriting professionals and support staff.
• Act as a mentor and technical coach to underwriting professionals on risk issues.
• Create/reinforce an environment committed to continuous learning and growth.
• Deliver dependable, accurate and timely service and build relationships with all customers, consistent with the company's commitment to achieving a distinct competitive advantage.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

The Minimum Qualifications

• College degree preferred and/or significant industry experience.
• Minimum of 10-15 years experience in underwriting and operations management and underwriting risk experience and process.
• Strong knowledge of life and disability insurance fundamentals and practices.
• Works well under pressure, managing multiple and changing priorities within deadlines.
• Ability to negotiate and influence both internal and external partners.
• Results driven.
• Creative and decisive problem solving/analytical skills.
• Mastery of designated product line including product provisions, plan design, pricing and contractual benefits.
• Demonstrated solid understanding of both top line and bottom-line objectives and is able to manage both.
• Demonstrated consistency in performance over a sustained period of time.
• Knowledge of the sales/distribution process.
• Strong mentoring and coaching skills to assist team members in various stages of career and technical development.
• Ability to motivate employees to achieve results.
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written.

What to Expect as Part of MassMutual and the Team

• Regular meetings with the Underwriting Team.
• Focused one-on-one meetings with your manager.
• Access to mentorship opportunities.
• Networking opportunities including access to Asian, Hispanic/Latinx, African American, women, LGBTQ, veteran and disability-focused Business Resource Groups.
• Access to learning content on Degreed and other informational platforms.
• Your ethics and integrity will be valued by a company with a strong and stable ethical business with industry leading pay and benefits.

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MassMutual is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Individual with Disability/Protected Veteran. We welcome all persons to apply. Note: Veterans are welcome to apply, regardless of their discharge status.
If you need an accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us and share the specifics of the assistance you need.