Underwriter, Property

Job Description

Description

The mid-market Property Underwriter is responsible for underwriting, pricing, and contributing to the development and growth of a portfolio in line with the organisation's appetite, underwriting standards, and Australian regulatory requirements. The role partners with brokers and internal stakeholders to deliver profitable growth, strong customer outcomes, and disciplined underwriting standards.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

• Underwrite and negotiate commercial property ISR risks within authority, including new business, renewals, and endorsements.
• Assess exposures including construction type, occupancy, protections, location, sums insured, natural peril (e.g., flood, cyclone, bushfire), business interruption, and security measures; determine terms, conditions, and pricing.
• Apply underwriting guidelines, referral rules, and technical wordings to ensure accurate coverage, documentation, and endorsements.
• Use internal and external data sources (e.g., claims history, risk engineering reports, hazard/peril tools, valuation insights) to inform decisions and articulate rationale.
• Manage performance by monitoring rate, retention, new business hit ratio, claims trends, accumulation, and exposure concentrations; recommend actions to improve profitability.
• Build and maintain broker relationships, create pipelines meet agreed service standards.
• Regularly engage with other departments such as claims, and distribution teams to resolve complex matters and support best customer outcomes.
• Maintain accurate underwriting files and systems records, including referrals, approvals, quote documentation, and compliance checks.
• Contribute to accumulation and catastrophe management processes, including exposure monitoring and capacity management for natural peril zones.
• Actively pursue multi-line opportunities with Casualty & Professional risks.
• Attend site visits with risk engineers where appropriate.
• Work within underwriting authority, in accordance with underwriting guidelines, line size limits, referral triggers, and any reinsurance requirements.
• Refer risks outside authority or requiring special acceptance/wording changes to senior underwriters and/or underwriting management.

Qualifications

Skills & Qualifications

• Underwriting Strategy
• Insurance Knowledge
• Pricing and Risk Selection
• Insurance Negotiation
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Data Analysis & Review
• Regulatory Compliance
• Underwriting Portfolio Management
• External Environment Knowledge
• Product Development
• Business Development
• Business Process Improvement
• P&L Management
• Presentation Skills
• Product Distribution Strategy
• Strong technical underwriting judgement with the ability to balance risk selection, customer outcomes, and commercial objectives.
• Sound understanding of rating components, portfolio analytics, and how to use data to inform underwriting decisions.
• Excellent broker relationship management and negotiation skills; clear written and verbal communication.
• Ability to prioritise and deliver against service standards in a high-volume environment.
• Attention to detail, with strong documentation and file management discipline.
• Collaborative, initiative-taking, and continuous-improvement mindset.
  Working knowledge of Australian commercial property policy wordings, endorsements, and common coverage structures.
• Ability to manage time and competing priorities in a trading environment.
• Systems proficiency (underwriting platform/s, document management, Excel/analytics tools) and comfort using external risk data.
• Portfolio profitability (e.g., loss ratio/combined ratio) and sustainable premium growth.
• Rate achievement and pricing adequacy versus technical targets.
• Retention and new business hit ratio within appetite.
• Service standards (quote/renewal turnaround times) and broker satisfaction.
• File quality, audit outcomes, and adherence to delegated authority and referral rules.
• Successful collaboration and engagement with internal & external stakeholders
• Diploma or degree in business, finance, economics, risk management, or a related discipline (preferred).
• ANZIIF qualifications (or progression toward), e.g., ANZIIF Certified Insurance Professional (CIP) or equivalent (highly regarded).
• Ongoing technical and regulatory training as required.

About Us

Our benefits

We offer all employees a comprehensive benefits package that focuses on their whole wellbeing. This includes hybrid working, a competitive base salary, pension contributions, flexible benefits, discretionary bonus, insurances including health (family) cover, and many other benefits to enhance financial, physical, social and psychological health.

About Canopius

Canopius is a global specialty lines (re)insurer. We are one of the leading insurers in the Lloyd's of London insurance market with offices in the UK, US, Singapore, Australia and Bermuda.

At Canopius we foster a distinctive, positive culture which enables us to bring our whole selves to work to flourish as people, and build a business which delivers profitable, sustainable results.

Canopius operates a flexible, hybrid working model and is committed to providing an environment that challenges employees to be their best and where everyone's unique contributions are recognised, valued and respected.

We are fully committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions are made regardless of age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, religion or beliefs, marital or caring status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We encourage and welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds.

We make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and during employment. Please let us know if you require any information in an alternate format or any other reasonable adjustments.