Director Of Underwriting

At Navy Mutual, our mission is rooted in serving members of the uniformed services and their families with financial strength, integrity, and care. We are seeking a Director of Underwriting to lead and modernize our Underwriting and New Business functions-driving both operational excellence and a best-in-class member experience.This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for translating strategy into scalable, efficient operations while ensuring disciplined risk management, strong compliance, and sustained growth.

What You'll DoStrategic Leadership & Execution

Develop and execute underwriting and new business strategies aligned to organizational goals, risk appetite, and service standardsTranslate enterprise strategy into disciplined, scalable, and measurable operating practicesLead transformation initiatives to modernize underwriting and new business processes

Operational Excellence

Oversee end-to-end new business lifecycle: intake, underwriting, requirements, offers, reconsiderations, and policy activationOptimize workflows, case assignment, and throughput to improve cycle times, productivity, and consistencyEstablish and monitor service level agreements (SLAs) and performance standards

Underwriting Leadership & Risk Management

Provide technical underwriting guidance on complex life insurance risksEnsure decisions are well-documented, compliant, and aligned with mortality expectations and reinsurance requirementsReview and approve complex cases within authority and escalate as needed

Transformation & Innovation

Lead adoption of automation, accelerated underwriting, and third-party data solutionsEvaluate and implement digital tools and workflow enhancements to improve speed and accuracyAdvance real-time decisioning capabilities and member experience improvements

Performance & Analytics

Develop and monitor KPIs and KRIs, including:

Cycle time and throughputQuality and post-issue audit resultsRequirement aging and placement ratesProductivity and vendor performance

Identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities; drive corrective action

People Leadership

Lead, coach, and develop underwriting and new business teams, including managers and senior technical staffDrive performance management, workforce planning, succession planning, and talent developmentFoster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and high performance

Cross-Functional Partnership

Collaborate with Sales, Inforce, Claims, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and TechnologyPartner with reinsurance carriers on complex cases and program optimizationEnsure alignment across teams to deliver a seamless, member-first experience

Governance & Compliance

Maintain underwriting guidelines, SOPs, audit readiness, and regulatory complianceSupport escalations, member complaints, and risk-related reviews (e.g., rescissions, contestable claims)Manage vendor relationships (e.g., medical exams, labs, data providers)

What You BringRequired Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a related field8+ years of life insurance underwriting experience, including complex case reviewProven leadership experience managing teams and/or senior technical professionalsDeep understanding of:

Medical underwriting and terminologyMortality risk assessmentReinsurance practices

Experience leading:

Process improvement and operational transformationAutomation and accelerated underwriting initiativesKPI/KRI development and performance analytics

Strong working knowledge of underwriting systems, workflow tools, and policy administration platformsExcellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skillsAbility to operate effectively in a fast-paced, production-driven environment

Preferred Qualifications

Professional designations such as CLU, FLMI, ALU, or FALUExperience with vendor management and underwriting data providersAdvanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and reporting tools