Underwriting Strategy Manager

We anticipate the successful candidate for this role will be in the office up to 2-3 days per week. Our London office will be your hub where team & collaboration time will take place.

About Hiscox

• Permanent Build a brilliant future with Hiscox About Hiscox UK Hiscox UK is a leading brand in the insurance market, recognised as setting the standards others try to emulate.
• We consistently deliver strong growth and exceptional returns, recruiting only the very best and empowering them to deliver.
• We are known for insuring the homes of the rich and famous through to the most innovative technology companies.
• Our customers are diverse and unique and are only united by our ability to provide specialist insurance tailored to their needs.

Responsibilities

• Strategy Manager to the UK Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) plays a critical role in maximising the effectiveness, impact and strategic focus of the UK underwriting leadership agenda.
• Acting as a trusted adviser and operational proxy to the CUO, the role combines strategic problem‑solving, executive briefing and business rhythm management.
• The Strategy Manager ensures that priorities are clear, decisions are well‑informed, and the CUO is able to focus time and energy on the most value‑creating activity for Hiscox UK.
• This is a high‑exposure role, working closely with the UK Underwriting Leadership Team and their teams as well as key functional leaders across Distribution, Operations, Portfolio Underwriting & Pricing, Claims and Group functions.
• What you’ll be doing 1.
• Strategic enablement & decision support Act as a trusted thought‑partner to the CUO, shaping agenda, priorities and decision flow.
• Lead and deliver high‑quality briefing papers, recommendations and executive materials for UKLT, ULT, GEC, Board and other governance forums.
• Translate complex underwriting, portfolio and market insights into clear, decision‑ready narratives.
• Proactively identify risks, dependencies and opportunities, ensuring the CUO is sighted on emerging issues.
• 2.
• Underwriting leadership rhythm & governance Own and coordinate the operating rhythm for the UK underwriting function, including leadership meetings, QBRs, portfolio reviews and planning cycles.
• Ensure effective tracking of actions, decisions and outcomes across the Underwriting Leadership Team.
• Support robust governance across underwriting‑related activity, ensuring alignment to regulatory, risk and control expectations.
• Act as a central point of connection between underwriting leadership forums and wider UK governance.
• 3.
• Portfolio insight & analytical problem‑solving Lead targeted analytical work on behalf of the CUO, drawing on data from Portfolio Underwriting, Pricing, Finance and MI teams.
• Provide insight on portfolio performance, emerging trends, trading outcomes and strategic trade‑offs.
• Commission, shape and challenge analysis to ensure it is relevant, commercial and decision‑focused.
• 4.
• Transformation & change support Support the CUO in driving strategic change across the UK underwriting organisation (e.g. new ways of working, role clarity, leadership effectiveness, capability uplift).
• Track delivery of key underwriting initiatives, surfacing risks and recommending course‑correction where needed.
• Act as a connector across initiatives to avoid duplication and ensure coherent execution.
• 5.
• & collaboration Build strong working relationships across UK and Group functions, enabling influence without formal authority.
• Represent the CUO in selected forums, meetings or working groups as required.
• Act as a calm, credible and commercial interface between underwriting leadership and the wider business.
• Our must haves

Requirements

• Significant experience operating in or alongside a senior leadership or executive environment, ideally within financial services or insurance
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to understand underwriting, portfolio and risk concepts quickly
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to distil complexity into clear, persuasive executive messages
• Proven ability to manage ambiguity, competing priorities and sensitive information with professionalism and judgement

Advanced stakeholder management skills within a matrix organisation

• Highly analytical, structured thinker with strong problem‑solving capability
• Gravitas and confidence to operate credibly with senior leaders Low‑ego, high‑impact approach with a strong sense of ownershi
• Intellectually curious, commercially minded and outcomes‑focused Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating at pace
• Strong judgement and discretion

Preferred

• Direct experience within insurance underwriting, pricing, portfolio management or a closely related discipline.
• Exposure to regulatory and conduct considerations within insurance or financial services A quantitative or financial background would be beneficial Diversity and flexible working at Hiscox We’ve introduced new hybrid ways of working to encourage a healthy work life balance.

Benefits

• We see it as the best of both worlds: structure and sociability on one hand, and independence and flexibility on the other.
• Work with amazing people and be part of a unique culture