Agricultural & Micro Insurance Field Underwriter (Analyst level) at Leadway Assurance Company

Location: Northern, Southern and Western Branches
Reporting Line: Head of Agric. & Micro Insurance with dotted reporting to the Branch Manager

Job Objective

• This position provides a full range of professional and technical advice for the development, underwriting and marketing of Agricultural and Microinsurance Products. Key priorities include developing, implementing and monitoring Underwriting guidelines and business goals.
• Exercise discretion and apply sound and independent judgement and decision making regarding business and company goals, all under the guidance and direction of the Head of Agric. & Micro Insurance with dotted reporting to the Branch Manager.

Key Result Areas-Job Output
Tasks and Activities KRA’s

Client Prospecting & Acquisition:

• Design strategy to generate leads by developing strong pipeline of new customers and accounts through direct or indirect customer contact and prospecting.
• Develops new markets and expands existing ones for own product line within a given territory in order to meet specific revenue goals. Has a conversation rate between 20%-30%
• Primary responsibility is to meet or exceed the profit and growth targets for the Agricultural business segment. This includes profit, expense and growth targets as assigned
• Manage the underwriting staff and the day to day activities of the operation
• Ensure established service standards are met. When appropriate, work with other Underwriting management to work through any issues or problems associated with workloads including development of a plan to assist other Underwriting Teams, if necessary
• Evaluate historical loss information to assess trends and future loss potential, determines and measure exposures and hazards for all types of industries and evaluates financial conditions of applicants and policyholders on a department, team or individual staff Underwriting basis.
• May coordinate a multi-disciplinary team including the Underwriter, Risk Services Manager, Claims Manager, Brokers and Business Development Manager through Special Account reviews to ensure proper servicing of large accounts, including developing action plans for these accounts and achievement of adequate pricing.

Educational Qualifications & Functional / Technical Skills

• A Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science or any related field.
• Advanced ability to develop and integrate AGRICULTURAL AND Micro Insurance strategies and initiatives with company’s business strategies with minimal supervision to no supervision
• Excellent ability as a consultant/negotiator to influence company senior management
• Knowledge of insurance laws and regulations in Nigeria as well as Global best practices

Relevant Experience
Type of experience and minimum number of years:

• Minimum of 3 years in Agricultural & Micro Insurance.

Attitude and Behavioural Traits:

• Strong budget and management skills, including proven ability to project management
• Ability to deal with ambiguity, tight timelines, multiple priorities, and demanding customers, in a fast-moving, constantly changing environment
• High degree of professionalism, maturity and confidentiality
• Very good interpersonal and presentation skills
• Strong people skills - Building Collaborative Relationships, Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills
• Strong oral and written interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated ability to see the big picture and provide useful and strategic advice and input across the company and on the executive team.
• Creative, forward thinker
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills

Record keeping:

• Keeping records of questions
• Filing of policies and other transactions
• Claims record of clients

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviour (Required to succeed in Role)
Educational Qualifications & Functional / Technical Skills:

• A degree (Bachelor’s degree or HND) in Accounting, Information technology or related fields
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Visio
• A student member or a professional qualification of ICAN, ACCA, and other recognized accounting professional Institutions.
• Highly ethical with ability to handle confidential information.
• Strong communication skills (Oral and written)
• Strong organizational and management - Building Collaborative Relationships, highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills

Relevant experience:

• 2 to 5 years’ experience in an audit, finance or process improvement role

Attitude and behavioural traits:

• Ability to deal with ambiguity, tight timelines, multiple priorities, and demanding customers, in a fast-moving, constantly changing environment
• High degree of professionalism, maturity and confidentiality
• Good analytical and problem solving skills with rapt attention to details.

Dimensions of the Job

• Risk Management
• Underwriting
• Claims Administration
• Post & Pre Loss survey
• Client Retention