Are you a seasoned insurance professional looking for the next challenge in your career? Do you have a passion for excellence, a strong leadership mindset, and a desire to make a real impact in the insurance industry? If so, KOIL (Kenya Orient Insurance Limited) is inviting you to join our dedicated and innovative team as an Underwriting Manager.
As one of Kenya’s leading insurance providers, KOIL prides itself on delivering world-class insurance solutions to individuals and businesses across the country. With a strong focus on innovation, customer-centric service, and compliance, we are committed to transforming the industry and maintaining the highest standards of excellence.
We are currently recruiting for a key leadership position within our Underwriting Department. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the strategic and operational performance of our company while leading a team of professionals in the underwriting function.
Below is a detailed description of the available position. If you believe you are the right fit, we encourage you to apply and be part of a dynamic team that’s shaping the future of insurance in Kenya.
Position: Underwriting Manager
Reports To: Managing Director
Work Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Application Deadline: Monday, June 2, 2025
Application Mode: Online (Apply Now)
Job Purpose
As the Underwriting Manager, you will be responsible for ensuring consistent business quality control across the KOIL network. This involves enforcing underwriting compliance standards, managing operational efficiency, and leading a team of service providers who support the underwriting function. The position requires strong leadership, analytical, and communication skills, with a firm focus on driving growth, profitability, and risk control within the company’s insurance portfolio.
Key Responsibilities
1. Revenue Growth
- Drive revenue generation to meet and exceed company targets through effective retention strategies and acquisition of new business.
- Focus on expanding revenue specifically within the Bonds, Engineering, and Marine classes of insurance.
- Spearhead cross-selling initiatives across KOIL’s product portfolio to close insurance gaps.
- Train intermediaries on existing and new products and lead innovation in product development.
2. Cash Collection & Liquidity Management
- Oversee and manage credit control and premium collections in strict adherence to the company’s credit policies.
- Ensure smooth execution of premium refunds, policy cancellations, and contra entries while maintaining full regulatory compliance.
- Drive daily monitoring and reporting of branch-level debt movements to ensure healthy cash flow and financial discipline across the network.
3. Loss Ratio Control
- Enforce underwriting standards and manage pricing approval workflows for various insurance products.
- Analyze and recommend strategic price adjustments to strengthen the profitability and competitiveness of KOIL’s business portfolio.
- Regularly monitor loss ratios across both corporate and retail clients, implementing corrective action plans as needed in collaboration with branch teams.
- Promote the growth of non-motor insurance products and oversee optimal reinsurance structures and claims recoveries.
4. Cost Efficiency & Operational Management
- Ensure underwriting costs remain within budget through diligent resource allocation and process optimization.
- Negotiate favorable terms with key service providers, including surveyors, valuers, and device fitting companies.
- Identify and support the automation of underwriting processes to lower operational expenses and improve service efficiency.
5. Control of Company Assets and Financial Instruments
- Maintain strict internal controls over critical company assets including motor certificates, yellow cards, and other insurance-related documentation.
- Oversee the daily issuance and consumption of controlled documents to mitigate risks and ensure full compliance with internal and external regulations.
6. Internal Controls and Reporting
- Review business retention, growth, and profitability reports regularly to track performance and identify areas for improvement.
- Deliver accurate and timely reports to senior management to support strategic decision-making.
- Uphold strong internal controls by reviewing and updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), addressing audit recommendations promptly, and ensuring compliance with audit guidelines.
7. Talent Management and Leadership
- Provide effective leadership and operational oversight to your team, ensuring seamless daily functioning and alignment with the company’s strategic objectives.
- Foster a culture of performance excellence by driving staff development, coaching, and motivation.
- Build and maintain a technically sound, customer-oriented underwriting team that consistently delivers results.
- Lead efforts to embed a high-performance culture within the team and promote continuous learning and improvement.
Ideal Candidate Profile
To succeed in this role, you must possess a deep understanding of underwriting processes, strong leadership capabilities, and a data-driven mindset. While specific qualifications have been provided in the full job description document, emphasis is placed on your ability to:
- Lead strategic underwriting initiatives.
- Foster innovation and cross-functional collaboration.
- Make data-informed decisions to manage risks effectively.
- Develop and manage teams for high performance.
- Maintain a strong control environment with adherence to compliance and audit requirements.
For a full breakdown of required qualifications and experience, please refer to the attached PDF.
Why Join KOIL?
At KOIL, we believe our people are our greatest asset. Joining our team means becoming part of a culture that values integrity, innovation, and excellence. As the Underwriting Manager, you will be empowered to make significant contributions and shape the future of underwriting in one of Kenya’s most trusted insurance providers.
We offer:
- A dynamic and collaborative work environment.
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- A chance to lead transformation initiatives at a strategic level.
- Competitive compensation aligned with market standards and individual performance.
How to Apply
If you believe you have what it takes to thrive in this role and align with KOIL’s mission and values, we welcome your application.
To apply for the Underwriting Manager position, please refer to the full job description document for details and click the button below to access the application portal.
Deadline: Monday, June 2, 2025
