Senior Personal Lines Underwriter & Claims Specialist

A client in the Insurance Industry is seeking a full-time, Senior Personal Lines Underwriter & Claims Specialist on a 12-month fixed-term contract. This position offers a dual-focus opportunity for a highly experienced professional. The role encompasses the entire life cycle of personal lines risks, from initial assessment, risk pricing, and management of underwriting decisions, through to the comprehensive processing, oversight, and management of claims. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in monitoring loss ratios, identifying adverse risk trends, and implementing proactive underwriting measures to protect and support a profitable portfolio. Operating as a critical technical resource, the incumbent will also provide essential advisory support to brokers and clients while ensuring unwavering adherence to regulatory mandates. Key Responsibilities: Underwriting & Risk Assessment: Evaluate and process new business, renewals, amendments, and policy endorsements across personal lines portfolios including motor, household contents, buildings, all risks, and personal liability. Risk Evaluation & Pricing: Review complex client risk profiles, historical claims data, asset exposure, and geographical locations to recommend appropriate premiums, terms, excesses, exclusions, and endorsements. Portfolio Safeguarding: Effectively manage non-standard risks and underwriting referrals, while proactively identifying risk concerns, misrepresentations, non-disclosure, and potential fraud indicators. Claims Management: Receive, register, and end-to-end process personal lines claims, validating policy cover, excesses, and specific conditions against submitted documentation. Stakeholder Liaison: Act as the primary point of contact for clients, brokers, insurers, and external service providers; appoint and manage assessors, repairers, and investigators within agreed turnaround times. Settlement & Compliance: Direct claim approvals, settlements, repudiations, and payments in strict accordance with delegated authority limits and internal guidelines. Financial & Trend Analysis: Monitor loss ratios, evaluate ongoing claims experience, identify leakage, and provide management with strategic feedback to support product, rating, and pricing reviews. Regulatory & Administrative Excellence: Maintain meticulous records, comprehensive audit trails, and ensure absolute compliance with FAIS, PPR, POPIA, and insurer mandates. Requirements 8 to 15 years’ short-term insurance experience. Strong personal lines underwriting experience. Practical claims processing and claims management experience. Experience assessing risk profiles and recommending pricing, terms, excesses and exclusions. RE5 & FAIS compliance status is required. Fully bilingual in English and Afrikaans. Benefits Contract: This is a 12-month fixed-term contract. Ideal start date: 1st August 2026 Work model: Hybrid (3 days on-site in Bryanston), if based in Johannesburg