At Horace Mann, we are committed to helping educators and their families achieve lifelong financial security. We are seeking a visionary Assistant Vice President, Chief Life Underwriter to lead the strategic direction of our Life underwriting function.
As the organization's highest underwriting authority for the Life business, you will establish underwriting philosophy, guide risk selection and mortality management, and champion innovative underwriting practices that enhance the customer and agent experience while protecting the company's financial strength.
This critical leadership role partners closely with Product, New Business Operations, Distribution, Compliance, reinsurers, and vendor partners to develop and execute underwriting strategies that support profitable growth and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Underwriting Leadership
- Serve as the highest underwriting authority for the Life business, providing strategic leadership for underwriting philosophy, risk selection, mortality management, governance, and operational effectiveness.
- Establish and maintain underwriting guidelines, authorities, and risk selection practices that balance growth objectives with sound mortality management and regulatory compliance.
- Provide strategic direction on complex underwriting cases and emerging underwriting issues.
Innovation & Underwriting Transformation
- Champion the evolution of the underwriting function through the evaluation and implementation of innovative underwriting methodologies, technologies, and external data sources.
- Lead initiatives involving accelerated underwriting, predictive analytics, and digital capabilities that improve customer and agent experiences.
- Drive continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance underwriting efficiency, consistency, and decision quality.
Operational Excellence
- Ensure timely and accurate processing and issuance of Life insurance applications.
- Monitor, enhance, and implement underwriting policies, procedures, and operational standards with clearly defined accountability.
- Ensure compliance with internal underwriting guidelines, regulatory requirements, and legal directives.
- Support organizational initiatives that improve underwriting quality, service levels, and operational performance.
Business Partnership & Collaboration
- Partner closely with Life & Retirement leadership—particularly Product Strategy and Life New Business Operations—to support product innovation and business growth.
- Collaborate with Distribution, Compliance, Finance, Technology, reinsurers, and vendor partners to optimize underwriting capabilities and customer outcomes.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with agents, field leaders, and business partners, serving as a trusted underwriting advisor.
Leadership & Talent Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing underwriting organization.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and innovation.
- Support succession planning, talent development, and performance management for underwriting staff.
Strategic Initiatives
- Support enterprise strategic and tactical initiatives through effective planning, implementation, and organizational change management.
- Influence business decisions through underwriting expertise, market insight, and risk management leadership.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
- 10+ years of progressively responsible Life Insurance underwriting experience.
- 3+ years of leadership experience overseeing underwriting teams, programs, or operations.
- Demonstrated expertise developing, implementing, and managing underwriting guidelines, authorities, and risk selection practices.
- Significant experience evaluating and implementing accelerated and automated underwriting methodologies.
- Proven ability to lead organizational change, influence stakeholders, and drive adoption of new underwriting capabilities and technologies.
- Strong understanding of mortality management, underwriting operations, and regulatory compliance.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building, and collaboration skills.
Preferred
- Industry designations such as CLU, FALU, FLMI, or other advanced insurance credentials.
- Active engagement within industry underwriting organizations and professional associations.
Key Competencies
- Executive Leadership
- Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen
- Underwriting Risk Management
- Mortality & Risk Selection Expertise
- Innovation & Digital Transformation
- Organizational Change Leadership
- Customer & Agent Experience Focus
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Talent Development & Coaching
- Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge
Additional Information
- Normal office environment with remote work-from-home flexibility based on business needs.
- Core business hours with flexibility to meet business objectives.
- Periodic travel may be required
Pay Range:
- $124,200.00 - $175,800.00 annually
Salary is commensurate to experience, location, etc.
Horace Mann was founded in 1945 by two Springfield, Illinois, teachers who saw a need for quality, affordable auto insurance for teachers. Since then, we’ve broadened our mission to helping all educators protect what they have today and prepare for a successful tomorrow. And with our broadened mission has come corporate growth: We serve more than 4,100 school districts nationwide, we’re publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol: HMN) and we have more than $12 billion in assets.
We’re motivated by the fact that educators take care of our children’s future, and we believe they deserve someone to look after theirs. We help educators identify their financial goals and develop plans to achieve them. This includes insurance to protect what they have today and financial products to help them prepare for their future. Our tailored offerings include special rates and benefits for educators.
EOE/Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status
For applicants that are California residents, please review our California Consumer Privacy Notice
All applicants should review our Horace Mann Privacy Policy
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