Consultant II, Underwriting Life (New Business Field Resource)

Are you passionate about being part of a team at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales that delivers extraordinary care to help individuals and businesses prepare for and protect their future? If so, then Nationwide Financial could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

We are seeking a highly experienced and professional Consultant II Life Underwriting New Business field resource. 

The ideal candidate will have previous production individual life underwriting experience with at least 10 years of experience and a $5M sign off limit, life underwriting leadership experience and/or liaison between life underwriting and life sales.  This field resource will maintain and expand partnerships between our external and internal business partners.

Key Responsibilities:  

• Serve as a field resource for underwriting in the Life New Business distribution channel.  
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the Life New Business distribution channel. 
• Utilize at least 10 years of life underwriting experience to make informed decisions.  
• Maintain a $5M sign-off limit for underwriting approvals.  
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders.  
• Effectively communicate and sell the underwriting story to various audiences.  
• Possess deep knowledge of the competitive market and industry trends.  
• Exhibit strong presentation skills and executive presence.  
• Partner with marketing to develop and build underwriting-related materials.  
• Demonstrate command skills and professional demeanor.  
• Foster a competitive spirit and drive positive underwriting change within the organization.  

Qualifications:  

• Minimum of 10 years of life underwriting experience.  
• Proven track record of relationship building and effective communication.  
• Strong knowledge of the competitive market and industry trends.  
• Availability to travel at least 2x per quarter. 
• Excellent presentation skills and executive presence.  
• Ability to partner effectively with marketing and other departments.  
• Demonstrated command skills and professional demeanor.  
• Competitive mindset with a drive for positive change. 

This position can be filled as Hybrid or Remote

This role does not qualify for employer-sponsored work authorization.  Nationwide does not participate in the Stem OPT Extension program. 

#LI-LP1

Job Description Summary

Our underwriters work hard to provide the exceptional customer experience for which Nationwide is known. Actively engaging with our firms and financial professionals to get to know their clients and their needs builds our understanding of the market, what is needed to win business and put our best offer out first.

If you thrive working autonomously, making decisions on a variety of impactful issues and continuing to learn and adapt to grow, we want to know more about you!

As a Life Underwriting Consultant, you'll analyze, select and classify applications for life insurance, of considerable technical complexity and exposure, to ensure underwriting quality according to established underwriting policies, practices and standards. You'll review and make decisions on larger, more sophisticated, or unusual business. To succeed, you'll need to coordinate life selection standards according to underwriting practices and procedures to achieve satisfactory mortality experience and acceptable administrative results. You'll have opportunities to provide leadership on projects, departmental committees and on the team by identifying problems and potential solutions and be serving as a referral point for less experienced underwriters. You'll work with latitude for independent judgment based on your underwriting authority and company underwriting standards.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities: 

• Receives, evaluates and underwrites, on a medical or non-medical basis more complex applications for life insurance up to their maximum handling limit as  approved by the Chief Underwriter. Protects the confidentiality of documentation and information acquired throughout the underwriting process. Works within broad limits and authority on highly sophisticated assignments requiring niche knowledge in area of expertise.

• Maintains in-depth knowledge of manuals, underwriting materials, rules, regulations, procedures medical factors and practices impacting mortality and morbidity underwriting. Maintains solid understanding of all underwriting administrative systems to conduct business and provides outstanding service to all internal and external customers and field partners.

• Evaluates and accesses applications requiring additional evidence of insurability. Determines the need for and authorizes the ordering of, underwriting requirements to include, but not limited to, medical examinations, blood profiles, home office specimens, attending physician reports, inspection reports, client direct interviews, and other essential information.

• Develops a strong understanding of the accelerated underwriting process and can apply risk-based decision-making skills to determine the appropriate requirements needed to provide protective value as well as determining appropriate risk class.  This may include but not limited to, making fluid-less underwriting decisions as well as the utilization of alternative sources of medical information while maintaining appropriate tolerance for accepting risk.

• Evaluates, appraises and quantifies data derived from personal or business financial information and establishes insurable interest in keeping with the principle of indemnification.  Handles complex financial underwriting applications and often assists others through referrals and training on financial underwriting.

• Reaches terms on, coordinates, and negotiates both automatic and facultative reinsurance within the contractual terms and conditions of Nationwide's various reinsurance treaties and product and market practices.

• Consults with other underwriters on the team and accepts referred cases when designated. Suggests innovative solutions, motivates team performance and facilitates open communication to achieve desired results. Supervises the handling of unusual or challenging cases.

• Educates internal and external partners on underwriting process, practice and tools. Helps train less experienced underwriting staff. Coordinates, participates and leads training development and delivery for issues or initiatives requiring technical expertise.

• Works on special projects as assigned, with little to no direction and is expected to develop project plans, requirements, timelines, etc.

• Meets and presents with field partners as needed. Acquires input and feedback during these visits to build a better understanding of partner needs and expectations.

• Interprets electrocardiogram tracings received as evidence for life insurance applications. Consults with Medical Director for cases where physician input is required.

• Determines eligibility for temporary insurance and authorizes disbursement of policy refunds if the TIA is not eligible.  Also authorizes reimbursement and for medical records or other fees requested as associated with requirements needed to confirm evidence of insurability.

• Consults with Chief Underwriter, Staff Underwriting, Senior Underwriting Consultants, and the Medical Director as the need arises.

• Supports and assists in meeting goals and objectives for varying territories, special agent programs and contests.

• Resolves challenges with effective solutions while maintaining focus on improving time service, quality of application submissions and underwriting quality and wastage.

• Handling up to $10,00,000 for life, up to $1,000,000 sign off for morbidity underwriting, and sign off authority for exceptions on Intelligent Underwriting.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Underwriting Manager or Director.

Typical Skills and Experiences: 

Education: Undergraduate studies in medical related discipline, marketing, insurance, risk management, economics, finance or business management.

License/Certification/Designation: