Director, Group Underwriting

About this role

Job Classification:
Operations - Insurance Operations

At Prudential, we're committed to helping people achieve financial wellness and peace of mind. Our Group Insurance business delivers life, disability, absence, and supplemental health solutions that help employers support their workforce and employees protect what matters most.

For more than a century, Prudential has been a trusted provider of employee benefits solutions. Today, our Group Insurance organization partners with employers across the United States, combining deep industry expertise, data-driven insights, and innovative risk management strategies to help clients attract, retain, and support their employees. Our underwriting teams play a critical role in driving profitable growth, delivering exceptional customer experiences, and helping businesses navigate an evolving benefits landscape.

Prudential is seeking an experienced and strategic underwriting leader to join our Group Insurance organization as a Director, Group Underwriting. In this role, you will lead a regional team responsible for underwriting and risk management across our Premier and National Accounts segments.

The Director will oversee a portfolio of complex group insurance business while driving profitable growth, retention, and risk management outcomes. This leader will partner closely with Distribution, Actuarial, Claims, Product, and other business stakeholders to develop market strategies, optimize underwriting performance, and ensure consistent execution across a diverse portfolio of clients.

Success in this role requires a combination of strong technical underwriting expertise, strategic business leadership, talent development capabilities, and the ability to influence decisions across a dynamic and evolving marketplace.

What you'll do:

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of underwriting professionals.

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

• Drive talent management strategies, including recruitment, succession planning, employee development, and performance management.

• Serve as a visible leader and change champion, helping teams navigate evolving business priorities and organizational initiatives.

Portfolio Management & Business Performance

• Own underwriting results for an assigned portfolio, including profitability, revenue growth, retention, and risk management outcomes.

• Monitor portfolio trends, emerging risks, and financial performance to identify opportunities and drive informed business decisions.

• Ensure consistent underwriting practices and sound risk selection across the team's book of business.

• Leverage market intelligence, experience data, and performance metrics to optimize portfolio results.

Strategic Leadership

• Contribute to segment, region and enterprise-wide business planning initiatives.

• Help shape underwriting and pricing strategies that support long-term growth objectives.

• Influence business decisions through data-driven recommendations and industry expertise.

• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, underwriting effectiveness, and customer outcomes.

Client & Partner Engagement

• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, brokers, consultants, and key customers.

• Partner closely with Distribution, Actuarial, Claims, Product, Finance, and other functional teams to deliver effective underwriting solutions.

• Participate in high-profile case consultations, negotiations, and client discussions as needed.

• Represent Underwriting in strategic business discussions and support market-facing initiatives.

Governance & Operational Excellence

• Ensure adherence to underwriting guidelines, risk management standards, and regulatory requirements.

• Lead quality review activities and operational oversight efforts to maintain consistency and excellence across the team.

• Drive continuous process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, transparency, and customer experience.

• Support the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of underwriting policies and procedures.

What you'll need:

• 10+ years of Group Insurance underwriting experience with expertise in Life and Disability products.

• Proven leadership experience managing and developing underwriting professionals.

• Demonstrated success managing complex portfolios while delivering strong profitability, growth, and retention results.

• Strong understanding of underwriting principles, pricing methodologies, and risk management practices.

• Excellent analytical, financial, and problem-solving capabilities.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills.

• Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across multiple stakeholder groups and levels of leadership.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

It'd be a plus if you had:

• Supplemental Health underwriting experience.

• Experience working with Premier and/or National Accounts business segments.

• Advanced proficiency in Excel and data analysis tools.

• Experience leading strategic initiatives, process improvements, or transformation efforts.

• Knowledge of industry trends, competitive market dynamics, and evolving regulatory environments within Group Insurance.

What You'll Bring

• Strategic mindset with a focus on driving business results.

• Strong leadership presence and executive-level influence skills.

• Customer-focused approach to decision-making and problem solving.

• Ability to balance growth, risk management, and client needs.

• Passion for developing talent and building high-performing teams.

• Continuous improvement mindset and willingness to challenge the status quo.

What we offer you:

Prudential is required by state specific laws to include the salary range for this role when hiring a resident in applicable…