Director, Underwriting Manager

About Ladder

We saw a problem within the life insurance industry: getting covered took too long, involved too much paperwork, and required too many in-person meetings with sales agents. Having lost his father at a young age, our CEO, Jamie, was determined to make it easier for people to get the coverage they needed to provide for their families. So, we got to work. We developed a method of real-time underwriting leveraging AI and, in doing so, reduced the months-long process of applying for life insurance to minutes. Our digital experience is quick (instant decisions!), loved by users (check out our Trustpilot or Google reviews) and prolific ($74 billion+ in coverage provided).

About the role

This is a remote role based in one of the 23 States Ladder is currently hiring in - AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KS, MA, MD, MN, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, TX, VA, WA, WI.  Please note, Ladder is not currently sponsoring or transferring OPT or H1-B visas.

We believe life insurance innovation must happen in the context of sound underwriting decisions. The Director, Underwriting will lead Ladder’s underwriting team.

• Manage 3 UW teams and develop their skill sets in line with our underwriting philosophy and guidelines

  • Production UW  (Analyze medical, non-medical, and financial data to accept, modify, or decline risks on applications referred to manual underwriting)
  • Auditing UW (both requirements from our carriers - and also small special audits we need to run to improve the product)
  • Projects UW (subject matter experts providing input into any changes to our digital instant UW to improve the business while being wise on the risk)

• Maintain relationships and stay on the cutting edge of new third party data offerings. Identify, pilot, and engage new tools to improve underwriting

• Communicate with our insurance partners in concert with Ladder’s business development director who leads the relationship management of our reinsurers and carriers

• Partner with actuary to present mortality slippage each month to Ladder’s mortality team

• Serve as a subject matter expert to engineering and product teams as we build new insurance offerings

Who You Are

• An outstanding manager of people
• A strategic thinker and builder.  Someone who wants to apply their life insurance underwriting expertise to help drive Ladder’s success
• A data-driven and structured thinker. Someone who is comfortable with data and will look to translate findings into actionable insights
• An optimist, committed to continuous learning, iteration, and user-centered everything
• A great communicator who listens well, asks questions, and has a sense of humor.
• A thoughtful leader who empowers others, fosters accountability, and creates an environment where team members can do their best work

Experience Required

• 6 - 8 years of people leadership experience
• 10+ years of life insurance underwriting experience at a leading carrier or reinsurer
• Experience in developing underwriting guidelines and programs
• Demonstrated interest in innovation and better serving end users
• Experience with accelerated underwriting and third-party evidence providers is a plus

What we Offer

Whether you work in our beautiful office in Palo Alto or remotely, Ladder is highly collaborative and fun. To support you in your role, we offer fantastic perks and benefits that reflect our mission of care and support, including:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage | We offer competitive healthcare,dental and vision plans for you and your family.
• Flexible paid time off | Take the time that you need to rest and recharge, including our week-long winter holiday closure.
• Stock options | We offer competitive stock option packages to participate in the success of building Ladder
• A rewarding 401k match program | We’ll match up to 4% of your contributions as you save for your retirement goals.
• Ladder Fit Program | Your health matters. That’s why Ladder provides a monthly reimbursement for wellness-related expenses.
• Commuter benefits | When you work from the office, you will receive pre-tax
• benefits for your commute and free parking.
• A stocked, beautiful new office | Located in downtown Palo Alto, our office was specifically designed to accommodate all working styles. We’ve invested in technology to support our hybrid team, plus we provide office snacks and daily catered lunches so that team members can work well and have fun together.
• Paid parental leave |We think it’s crucial that new parents have time to adjust to their new lives without worrying about work, so we provide all parents inclusive of birthing, adoption, or fostering ten weeks of paid baby bonding.
• Work-from-home flexibility and support | We recognize that everyone’s homelife is different and support remote and hybrid work. Upon joining, we provide a one-time remote office stipend for all team members and then a monthly stipend to cover WFH costs such as the internet.
• Fun company-wide events | Whether we work locally or remotely, we genuinely enjoy spending time together. That’s why we plan fun virtual and in-person events to let loose and laugh.

The base pay range targeted for this position is $100,000 to $230,000. This role is eligible for equity and benefits as shared above. Base pay is determined by market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Ladder is building a diverse team of talented and enthusiastic people. We are an equal opportunity workplace. At Ladder, differences are celebrated and supported to benefit our people, product, and community. Let us know why you’re interested in this position and what unique contributions you can make to the Ladder team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Research shows that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds often don’t apply for roles if they don’t meet all the criteria – unlike majority candidates meeting significantly fewer requirements. We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested: we’d love to know how you can elevate our team with your unique experience!

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