Manager, GCS Casualty and Nonstandard, Underwriting Services, GCS Ops

at  Aviva

Individually we are people, but together we are Aviva. Individually these are just words, but together they are our Values – Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence.
An exciting opportunity exists for a Manager with our Commercial Lines, GCS Operations Team in our Toronto, or Montreal location. You will lead the day-to-day operations of the GCS Casualty and Nonstandard team supporting our GCS underwriting, reinsurance and broker partners. Leading underwriting fundamentals in team training and development, this role is involved in the overall leadership of the Casualty and Nonstandard Underwriting Assistants and Underwriting Technical Assistants within the team supporting Casualty, P&C Multinational, Programs Healthcare and Specialty Casualty underwriting teams. Your passion and drive to support, lead, coach, and mentor will contribute to the achievement of a high level of performance, improving relationships in the team, GCS Underwriting Services and Operations, and Aviva brokers and reinsurance partners. This includes the achievement of delivering on individual performance and departmental strategy and objectives, including providing the team with underwriting training and mentorship opportunities which is key.
As a passionate and engaging leader, mentorship and development of the team is key to our success and involves performance reviews and development plans.
This role is accountable to influence and deliver optimal underwriting support to industry standards in large commercial, Multinational and Nonstandard commercial insurance aligned to end to end GCS underwriting workflows. You will lead and guide the problem resolution process according to appropriate company guidelines and policies. Leading by example, the customer experience is always kept in the forefront.
With a designated team, your support from a mentorship perspective will be aligned to the Aviva values and ways of working.

What you’ll do

• Manager of key underwriting support operational relationships for GCS Casualty, Multinational P&C, Programs Healthcare and Specialty Casualty teams building and delivering open and transparent collaborative ways of working that align to Aviva Strategy
• Lead a team accountable to deliver pre and post bind underwriting support meeting speed to market demands within set service level agreements.
• Coach and train team to improve competency and capability in underwriting support for the global corporate market with sound underwriting practices that meet Aviva risk and controls.
• Manage team workload and provide direction with a good balance of delegation.
• While managing all aspects of people management and building winning capabilities, you will collaboratively craft simplicity within processes, manage to KPI’s & operational metrics and dedicate time to monthly one-on-one and team building meetings with the team.
• Foster team competency and capability with sound underwriting practices that meet Aviva risk and controls.
• Develop the team through active collaboration with underwriting in mentorship, Manager lead training and independent learning, regular performance reviews and live development plans for all team members.
• Motivate and guide the quality of underwriting support and data quality setting expectations when conducting support authority reviews in accordance with governance standards, executing quality resolution of failed quality reviews.
• Deliver on time, accurate and quality underwriting support including monthly operational reporting, team performance scorecard and support authority quality reviews ensuring a reliable view of operational performance, including but not limited to team metrics and KPI’s, accounting discrepancies, pre and post bind workflows and root cause analysis and resolution.
• Deliver solutions to systemic issues driving improvement in efficiency and accuracy in underwriting data for GCS.
• Work collaboratively with Ops leadership and key stakeholders to support the development and implementation of operational policies and procedures including job aids, standard operating procedures and resource guides to ensure transparency and acceptance across the business.
• Execute and deliver on time project outcomes while meeting the competing demands of day-to-day business needs.
• Encourage and demonstrate accountability while taking initiative with more difficult and non-standard situations, equipping the team to be self-solution focused.
• Minimize underwriting expenses as GCS business expands appetite/delivers new products and propositions.
• Motivate and guide the quality of underwriting support when conducting support authority reviews in accordance with governance standards as required and applying out of the box thinking in sourcing and executing automation and process optimization.
• Negotiate and amicably drive solutions with internal stakeholders in financial discrepancy reconciliation that yields a high degree of accuracy and maintains broker receivables within tolerance.
• Influence best ways of working with internal cross-functional teams when supporting business initiatives to ensure financial objectives are met for all projects, BAU and Aviva architectural redesign initiatives.
• Provide operational support to Senior Manager when interacting with external partners on BAU requirements.

What you’ll bring

• Post-Secondary education in insurance or a related field, and/or equivalent work experience in commercial insurance
• Proven experience (minimum 5 years) in commercial underwriting background coupled with CIP/CRM (or enrolment) and bilingual is considered an asset
• Proven business insights and real passion for relationship management.
• Leadership experience and capabilities (i.e. project lead, formal supervisory/leadership experience leading a team of direct reports)
• Excellent underwriting skills with knowledge of rating and risk selection.
• Above average experience with Aviva legacy systems and insurance tools including RTM, Salesforce, QLIK and MS office suite.
• Solid written communication skills and ability to write in the context of advising and teaching.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to convey decisions and information clearly with front-line staff, external and internal partners/stakeholders.
• Ability to develop strong business relationships, externally with brokers and internally with other areas of Aviva (e.g. commercial lines branches).
• Proven track record of effectively leading through change.
• Experience leading a national hybrid team is preferred.
• Willingness to work in office and travel to lead at Aviva offices according to Aviva’s business charter.

What you’ll get:

• The salary band for this position ranges from $79,500 to $147,700. Please note that individual salary is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills and experience, as well as internal equity.
• Compelling rewards package including base compensation, eligibility for annual bonus, retirement savings, share plan, health benefits, personal wellness, and volunteer opportunities.
• Outstanding Career Development opportunities.
• We’ll support your professional development education.
• Competitive vacation package with the option to purchase 5 extra days off per year.
• Employee driven programs focused on gender, LGBTQ+, origins, diversity, and inclusion.
• Corporate wellness programs to support our employees’ physical and mental health.
• Hybrid flexible work model.

Please note that we may use AI tools to help us through the recruitment process. This is an existing position which has been posted both internally & externally.
Aviva Canada has an accommodation process in place to provide accommodations for employees with disabilities. If upon commencement of employment you require a specific accommodation because of a disability, please contact your Talent Acquisition Partner so that an appropriate accommodation can be arranged. This process applies throughout your career with Aviva Canada

• Manager of key underwriting support operational relationships for GCS Casualty, Multinational P&C, Programs Healthcare and Specialty Casualty teams building and delivering open and transparent collaborative ways of working that align to Aviva Strategy
• Lead a team accountable to deliver pre and post bind underwriting support meeting speed to market demands within set service level agreements.
• Coach and train team to improve competency and capability in underwriting support for the global corporate market with sound underwriting practices that meet Aviva risk and controls.
• Manage team workload and provide direction with a good balance of delegation.
• While managing all aspects of people management and building winning capabilities, you will collaboratively craft simplicity within processes, manage to KPI’s & operational metrics and dedicate time to monthly one-on-one and team building meetings with the team.
• Foster team competency and capability with sound underwriting practices that meet Aviva risk and controls.
• Develop the team through active collaboration with underwriting in mentorship, Manager lead training and independent learning, regular performance reviews and live development plans for all team members.
• Motivate and guide the quality of underwriting support and data quality setting expectations when conducting support authority reviews in accordance with governance standards, executing quality resolution of failed quality reviews.
• Deliver on time, accurate and quality underwriting support including monthly operational reporting, team performance scorecard and support authority quality reviews ensuring a reliable view of operational performance, including but not limited to team metrics and KPI’s, accounting discrepancies, pre and post bind workflows and root cause analysis and resolution.
• Deliver solutions to systemic issues driving improvement in efficiency and accuracy in underwriting data for GCS.
• Work collaboratively with Ops leadership and key stakeholders to support the development and implementation of operational policies and procedures including job aids, standard operating procedures and resource guides to ensure transparency and acceptance across the business.
• Execute and deliver on time project outcomes while meeting the competing demands of day-to-day business needs.
• Encourage and demonstrate accountability while taking initiative with more difficult and non-standard situations, equipping the team to be self-solution focused.
• Minimize underwriting expenses as GCS business expands appetite/delivers new products and propositions.
• Motivate and guide the quality of underwriting support when conducting support authority reviews in accordance with governance standards as required and applying out of the box thinking in sourcing and executing automation and process optimization.
• Negotiate and amicably drive solutions with internal stakeholders in financial discrepancy reconciliation that yields a high degree of accuracy and maintains broker receivables within tolerance.
• Influence best ways of working with internal cross-functional teams when supporting business initiatives to ensure financial objectives are met for all projects, BAU and Aviva architectural redesign initiatives.
• Provide operational support to Senior Manager when interacting with external partners on BAU requirements