Director, Underwriting Portfolio Management

Swiss Re seeks a Director for Underwriting Portfolio Management in Zürich to lead portfolio strategy, capital allocation, and risk performance analysis using advanced data platforms.

This position serves as a hands-on analytical leader responsible for the end-to-end management of the underwriting portfolio. The role focuses on translating complex data into concrete portfolio choices, ensuring that capital allocation and risk-adjusted performance targets are met through direct investigation and implemented management actions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the underwriting portfolio plan, including the TLP and Group Capital Allocation Strategy, by aligning group objectives with current market conditions.
• Evaluate portfolio economics, risk profiles, return metrics, diversification benefits, and capital consumption to generate recommendations for capacity and steering.
• Utilize Palantir and other analytical tools to test hypotheses, interpret underwriting performance data, and derive robust conclusions about portfolio health.
• Proactively identify significant risks, concentrations, dependencies, and opportunities to enable timely management intervention.
• Convert analytical findings into specific steering actions, support governance processes, monitor implementation progress, and adjust strategies when results fall short.
• Collaborate with portfolio engineering, data, and analytics teams to enhance tools, workflows, and decision-support capabilities.
• Present clear, concise recommendations to underwriting, finance, risk, and senior leadership while fostering team development.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience in analyzing and managing complex underwriting portfolios, with a track record of turning evidence into explicit portfolio choices and measurable improvements.
• Deep knowledge of capital-allocation processes, capacity-setting frameworks, and the analysis of risk, return, diversification, and capital consumption.
• Ability to interrogate large, complex datasets and produce decision-ready insights using Palantir or similar modern analytical platforms.
• Strong understanding of underwriting economics, market dynamics, and portfolio management within the reinsurance or commercial insurance sectors.
• Proven skill in presenting complex analytical conclusions clearly and influencing senior stakeholders across underwriting, finance, risk, and capital management functions.

What the company offers

• Hybrid work arrangement requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office.
• Flexibility to place the hire in any Swiss Re office across Europe and North America.

About the company

Swiss Re is a leading provider of reinsurance, insurance, and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, dedicated to making the world more resilient. The company actively encourages experienced professionals returning to the workforce after a career break to apply for matching positions.

• Commitment to global resilience through reinsurance and risk transfer solutions.
• Support for experienced professionals re-entering the workforce after career breaks.