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  4. Underwriting Graduate Programme - Hiscox UK (York)
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At Hiscox, we like to do things differently. We like to say that we are in insurance, but not of insurance. You may have an idea of what an insurance company looks and sounds like, but we try and forge our own path. We are known for insuring the homes of the rich and famous through to the most innovative technology companies. With over 100 years of industry experience, we offer tailored insurance solutions to help protect what matters to our diverse and unique range of customers, from insuring small businesses against cyber attacks to high-value homes.

Underwriting is about risk analysis and selection, trading, creativity and innovation. At Hiscox, underwriters use judgement, skill and experience to assess, accept or decline risks in line with our underwriting philosophy. Building relationships and negotiating with trusted brokers is at the heart of what they do. Through interacting with clients and transacting business across the UK, our experts look for alternative and innovative ways to write new, profitable business. Our underwriters utilise leading technologies such as digital trading platforms and dynamic pricing models to stay ahead of an evolving market. This is key in facilitating the growth ambitions of Hiscox UK. Collaboration is an integral part of their roles, as our underwriters work cross-function, sharing and gathering insight with teams such as, Pricing and Claims.

As an Underwriting Graduate you can expect to

  • Combine your analytical ability with your people skills, as you gain experience across direct and broker distribution channels throughout your underwriting rotations
  • Make a real contribution to the team you’re in, working on challenging projects and liaising with senior stakeholders from the start
  • Develop an understanding of the different types of risks we insure, how we price those risks and under what conditions
  • Gain excellent exposure to our Hiscox UK business overall, through two underwriting and one non-underwriting rotations
  • Be enrolled into the Hiscox Faculty of Underwriting – a learning framework to support you throughout your career with us. You’ll start by learning the building blocks of Underwriting, progressing onto more complex programmes as you develop in your career
  • Receive on-the-job training as well as a structured learning programme designed exclusively for the graduate programme, ranging from financial acumen to interpersonal skills
  • Receive full financial support to become professionally qualified through the Chartered Insurance Institute
  • Be part of an international graduate cohort, gaining a global network of peers across the business
  • Receive support and guidance from our Early Careers Team, your Grad Buddy, and Senior Sponsor

Your rotations explained

On our Underwriting Graduate Programme, you will undertake three rotations that are each 9 months in length - two of which will be in Underwriting, and the other being in a related, non-underwriting area.

Your first underwriting rotation will likely be in your “host” team, where you will be introduced to the skill of underwriting and the nuances of our Hiscox UK insurance lines.

Your second underwriting rotation will be in a different area within Hiscox UK, where you will further develop the skills and abilities gained in your first underwriting rotation, and widen your knowledge of the variety of risks insured by Hiscox UK.

We anticipate that your underwriting rotations will take place in our Direct Commercial and York Branch divisions:

Direct Commercial

Direct Commercial is our small business insurance division for customers purchasing insurance directly with us. Creating customers for life, doing the right thing no matter how hard, and walking away knowing you have made a positive difference is at the heart of the division. Our direct business in the UK now has over 120,000 SME customers, with the highest loyalty scores in the sector. We believe that the direct-to-consumer channel will become the dominant channel for the vast majority of specialist small businesses and that Hiscox is best placed to maintain profitable market leadership in this space.

York Branch

Our York Branch division has grown a substantial book of business to date, with an established reputation underwriting property, casualty, professional indemnity and other core products. This high-performing team has ambitious growth plans, underwriting larger and more complex business, with broker interaction and business development at the heart of what they do. Given the breadth of their work, a rotation in York Branch will broaden your perspective and knowledge as an underwriter, as you understand and consider a wider variety of risks.

Claims

Your non-underwriting rotation will challenge you to develop new skills as well as widen your perspective and understanding of the UK business. We anticipate that your non-underwriting rotation will be in our Hiscox UK Claims team. The team deliver on our promise to support our customers when they need it most. You can look forward to learning about the vast array of claims we manage and will work alongside internal and external specialist solicitors, claims investigators, loss adjusters or other experts to ensure that claims are handled efficiently whilst seeking the best outcome for our customers. The team enjoys a reputation to provide industry-leading, award-winning customer service that lies at the heart of the Hiscox brand.

Is this opportunity for you?  

  • Do you have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with a diverse range of individuals?
  • Are you a team player who prioritises collaboration and clear communication?
  • Are you someone who is curious with an eagerness to learn and try new things?
  • Are you detail-orientated and comfortable working with data?
  • Do our core values (Courage, Ownership, Human, Connected, Integrity) resonate with you?
  • Do you have the courage to ask questions, challenge the way things are done and put your own ideas forward?

Requirements

  • 2:1 (predicted or obtained) in any degree discipline (UK or international equivalent).
  • Fluent business English, numerate, strong interpersonal skills.
  • Permission to work in the UK.

We want to invest in your long-term future at Hiscox, from the start. You will join on a permanent contract and at the end of the programme (December 2026), you will have the opportunity to move into an Underwriting role within Hiscox UK.

Applications will be reviewed and progressed in order of submission date, and opportunities may close early if we receive a high volume of applicants. Therefore, we recommend that you apply as soon as possible.

If the opportunity you initially apply for is filled, we will endeavour to consider your application for any other remaining opportunities.