Head of Purchase and Underwriting Transformation

About the role

We are seeking a strategic, ambitious, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as Head of Purchase & Underwriting Transformation.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year transformation vision, strategy, and roadmap for Purchase and Underwriting, aligned to enterprise priorities, manufacturing objectives, and growth goals.
• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize high-impact initiatives that improve customer and advisor experience, underwriting effectiveness, and operational scalability.
• Establish and monitor clear success measures, KPIs, and financial outcomes to ensure transparency and accountability for value realization.
• Lead modernization of the end-to-end purchase experience, including eApp, eMed, eDelivery, orchestration, and omni-channel journeys.
• Drive digitization and automation to reduce customer and advisor effort, increase transparency, and accelerate placement and cycle times.
• Partner with Distribution, Marketing, Operations, and Technology to ensure purchase capabilities are seamlessly executed and broadly adopted.
• Own Guardian’s Underwriting Transformation and Innovation agenda, including automation, data-driven underwriting, and AI-enabled decisioning.
• Champion the adoption of advanced technologies such as GenAI, predictive analytics, triage models, and auto-assessment tools across underwriting workflows.
• Improve underwriting productivity, flow case handling, placement rates, scalability, and risk outcomes while maintaining strong governance and regulatory compliance.
• Guide the integration of new data sources, decision engines, and modern architectures into core underwriting processes.
• Provide clear leadership across cross-functional teams delivering purchase and underwriting initiatives, reinforcing disciplined execution and outcome-based delivery.
• Partner closely with Technology, Data, and Platform leaders to manage dependencies, sequencing, and delivery at enterprise scale.
• Apply BTOM principles and ways of working pragmatically to drive clarity, accountability, and sustained performance.
• Own investment strategy and funding trade-offs across Purchase and Underwriting Transformation, ensuring spend is tied to measurable outcomes.
• Lead and participate in governance forums, including underwriting and purchase transformation steer-cos and cross-functional workstreams.
• Serve as an executive sponsor for change management, communications, and adoption across impacted teams.
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary teams spanning underwriting, analytics, technology, and subject-matter expertise.
• Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, continuous learning, and knowledge sharing.
• Partner with HR and enterprise centers of excellence to strengthen leadership capability and succession.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in life insurance or financial services, including leadership roles within underwriting, manufacturing, operations, or transformation.
• Proven success leading large-scale transformation initiatives with measurable business outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience implementing AI-enabled, data-driven, and automated underwriting or insurance solutions.
• Deep understanding of life insurance underwriting, distribution models, competitive dynamics, and regulatory requirements.
• Strong financial, portfolio, and business judgment.
• Experience working effectively in highly matrixed, enterprise environments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Skills

• Strategic problem-solving.
• Data-driven decision-making.
• Innovation and creativity.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Leadership and team management.
• Project management and organizational skills.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

$155,370.00 - $255,255.00

Schedule

Not specified.