Director - Compliance & Underwriting 

Location: Western Europe (Flexible) Ideally Netherlands 

Experience: 5-10+ years

Employment Type: Full-time

Role Overview

An established international insurance organisation is seeking a senior-level Director - Compliance & Underwriting to oversee product governance, regulatory compliance, and underwriting performance across its European operations.

This position requires a commercially minded leader with deep expertise in insurance product development, regulatory oversight, insurer engagement, and underwriting analytics. The successful candidate must be a registered insurance intermediary and possess strong working knowledge of European insurance regulations. Fluency in English (written and spoken) is essential.

Key Responsibilities

1. Product Design & Development

• Lead the design and structuring of insurance products in partnership with commercial teams and distribution partners.
• Coordinate quotation processes and negotiate terms with insurers.
• Develop and maintain full policy documentation, including terms, summaries, and customer disclosures.
• Engage with insurers to review and secure approval of product wording and structure.
• Conduct end?to?end product testing, including scenario analysis prior to launch or major product changes.

2. Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure ongoing compliance with relevant insurance distribution and regulatory frameworks across European jurisdictions.
• Review and monitor contractual arrangements, sales processes, customer journeys, marketing materials, and distribution activities.
• Prepare regulatory submissions and coordinate responses to regulator and insurer due?diligence requests.
• Manage annual oversight reviews and audits from insurer partners.
• Oversee complaint reporting and ensure timely delivery of required management information and compliance reporting.

3. Underwriting & Portfolio Performance

• Monitor underwriting performance across all programs, including loss ratios, severity, frequency, and portfolio trends.
• Conduct regular assessments to ensure program sustainability and recommend corrective actions as needed.
• Provide underwriting insights to support strategic, commercial, and product-level decision-making.
• Lead quarterly performance reviews with insurers, covering underwriting outcomes, compliance, and overall program health.

4. Sales Process & Distribution Governance

• Design and oversee the governance framework supporting sales models and distribution strategies.
• Monitor and periodically review all products to ensure they meet customer needs and remain aligned with distribution objectives.

5. Partner Management & Onboarding

• Lead the onboarding of new partners in accordance with internal governance and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee sub?delegated activities and claims involvement where relevant.
• Support negotiations with new partners from both an insurance and regulatory perspective.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum 10+ years' experience in insurance underwriting, compliance, product governance, or a related field.
• Registered insurance intermediary (mandatory requirement).
• Strong understanding of European insurance regulation and distribution requirements.
• Proven background in insurance product development and insurer negotiations.
• Strong analytical capability with experience evaluating underwriting performance metrics.
• Demonstrated experience in regulatory submissions, compliance reporting, and insurer audit processes.
• Excellent communication skills in English (written and verbal).
• Strategic thinker with strong stakeholder and relationship?management skills.