Senior Underwriting Specialist, National Programs

Working hours: 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Duration: Permanent

Location: Halifax, NS & Toronto, ON

Job Ref: 204722

About the role

Ecclesiastical Insurance Canada, who are proudly part of Benefact Group, are looking for a Senior Underwriting Specialist, National Programs to join our Halifax & Toronto offices.

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Underwriting Specialist to support our National Programs portfolio. In this role, you will lead complex, program-level risk assessments across Property and Casualty lines, ensuring individual risk decisions support overall portfolio performance and underwriting strategy. Your deep industry knowledge and analytical acumen will help shape underwriting decisions that align with our business goals and client needs.

We are actively recruiting for this new opportunity. We don’t use AI tools in our screening or hiring process. Every application is reviewed by real people who want to learn what makes you shine. Ready to make an impact and love what you do? Let’s make it happen together!

Why join us?

Be part of a collaborative, inclusive, ambitious culture committed to making a difference and working towards a more sustainable future. For the eighth consecutive year, we are recognized as one of Greater Toronto’s Top Employer’s for 2026 - we offer fantastic career and development opportunities, with all of our profits going to charity and good causes.

What you'll be doing

• Evaluate and underwrite various types of risks across several lines of business within National Programs.

• Collaborate with account managers, actuaries, and legal teams to structure innovative solutions.

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with brokers, clients, and internal partners.

• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend adjustments to underwriting guidelines.

• Lead or contribute to strategic initiatives, including product development and process improvement.

• Mentor junior underwriters and contribute to knowledge-sharing across the team.

What you'll need to have

• A University degree, advanced insurance-related certifications like CIP or equivalent.

• Minimum 10 years of underwriting experience, including oversight of program or portfolio-based business and evaluation of aggregated risk performance.

• Experience creating, deploying, and managing Delegated Underwriting Authorities.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze underwriting data, loss trends, and exposure metrics to inform pricing, capacity, and program structure.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including translating underwriting and performance data into clear insights for brokers, partners, and internal teams.

• Advanced proficiency in underwriting systems to monitor program performance.

• High ethical standards, adherence to industry regulations and guidelines, and the ability to handle sensitive information discreetly.

• Strong negotiation skills, adaptability to changing market conditions and underwriting guidelines, and ability to handle multiple underwriting files simultaneously.

What makes you stand out

• Strong portfolio analytics expertise, using data to guide pricing, capacity, product design, and overall portfolio strategy.

• Experienced mentor and team leader, with a track record of developing underwriters and supporting knowledge‑sharing across teams.

• Exceptional relationship builder, collaborating effectively with brokers and cross‑functional partners to create innovative, compliant underwriting solutions.

What we offer

At Ecclesiastical Insurance, we believe work should feel rewarding — and we mean that in every way! Our Total Rewards package goes way beyond competitive pay, bringing you excellent benefits, wellness & well-being support, and perks that make a real difference.

We’re committed to transparency and fairness for this role; the base salary range is between $98,500 and $135,500. That’s just the base —the full package includes so much more! Actual pay depends on your experience, skills, and fit for the role. If this range isn’t quite what you had in mind, we’d still love to hear from you!

Compensation & Financial Perks

• Competitive annual bonus - where individual performance is recognized.

• Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP) - Up to 8% and no employee matching required.

• Voluntary RRSP & TFSA programs – Grow your savings your way.

Work-Life Balance

• Hybrid work model – Supporting a healthy blend of work and home life.

• Time off - paid vacation, plus paid wellness, personal, and volunteer days.

• Summer hours – More sunshine, less screen time!

Home & Roam Perks

• Monthly allowance – For commuting costs and home office supplies.

Health & Wellness

• Employer-paid benefits – Vision, health, dental, life, and income protection.

• Spending accounts – Health Care & Healthy Living Accounts to keep you thriving.

• Wellness perks – Fresh fruit, snacks, and summer ice cream days!

Learning & Development

• Professional development – Tuition support & awards for CIP, FCIP, CRM, and more.

• Personal development – Take that pottery class or learn guitar – we’ve got you!

Culture & Engagement

• Fun at work – Lunch & Learns, after-work socials, and Lunch with Leaders events.

Giving Back

• Giving back is in our DNA – Team volunteer events, employee-nominated charitable donations, community grants, and more.

About us

Ecclesiastical Insurance is a unique specialist insurance company that is deeply committed to protecting the needs of organizations that enrich the lives of others and to supporting initiatives that help improve the lives of those in need.

We insure some of Canada’s most historic and culturally significant places, as well as the arts, retirement living, education, charities, and faith organizations.

Benefact Group is a unique international financial services Group made up of over 30 businesses. We are owned by a charity and have been the 3rd largest UK corporate donor over a decade*, having given away £250 million since 2014. We have ambitious plans to become the UK’s number one corporate donor, with strategic objectives in place to double the Group’s size.

We believe it’s essential to attract, empower, grow and reward talented people, offering fantastic opportunities for career and personal development. Our giving ethos, 135-year history and the diversity of what we do, has enabled us to build a culture of kindness, great ambition, and of passionate people driven to do better and be better.

At Benefact Group, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture and building an environment where each and every one of us feels valued and respected. We are a community made up of people with a range of different backgrounds, abilities, perspectives, beliefs and interests and we value the strength this brings to us as a Group. We welcome applications from everyone.

If you need any additional support during the recruitment process, then please let us know.