Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Vice President, Underwriting

Healthcare
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in healthcare, business, mathematics, or statistics
  • 10+ years of underwriting experience, particularly in leadership roles
  • Deep expertise in health insurance underwriting principles, especially in medical, pharma, and stop-loss
  • Strong analytical skills and proficiency in underwriting tools and data analysis
  • Proven success in leading high-performing teams within dynamic environments
  • Agility and ability to thrive in fast-paced settings
  • Healthcare industry experience is mandatory

Responsibilities

  • Lead and oversee underwriting for individual and group health plans
  • Review and analyze complex medical applications and determine coverage eligibility
  • Ensure compliance with state and federal health insurance regulations
  • Conduct and monitor audits for underwriting quality and accuracy
  • Adapt underwriting practices based on evolving industry trends
  • Identify and resolve potential compliance issues
  • Collaborate with actuarial teams to assess risk and set competitive pricing
  • Support sales teams with underwriting that meets customer needs

Benefits

  • Paid time off
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) retirement plan
  • Well-being benefits package
  • Flexibility to work from the Boston or Hingham office for part of the week
Full Job Description

Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Vice President of Underwriting will lead and oversee the underwriting function, ensuring strategic alignment with business goals and risk management objectives.  The successful candidate will be a results-oriented leader who can effectively lead underwriting teams to strategically support and manage risk effectively, develop and maintain underwriting guidelines, policies and procedures, and establish pricing models and methodologies based on risk assessment and market conditions.  

The successful candidate, who will lead a 60-person team, will have proven experience in recruiting, managing, and mentoring highly effective, innovative and collaborative teams. The successful candidate will work closely and collaboratively with the Chief Financial Officer and key peer stakeholders across actuarial, treasury, finance, sales and legal departments to optimize risk selection and policy pricing strategies, while serving a wide range of internal clients including the Chief Executive Officer and other members of the executive team, business and functional unit leaders.

This role requires a dynamic leader with proven expertise in underwriting strategy, team leadership and collaboration across organizational levels.

This full-time role is eligible for our FLEX persona and candidates are expected to be in our Boston or Hingham office location on Tuesday and Wednesday each week at minimum.

Key accountabilities for the role include:

  • Lead and oversee the underwriting process for individual and group health plans

  • Review complex medical applications, analyzing medical history, and assessing risk factors to determine coverage eligibility and premium levels

  • Ensure adherence to all state and federal regulation requirements regarding health insurance underwriting

  • Conduct and monitor audits to maintain underwriting quality and accuracy 

  • Monitor industry trends and adapt underwriting practices to evolving regulations

  • Identify and address potential compliance issues

  • Partner closely with actuarial teams to assess risk and establish competitive pricing

  • Collaborate with sales teams to provide underwriting support that address customer needs and support growth initiatives

  • Communicate underwriting decisions effectively to brokers and policyholders

Key Competencies:

  • Shaping strategy: Ability to develop, manage and implement thoughtful underwriting strategies to achieve business goals, with a proven track record of providing strategic analysis and counsel to executive leaders in complex environments.

  • Execution-oriented: Demonstrated ability to execute effectively for high-impact and demonstrated outcomes.

  • Leading teams: Strong track record of leading, managing, and inspiring teams, including recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent.

  • Influencing collaboratively: Exceptional ability to influence and engage internal and external stakeholders.

This document is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties.

What you Bring:

  • Strong commitment to the Company’s mission and values

  • Strong attention to detail and ability to deliver high-quality results

  • “Player-coach” mindset, with the ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on support

  • Strong interpersonal skills to build healthy, collaborative, and trusting relationships across the Company.

  • Self-motivated problem-solver and a curious thinker

  • Strong executive presence with excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Education & Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree required (healthcare, business, mathematics or statistics preferred)

  • 10+ years in underwriting experience, with significant leadership roles

  • Deep expertise in health insurance underwriting principles and practices – particularly in medical, pharma and stop loss (FI and ASC)

  • Strong analytical skills and proficiency in underwriting tools and data analysis 

  • Proven success in leading high-performing teams in dynamic environments

  • Agile and nimble with an ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines

  • Healthcare experience is required

Minimum Education Requirements:

High school degree or equivalent required unless otherwise noted above

Location
BostonTime Type
Full time

The job posting range is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future.  An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs and affordability.

This job is also eligible for variable pay.

We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and a suite of well-being benefits to eligible employees.

Note:  No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is a state licensed private health insurance company under the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with headquarters in Boston. It is the largest health plan in Massachusetts, serving 2.8 million members. BCBSMA is committed to providing access to high-quality, affordable health care to help improve the health and well-being of its members and the communities it serves.
Learn more about Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Size
3,700 employees
Industry
Founded
1937

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