Senior Portfolio Manager

This role is responsible for embedding portfolio management as a core discipline across the London Market business by leading the portfolio management business partnering team. Responsibilities include integrating segmentation into underwriting, discovering new methods and data for performance analysis and leading on pricing model algorithm development and calibration for all pricing models, with the goal of driving underwriting strategy and decision making.

You’ll collaborate closely with the rest of the International Portfolio Analytics team, who leverage cutting-edge advanced analytics, data management, business intelligence, and technical pricing implementation to deliver market-leading programmes and technologies.

We’re all about people | We win together | We strive for better | We enjoy the everyday | We think further

What you’ll be doing:

Lead portfolio performance insights

• Help to drive the pricing and portfolio management agenda for the London division, ensuring alignment with underwriting strategy and broader business objectives.
• Provide actionable, data-led insights to support underwriting decisions and improve portfolio profitability.

Partner closely with underwriting leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to Managing Directors and Underwriters, supporting them in actively handling their portfolios.
• Challenge and improve underwriting strategy through robust analysis, recommendations, and performance monitoring.

Own and evolve pricing capability

• Contribute to the calibration, development, and continuous refinement of pricing models across relevant classes.
• Ensure models are technically robust, commercially relevant, and aligned with portfolio performance and risk appetite.

Monitor and improve performance

• Track key performance drivers at a granular (class/segment) level across the International portfolio, including both open market and delegated business.
• Identify trends, risks, and opportunities, and drive targeted actions to improve performance.

Deliver business planning and performance governance

• Support the analytical direction of Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs), ensuring clear linkage between plans, performance, and actions.
• Support and develop the quarterly business planning process, with ongoing monitoring against plan.

Develop insight-led tools and analytics

• Build and deliver advanced analytics, pricing tools, and dashboards to enable more effective underwriting decisions.
• Champion the use of data, analytics, and automation across the underwriting and portfolio management processes.

Collaborate across functions

• Work closely with actuarial, underwriting, claims, data/IT, and delegated teams to deliver coordinated solutions and address business challenges.

Key Skills:

Strong London Market experience

• Deep understanding of the London Market, with experience across specialty lines and a clear grasp of underwriting dynamics, portfolio performance drivers, and market practices.

Advanced pricing and actuarial expertise

• Strong technical grounding in pricing, with hands-on experience developing, calibrating, and refining rating models.
• Able to apply actuarial judgement to translate model outputs into clear, commercially relevant recommendations.

Technical and data capability

• Advanced Excel skills, with the ability to manipulate and analyse large, sophisticated datasets.
• Proficiency in SQL for data extraction and analysis, with Python experience for modelling, analytics, and automation helpful.

Stakeholder engagement and influence

• Proven track record to work closely with underwriters and senior stakeholders, providing insight, challenge, and support to drive better portfolio and pricing decisions.

Strong communication skills

• Able to clearly articulate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, including senior leadership, and present insight in a concise and impactful way.

Commercial mindset

• Strong commercial attitude, with the ability to balance technical rigour and analytical depth with practical, commercially relevant outcomes, underpinned by a deep understanding of insurance and underwriting dynamics.

Delivery and ownership

• Track record of delivering high-quality analytical work and projects to tight timelines, with the ability to prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Data visualisation and analytics tooling

• Experience using visualisation tools (e.g. Power BI or similar) to present insights effectively.
• Exposure to advanced analytics or data science techniques is an advantage

What’s in it for you?

A great starting salary plus annual bonus & strong benefits package…

• Up to 16% company pension scheme,
• Private medical and dental cover, Menopause plan, emergency care benefit (children/Pets/dependants)
• Income protection, Life assurance, electric car scheme, travel insurance
• 25 days paid holiday plus Bank Holidays, with the opportunity to buy/sell extra leave
• As well as other great benefits on offer there are countless opportunities to learn new skills and develop in your career!

Are you ready to play your part?

If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward, reach their full potential and seize opportunities. You’ll find your fit amongst our diverse global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to think further because we believe that when we strive for better and realise our potential, we can help others reach theirs.

Join us and play your part in something special!

Choose ‘Apply Now’ to fill out our short application, so that we can find out more about you.

At Markel we are all about the people, celebrating the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.

We will ensure that individuals are provided with any reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at [email protected] or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations or adjustments that may be needed, including alternative formats of documents or information on how to apply offline.

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