Leeds | Hybrid Working (3 Days Office / 2 Days Home)
Salary: Great salary + 25% Annual Bonus
Build a Function. Shape Strategy. Drive Growth!
At Markel, we're investing in the future of portfolio management, pricing and underwriting excellence. As part of this journey, we're seeking an experienced Portfolio Manager to join our newly established Portfolio Management & Pricing team and play a pivotal role in helping shape the future direction of our UK business.
This is a rare opportunity to join a function at the beginning of its journey. You'll work alongside Alice Barnett, helping build new analytical capabilities, influence underwriting strategy and create the portfolio management frameworks that will support Markel's ambitious growth plans.
Unlike many traditional actuarial roles, this position sits at the heart of the business.
You'll work directly with Underwriters, Distribution Leaders and Executive Stakeholders, translating complex data into actionable commercial decisions that improve portfolio performance and profitability.
What You'll Be Doing:
As the second-in-command within the Portfolio Management function, you'll:
- Lead pricing model calibration and portfolio analysis across multiple product lines.
- Deliver strategic insights that influence underwriting and growth decisions.
- Analyse portfolio performance, identify trends and recommend actions to improve profitability.
- Support pricing of new products, schemes and delegated authority business.
- Partner closely with Underwriters to understand performance drivers and opportunities.
- Develop dashboards, MI and analytical tools that support business decision-making.
- Contribute to Quarterly Business Reviews and portfolio strategy discussions.
- Help build and develop a growing portfolio management capability within Markel UK.
What We're Looking For:
We're looking for an individual who combines strong technical expertise with commercial thinking and exceptional stakeholder management skills.
You will ideally have:
- Qualified Actuary status.
- Significant experience within insurance pricing and portfolio management.
- Proven experience calibrating and developing pricing models.
- Strong analytical and data manipulation skills.
- Experience using SQL, Databricks, Python or similar coding tools.
- The ability to work autonomously and take ownership of complex projects.
- Outstanding communication and influencing skills.
- Experience translating technical insights into business recommendations.
- Commercial lines experience is preferred, although we are open to considering candidates from personal lines backgrounds who can demonstrate strong pricing expertise and a commercial mindset.
Why Join This Team?
This is more than a Portfolio Manager role. It's an opportunity to:
- Build a brand-new function from the ground up.
- Introduce your own ideas, processes and ways of working.
- Work at the forefront of portfolio management, analytics and AI-driven decision making.
- Gain significant visibility with senior leadership.
- Influence the future growth strategy of the UK business.
- Work in a highly collaborative and commercially focused environment.
Why Markel?
Markel is a specialist insurer with a reputation for expertise, innovation and long-term partnerships. As part of a Fortune 500 organisation, we combine global strength with a people-first culture where individuals are empowered to make a meaningful impact.
If you're looking for a role where you can shape strategy, influence decision-making and help build something genuinely exciting, we'd love to hear from you.
Ready to Make an Impact?
Markel celebrates 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 are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with all 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 that may be needed. This includes any alternative formats of any documents or information on how to apply offline.
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Skills Required
- Qualified Actuary status
- Significant experience in insurance pricing and portfolio management
- Experience calibrating and developing pricing models
- Strong analytical and data manipulation skills
- Experience using SQL, Databricks, Python, or similar coding tools
- Ability to work autonomously and take ownership of complex projects
- Outstanding communication and influencing skills
- Experience translating technical insights into business recommendations
- Commercial lines experience
Markel Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Markel and has not been reviewed or approved by Markel.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive coverage includes medical, prescription, dental, vision, and telehealth, complemented by company-sponsored wellness programs and free fitness/mindfulness apps. Feedback suggests expanded mental-health resources and wellness incentives further enhance support.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include 401(k) and other financial protections that can add meaningful long-term value. Feedback suggests strong company matching and retirement contributions are a notable part of the package.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — A broad suite includes paid time off, corporate holidays, parental leave, hybrid work, volunteer time, and education support. Feedback suggests PTO accrual grows with tenure and can include an option to buy extra days.
Markel Insights
What We Do
At Markel, we believe in hard work, a zealous pursuit of excellence, and fairness in all our dealings. Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) is a global Fortune 500 company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. We seek to be a leader in each of our pursuits, with insurance being our primary business. As a market leader for specialty insurance, reinsurance, and investment operations around the world, Markel embodies integrity, commitment, teamwork, and innovation in every day operations. We are encouraged to look for a better way to do things. Since our founding in 1930, we have sought to know our customers’ needs and to provide quality products and service. Markel specializes in providing coverage for hard-to-place risks for a variety of niche markets including: • Agricultural and equine risks • Reinsurance for large risk enterprises such as oil rigs • Event cancellation insurance for weddings, concerts, and sporting events • Inland marine coverage for fine art collections • Environmental pollution • Yachts, ATVs, and motorcycles At Markel we provide an atmosphere in which people can reach their personal potential. We are results-oriented, and we continually strive for a better way to do things. The Markel approach is one of spontaneity and flexibility. Markel helps employees balance work and social activities. Markel gives you the keys to success! Keeping an open mind and learning new skills allows our associates to stay ahead of the marketplace. Above all, we enjoy what we are doing. There is excitement here that comes from innovating, creating, striving for a better way, sharing success with others…winning. That is the Markel Style.
