Experience Aviva

Individually we are people, but together we are Aviva. Individually these are just words, but together they are our Values – Care, Commitment, Community, and Confidence.

At Aviva Canada, we put people first, our employees, our customers, and our communities. We’re proud of a culture built on care, inclusion, and collaboration, where your voice matters and your growth is supported. We’re not just about insurance; we’re about making a real difference by protecting what matters most.

The Opportunity

Aviva Canada has an exciting opportunity within our Small Medium and Enterprise (SME) Commercial Insurance business. Our Ottawa Commercial Branch is looking for a Senior Commercial Lines Underwriter to join our Middle Market team, specializing in Property & Casualty.

This role is ideal for a seasoned underwriter who thrives on complex risk assessment, strategic broker relationships, and driving profitable portfolio growth. You’ll work with medium-sized commercial accounts across key industry segments—including wholesale, manufacturing, and contracting—typically above the $25,000 premium threshold.

As a Senior Middle Market Underwriter, you will be a trusted expert and business partner. You’ll collaborate closely with our brokers, internal teams, and customers to identify market opportunities, deliver exceptional technical expertise, and ensure accurate, competitive pricing that supports sustainable growth.

What you’ll do

• Lead quality underwriting decisions by deeply understanding customer needs and risk characteristics, balancing top-line growth with disciplined profitability.
• Build and strengthen strategic relationships with brokers, customers, and cross-functional partners to deliver an outstanding service experience.
• Act as a senior technical escalation point, supporting junior underwriters and approving submissions within your authority.
• Manage the profitability and quality of your portfolio, escalating risks that fall outside authority.
• Provide insights from market research and portfolio trends, contributing to business cases for pricing, coverage, and product enhancements.
• Shape underwriting excellence by helping to introduce and communicate pricing/product changes, developing bulletins, guidelines, and manuals.
• Identify and address emerging issues such as loss trends or portfolio deterioration, applying appropriate remediation strategies.
• Strengthen your technical and system knowledge across all commercial insurance platforms and tools.
• Participate in audits and quality reviews, ensuring consistency and compliance with underwriting standards.
• Stay current on industry trends and regulatory developments to support informed underwriting decisions.

What you’ll bring

• 5+ years of commercial insurance underwriting experience, ideally within middle market business.
• Post‑secondary education in Business or related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong understanding of underwriting, pricing, and product strategies within key segments (wholesale, manufacturing, contractors).
• Knowledge across related functions such as Claims, Risk Management, and Accounting.
• Advanced understanding of underwriting philosophy, policy wordings, rating programs, technical manuals, risk information sources, and compliance parameters.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, commercial underwriting systems, and related tools.
• Strong relationship-building skills and a professional presence with brokers and customers.
• Collaborative approach with internal business partners to drive an excellent customer and broker experience.
• Self‑motivated with the ability to proactively identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Strong listening and problem‑solving capabilities to understand and meet client and broker needs.

What makes you stand out

• CIP/FCIP designation preferred

What you’ll get

• The salary band for this position ranges from $70,000 to $90,000. Please note that individual salary is determined by factors such as job-related knowledge, skills and experience, as well as internal equity.
• Compelling rewards package including base compensation, eligibility for annual bonus, retirement savings, share plan, health benefits, personal wellness, and volunteer opportunities.
• Hybrid flexible work model .
• Outstanding career development opportunities.
• We’ll support your professional development education.
• Competitive vacation package with the option to purchase 5 extra days off per year.
• Employee-driven programs focused on gender, LGBTQ+, origins, diversity, and inclusion.
• Corporate wellness programs to support our employees’ physical and mental health.

Please note that we may use AI tools to help us through the recruitment process. This is a new position which has been posted internally & externally.

Aviva Canada has an accommodation process in place to provide accommodations for employees with disabilities. If upon commencement of employment you require a specific accommodation because of a disability, please contact your Talent Acquisition Partner so that an appropriate accommodation can be arranged. This process applies throughout your career with Aviva Canada.