Underwriter/Senior Underwriter – General Property

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance

Köln, DEonsitePosted Aug 20, 2026
Posting intelligenceActively listed

About the role

Who We Are:

A strategic and trusted insurance partner, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) provides a broad range of commercial property, casualty, and specialty insurance coverages, together with outstanding service, to customers and brokers around the world. As part of Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance operations, we bring solutions to market backed by our stellar brand, top‑rated balance sheet, and the expertise of our global team of professionals, known for both exceptional capabilities and strong character.

We are a values‑based organization where respect, integrity, excellence, collaboration, and passion define who we are and how we do business. We value diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives and strive to foster an inclusive environment that enables all teammates to bring their best selves to work. We are one team, committed to building a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and be recognized.

Want to be part of the team building the finest property, casualty, and specialty insurance company in the world?

Learn more about our unique culture and history.

Job Opportunity:

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) offers an exciting opportunity to join our German Property team as an Underwriter or Senior Underwriter – General Property, based in Cologne (Headquarters), Frankfurt, Munich, or Hamburg.

We are looking for a motivated and intellectually curious underwriting professional, open to candidates across different career stages. The level of responsibility and seniority will be aligned with the individual’s experience, expertise, and track record.

In this role, you will contribute to the development and underwriting of general property business across the German market. This includes pre‑qualifying and evaluating new and renewal opportunities, analyzing property risk exposures, and making sound underwriting decisions within BHSI’s risk appetite.

Depending on experience, you will either:

Develop your underwriting and market‑facing capabilities, working closely with senior underwriters and internal stakeholders to support portfolio growth and broker engagement, or

Take ownership of underwriting decisions and portfolio development, actively driving broker and client relationships, production activity, and market strategy.

Across all levels, you will play an active role in the disciplined and profitable growth of the portfolio, collaborating closely with brokers, customers, other BHSI product lines, and the Risk Engineering team.

This role offers the opportunity to work in a technically strong, collaborative environment with exposure to complex property risks and bespoke underwriting solutions, while continuing to grow professionally within the BHSI platform.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Source, evaluate, and underwrite new and renewal property business, including primary and excess layers, multi‑year policies, and bespoke structured placements, in line with BHSI’s risk appetite.

Actively grow and shape the general property portfolio through disciplined underwriting and targeted business development.

Design and execute market strategies, delivering tailored insurance solutions to meet the needs of brokers and clients.

Build, maintain, and strong broker and customer relationships, collaborating closely with other BHSI product lines and the Risk Engineering team.

Assess and interpret technical documentation, including catastrophe modeling outputs, risk engineering reports, and valuation data.

Review, negotiate, and approve policy terms and conditions to ensure technical accuracy and contract certainty.

Thrive in a fast‑paced environment, managing multiple priorities and making sound underwriting decisions while maintaining discipline and integrity.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

5–10+ years of experience in commercial insurance

Established and strong broker and client relationships

Proven underwriting judgment with strong attention to detail

Solid understanding of CAT peril modeling and pricing (preferred)

In‑depth knowledge of policy forms, including broker manuscript wordings

Strong collaboration skills with a demonstrated ability to build and contribute to high‑performing teams

Excellent communication skills, including negotiation, stakeholder management, and presentation capabilities

Willingness to travel as required

University degree or equivalent education, and/or strong professional insurance qualifications preferred

Fluency in German and English

BHSI Offers:

A competitive compensation package combined with attractive professional growth and development opportunities for career‑driven individuals

A dynamic, fast‑moving, and purpose‑driven environment focused on doing the right thing for our customers, teammates, and stakeholders

A deliberately non‑bureaucratic culture that values simplicity over complexity and encourages individual excellence within a collaborative team framework

To apply, please submit your CV along with a cover letter outlining why this would be the perfect role for you to hr.europe@bhspecialty.com

Note: Compensation will be commensurate with experience.

This job description is not intended to be all‑inclusive. Team members may perform other related duties as needed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Questions about this role

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