Legal Counsel (Wordings)
Sydney, Australia
We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel (Wordings), specialising in insurance law, to join our Australia Legal team based in Sydney. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in insurance law and insurance policy drafting, and proven experience in the Australian wholesale insurance market.
What you'll be DOING
What will your essential responsibilities include?
* Providing expert legal advice and support to our underwriting business partners on a wide range of insurance-related legal issues, with priority in drafting insurance policy wordings in all lines of business, reinsurance agreements, contract construction, and risk assessment. This will include reviewing existing products and those of our partners and co‐insurers, and providing clear but legally cogent analysis and explanations on individual clauses right through to entire product wordings.
* Supporting underwriters in new and existing product development, and in achieving underwriting discipline through compliance with internal underwriting directives and compliance requirements, as well as ad‐hoc clause coverage analysis in collaboration with the APAC Europe Litigation team.
* Collaborating with cross‐functional business partners, including senior management, HR, claims, compliance, finance and risk teams, to provide legal guidance and support on strategic initiatives and business operations. This is expected to include but is not limited to: third‐party service agreements, outsourcing agreements, business agreements with insurance intermediaries, NDAs and confidentiality terms, terms of assignment and/or novation of insurance policies and/or ancillary contracts.
* Proactively looking for opportunities to contribute constructive feedback to the business, including providing regular feedback on legal issues identified through product reviews, as well as legal training on both product wordings and other relevant legal issues.
* Overseeing changes in insurance legislation and regulations primarily in Australia, ensuring that our product wordings and business partners are fully informed of the changes that may impact our wordings and our key business functions are supported in any changes that are required to be made.
* Supporting strategic product wording related projects run by our Australia Legal team, and our Global / APAC Europe Wordings teams.
You will be a member of the Australia Legal Team. You will report directly to our General Counsel, Australia and will have a dotted line to an APAC Europe Wordings manager.
What you will BRING
We're looking for someone who has these abilities and skills:
Required Skills and Abilities
* Qualified lawyer admitted to practice in Australia (or a comparable common law jurisdiction) and holding (or eligible to hold) a current Australian practising certificate with extensive post‐qualification experience, ideally within an insurer, an insurance intermediary (e.g. agency or broker), or an insurance law firm (with a focus on insurance advisory work).
* Proven experience in insurance law, insurance contracts, insurance product development, claims handling, and insurance regulatory compliance, with a focus on wholesale insurance classes.
* Proven technical, analytical and problem‐solving capabilities in insurance contract interpretation, product development and/or claims handling. Experience in the use of contract analytics technology tools a plus.
* A comprehensive understanding of what the business, legal and compliance needs are for individual insurance classes, with a focus on wholesale insurance products.
* Excellent communication (written and oral) and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
* Ability to thrive in a fast‐paced and dynamic environment, with a proactive and solution‐oriented approach to project management and stakeholder management.
* Intellectual curiosity, with exceptional attention to detail and an ability to consider and approach challenges from all angles and with a diverse and open‐minded approach.
What we OFFER Inclusion
AXA XL is committed to equal employment opportunity and will consider applicants regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and origins, marital status, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic. At AXA XL, we know that an inclusive culture and enables business growth and is critical to our success. That's why we have made a strategic commitment to attract, develop, advance and retain the most inclusive workforce possible, and create a culture where everyone can bring their full selves to work and reach their highest potential. It's about helping one another — and our business — to move forward and succeed.
* Five Business Resource Groups focused on gender, LGBTQ+, ethnicity and origins, disability and inclusion with 20 Chapters around the globe.
* Robust support for Flexible Working Arrangements
* Enhanced family‐friendly leave benefits
* Named to the Diversity Best Practices Index
* Signatory to the UK Women in Finance Charter
Total Rewards
AXA XL's Reward program is designed to take care of what matters most to you, covering the full picture of your health, wellbeing, lifestyle and financial security. It provides competitive compensation and personalized, inclusive benefits that evolve as you do.
We're committed to rewarding your contribution for the long term, so you can be your best self today and look forward to the future with confidence.
AXA XL is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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