Head Contracts L&H North America Job Toronto area,Ontario Canada,Management

Position: Head Contracts L&H North America )

The Opportunity

The North America (US, Canada, English Caribbean) portfolio represents the largest and most complex region within Swiss Re’s L&H reinsurance portfolio.

The L&H Contracts Team Lead – North America is a senior leadership role with full regional accountability for the Contracts function across traditional reinsurance agreements. This role leads contract drafting discipline, governance rigor, and in-force contractual risk review within a high-volume, performance-driven underwriting environment.

You will serve as a business partner to Swiss Re L&H's North America Market Units and translate underwriting intent and legal advice into disciplined, repeatable contract execution that protects performance and long-term value. The role owns deviation discipline, negotiation consistency, contractual integrity, and contractual analysis across the region, while driving modernization through workflow tools and GenAI-enabled practices.

While strong legal and drafting expertise is essential, this role sits within the L&H Pricing & Portfolio Performance (PPP) function and partners closely with legal, underwriting, pricing, claims, portfolio management and risk functions to support Swiss Re's North America business. It is accountable for ensuring contracts reflect disciplined risk-taking and align with underwriting performance objectives.

Reporting to the Global Head of L&H Contracts, this role is a member of the global L&H Contracts Leadership Team and plays a visible role in shaping the evolution of the Contracts function.

About the Life & Health Contracts Function

The L&H Contracts function at Swiss Re drafts, reviews and advises on reinsurance agreements between Swiss Re and its clients. In close partnership with underwriting, pricing, claims, legal, and risk, the team:

Structures and documents traditional reinsurance agreements

Ensures contractual terms reflect underwriting intent

Provides clear advice on wording implications and risk trade-offs

Supports disciplined portfolio management through contracts analysis

Contracts plays a critical role in safeguarding Swiss Re’s risk position while enabling sustainable long-term profitability.

Your Mandate

1. Strengthen Commercial Discipline

Ensure contracts reflect underwriting intent and disciplined risk-taking

Act as a trusted partner to Client Markets and cross-functional stakeholders (Underwriting, Pricing, Claims, Legal), shaping deal structure and contract outcomes on key accounts

Provide clear, decisive recommendations on wording and structural trade-offs, including hands-on involvement of key client accounts

Lead interpretation, analysis, and restructuring of existing agreements

2. Strengthen Governance & Standardization

Ensure consistent application of global contracting standards

Own deviation governance, tracking, and transparency across the region

Strengthen documentation rigor and decision traceability

3. Talent Management & Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop team of Contracts Specialists across the US and Canada

Define clear roles, accountability, and career pathways for Contracts Specialists

Represent North America within the global L&H Contracts Leadership Team

4. Accelerate Digital Workflow & GenAI Adoption

Lead regional adoption of contracting workflow tools and GenAI-enabled practices, embedding AI into standard drafting and review workflows

Ensure responsible use of GenAI is operationally embedded and scalable across the region

What Success Looks Like

Within 18–24 months:

Contracts is recognized as a disciplined commercial and risk partner across North America

Strong governance and deviation discipline across markets

Broad adoption of digital workflow and GenAI tools

Your Profile

12–15+ years’ experience in Life & Health reinsurance or insurance…