Contracts Specialist - L&H Re/Insurance

Locations: Chicago, IL, US | Kansas City, MO, US | Armonk, NY, US | Fort Wayne, IN, US

About the Role

This is a high-ownership, individual contributor role where you'll lead end-to-end contract drafting for Life & Health reinsurance deals across the US, Canada, and English Caribbean markets. You'll work with autonomy, guided by clear frameworks, and collaborate closely with underwriters, client managers, pricing, legal, and operations to ensure every contract reflects deal intent with precision and commercial clarity. Reporting to the Head Contracts L&H North America, this role offers direct exposure to live transactions and meaningful influence over how traditional reinsurance deals are structured and executed.

Key Responsibilities

Draft and Review Reinsurance Contracts

• Own end-to-end drafting of Life & Health traditional reinsurance contracts and addenda with a high degree of independence
• Translate technical and commercial inputs into clear, accurate, and enforceable contractual language
• Ensure all contracts reflect deal structure, underwriting intent, and agreed commercial terms
• Deliver high-quality contracts within expected timelines , managing multiple assignments simultaneously

Manage Contract Quality and Risk

• Identify and assess commercial, operational, and contractual risks embedded in deal structures and contract language
• Apply internal guidelines to determine appropriate positions and approval pathways
• Maintain consistency and deviation discipline across the contract portfolio
• Identify and resolve emerging issues and problematic clauses proactively
• Contribute to the development and refinement of standard wordings , helping to raise the bar across the team

Partner with Stakeholders and Clients

• Collaborate with Client Managers and cross-functional partners to clarify deal requirements and resolve ambiguities
• Act as a trusted advisor on contract wording and risk trade-offs , providing clear analysis and recommended positions
• Participate in contract discussions and wording negotiations with clients where appropriate
• Engage Legal on non-standard, jurisdiction-specific, or dispute-related matters to ensure appropriate oversight

About the Team

The Life & Health Contracts function is a critical enabler of Swiss Re's reinsurance business across the US, Canada and English Caribbean markets. The team drafts, reviews, and advises on traditional reinsurance agreements between Swiss Re and its clients, working in close partnership with client managers, underwriting, pricing, claims, legal, and operations.

The team's work spans three core areas:

• Structuring and documenting agreements aligned with underwriting intent
• Advising on wording implications and commercial risk trade-offs
• Supporting disciplined portfolio management through rigorous contract analysis

Contracts plays a pivotal role in safeguarding Swiss Re's risk position while enabling sustainable, long-term client performance — making this team both a technical center of excellence and a strategic business partner.

About You

You bring a sharp legal or contracting mind combined with genuine curiosity about the commercial and risk dimensions of traditional reinsurance. You're comfortable working independently, navigating ambiguity, and engaging directly with senior stakeholders and clients. You take pride in producing work that is precise, well-reasoned, and fit for purpose — and you're energized by the complexity and variety that comes with working across diverse markets and deal structures.

We are looking for candidates who meet these requirements:

• Proven ability to independently draft and review complex reinsurance or insurance contracts , including treaty documentation or equivalent financial services agreements
• Experience in Life & Health reinsurance or broader insurance/reinsurance markets , with a solid understanding of reinsurance structures and underwriting concepts
• Sound commercial judgment and risk assessment capability , with the ability to identify contractual risk and apply appropriate positions within established frameworks
• Experience engaging directly with clients in contract discussions or wording negotiations
• Familiarity with workflow tools, contract management platforms, and comfort using technology including GenAI in daily work

These are additional nice to haves:

• Background at a reinsurer, insurer, in-house legal team, or law firm with exposure to re/insurance or complex financial contracts
• Proficiency in French (an advantage given the Canadian market scope, but not required)
• Exposure to US, Canadian, or Caribbean insurance regulatory environments

The estimated base salary range for this position for Fort Wayne, IN; Chicago, IL and Kansas City, MO is $80,000 to $120,000, and for Armonk, NY, the range is $88,000 to $132,000 . The specific salary offered for this, or any given role will take into account a number of factors including but not limited to job location, scope of role, qualifications, complexity/specialization/scarcity of talent, experience, education, and employer budget. At Swiss Re, we take a "total compensation approach" when making compensation decisions. This means that we consider all components of compensation in their totality (such as base pay, short- and long-term incentives, and benefits offered), in setting individual compensation.

Our company operates under a hybrid work model, with the expectation that employees work from the office three days per week . Please note that this role is not eligible for visa sponsorship/visa transfers/visa extension or relocation support.