Head of Construction & Engineering Benelux

DUAL has been growing its Construction & Engineering business across Europe since 2023, with the Netherlands playing a central role in that expansion. We are now looking for a Head of Construction & Engineering to lead our Benelux team, shape the portfolio's technical and commercial direction, and drive its next phase of profitable growth.

Als de volgende functie-eisen en ervaring overeenkomen met uw vaardigheden, zorg er dan voor dat u snel solliciteert.

Leading a team of two Lead Underwriters and one Underwriter, you will provide technical leadership, people management and day-to-day direction while maintaining your own underwriting responsibilities. This is a true player-manager role, combining hands-on underwriting with accountability for the team's performance, development and technical standards.

Success in this role requires strong market credibility. You will bring an established network within the Dutch construction and infrastructure insurance market, understand its risks and opportunities, and confidently represent DUAL as a leading MGA in the region. Working closely with the Managing Director, DUAL Benelux and Construction & Engineering leaders across Europe, you will help shape both the local portfolio and DUAL's wider growth ambitions.

Location:

hybrid (availability to meet the team in our Rotterdam office)

Working pattern:

full-time (32-40hrs)

Role responsibilities

• 
  
• Lead, develop and coach a team of two Lead Underwriters and one Underwriter, setting clear expectations, managing performance and supporting individual development.
  
• Define and execute the Construction & Engineering underwriting strategy for Benelux, maintaining risk appetite and delivering profitable growth across the portfolio, including Construction All Risks (CAR) and Erection All Risks (EAR).
  
• Maintain personal underwriting responsibility for complex, high-value or strategically important accounts, acting as Lead Underwriter where appropriate and setting the technical benchmark for the team.
  
• Generate and oversee new and renewal business, quoting, negotiating and binding risks in line with DUAL's business plan, underwriting authority and risk appetite.
  
• Develop the Benelux broker panel by strengthening existing relationships, building new partnerships and increasing DUAL's market presence.
  
• Monitor portfolio performance, including loss ratios, premium, retention and emerging risks, taking timely action where required.
  
• Ensure underwriting files and documentation remain accurate, complete and audit-ready.
  
• Work closely with Claims, Compliance, Finance and Operations to resolve underwriting matters efficiently and support smooth business operations.
  
• Contribute to business planning, management information reporting and portfolio reviews with DUAL Benelux and DUAL Europe's Construction & Engineering leadership.
  
• Represent DUAL at broker meetings, client visits and industry events, while identifying cross-selling opportunities across the wider DUAL product range.
  
• Monitor market developments, regulation, competitor activity and emerging risks, using market insight to inform underwriting strategy, pricing and product development.
  

Key requirements

• 
  
• Significant experience in Construction and/or Engineering underwriting, including at least seven years' experience and progression into a senior or leadership role.
  
• Proven people management experience, with the ability to develop underwriters, manage performance and maintain high technical standards.
  
• Deep knowledge of the Dutch construction and infrastructure insurance market, supported by an established broker network and strong market credibility.
  
• Strong technical expertise across the core Construction & Engineering product suite, including experience conducting or overseeing risk surveys.
  
• Strong commercial judgement, balancing profitable growth with disciplined underwriting and portfolio management.
  
• Analytical and organised, with the ability to interpret portfolio data and translate insights into effective underwriting decisions.
  
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to represent DUAL with brokers, clients, capacity providers and reinsurers.
  
• Comfortable working in an entrepreneurial, fast-moving environment, making sound decisions with the information available.
  
• Fluent in Dutch and English, both written and spoken.
  
• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience.
  

About DUAL

Working across 21 countries, DUAL has built a reputation as a specialist underwriting group

and the market of choice for insurance intermediaries around the world. That's how we have become one of the world's largest international underwriting agencies (or MGAs) with US$3.5bn of GWP.

DUAL is part of Howden, an international insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. The group was founded in 1994 and now has divisions in broking and underwriting, operates in 55 territories and employs over 19,000 people handling US$42bn of premium on behalf of clients.

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define.

Yes, we offer all the usual rewards and benefits - competitive salary, generous pensions and more - but we know you expect all that.

What you might not expect is a job where everyone has a voice, where volunteering in the community is part of the day job, and where everyone is encouraged to play a part towards our sustainability goals. We want people who want to make a difference - not just in the workplace, but in the industry and in the wider community.

Our culture: People first

Our core values dictate how we live and work. We're a group with independence and people at its heart and we're a home for talent with a unique culture: the biggest small company in the world. xnkfpon

The focus on being a people-first business has always been at the very heart of the group; Our vision was to create an independent business with a unique culture and one that would survive and thrive as a business controlled by the people working for it. And finding the most talented and entrepreneurial people to join the group has been and will continue to be key.

Diversity and inclusion

At DUAL, we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and, as such, we treat colleagues, candidates, clients and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.