Insurance risk surveyor

Insurance risk surveyors assess the potential financial risk involved in insuring properties, businesses or sites and provide expert advice to help reduce the likelihood of future claims

You'll carry out detailed site inspections, primarily for commercial clients, to identify potential hazards, evaluate levels of risk and recommend improvements. You'll produce written reports for insurance underwriters, helping them decide whether to offer cover, on what terms and how risks might be mitigated.

Most insurance risk surveyors work is in the commercial sector, surveying a range of premises including offices, factories, warehouses, leisure venues and retail sites. You'll typically be employed by general insurance and reinsurance companies, specialist surveyor firms or insurance brokers, and may work in a specific risk area such as:

• public and employer's liability - looking at possible risks to employees, visitors and customers
• burglary and theft - checking business premises for security and storage methods
• engineering insurance - covering mechanical and industrial plants
• environmental - including the risk of floods and water damage
• fire - including plans, construction and fire protection systems.

Insurance risk surveyors may also be known as risk consultants, risk engineers, risk control surveyors and risk control advisers.

Responsibilities

As an insurance risk surveyor, you'll assess and report on risk exposures across various insurance lines, such as commercial property, liability, motor fleets and engineering. You'll typically need to:

• undertake site-based valuations, surveys and risk management assessments
• use templates to record assessments and collect photographic evidence
• research, collate and assess risk information relating to buildings, property, employees or clients
• use risk modelling tools and digital surveying technology, including drones and geospatial software, where appropriate
• prepare detailed valuation and risk survey reports and presentations for underwriters
• make recommendations to underwriters about risk quality, rating and classification, and prepare a schedule of risk improvement measures
• advise clients on-site and discuss opportunities and requirements to reduce the risk of future insurance claims
• allocate quality grades once improvements have been completed
• accompany underwriters on site visits to help them understand the practicalities of the site
• work collaboratively with other teams and professionals such as underwriters, brokers, clients' representatives, inspectors of health and safety, and fire officers
• handle technical referrals from brokers, clients and other colleagues
• share knowledge and expertise across the business, including providing training on risk management
• ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal audit standards
• keep up to date with technical aspects affecting risks, such as trade processes, health and safety legislation, codes of practice and industry standards
• develop the business and maintain the professional reputation of the company with brokers and clients.

Salary

• Salaries for insurance risk surveyors with one to three years' experience typically range from £25,000 to £40,000.
• With around four to eight years' experience, you may earn between £35,000 and £60,000.
• Salaries for those with the right level of experience, qualifications and skills can be in the region of £50,000 to £75,000, rising to over £100,000 in some cases.

Salaries can vary significantly depending on your location (salaries in London, for example, are usually higher), the size and type of employer you work for, your specialist area and your qualifications, experience and level of responsibility. You may earn more once you've achieved chartered status.

Other benefits may include a company car or car allowance, pension, performance-related bonuses, discounted insurance, and medical and life insurance.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

You'll usually work standard office hours, Monday to Friday, but may need to work outside these times on occasion to accommodate site visits, travel or client availability. You may need to work extra hours when preparing reports for deadlines, for example.

There may be opportunities for part-time, contract and hybrid working, although site-based work still requires travel and in-person assessments.

What to expect

• Your time will usually be split between the office (either at work or home-based) and the site or property you're inspecting.
• Site visits may involve working at height or navigating large or hazardous areas, for example.
• Jobs are available throughout the UK.
• You'll need to wear smart but practical clothing, including personal protective equipment (PPE) such as hard hats and safety boots, depending on site conditions.
• Regular travel is expected to visit sites and properties, with occasional overnight stays for larger or more remote sites. There may be opportunities to travel if you're working for a multinational company.

Qualifications

Although a degree isn't essential, many insurance risk surveyors have one. Some large insurance companies run graduate training schemes, and you'll usually need a 2:1 or above to get a place.

A degree in building surveying, engineering or risk management can be particularly useful. Other relevant subjects include:

• actuarial science
• business management
• economics
• law
• management
• mathematics
• quantity surveying.

You could also enter the profession through the Level 6 Senior Insurance Professional Degree apprenticeship, which combines paid work with part-time study towards the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Advanced Diploma in Insurance.

Many insurance risk surveyors gain experience in other areas of insurance first, such as underwriting, brokering, claims, risk control or management, and hold recognised industry qualifications from bodies like the CII. Search the full list of CII insurance qualifications.

Qualifications and experience in related professions such building surveying, security, health and safety, engineering or fire safety can be particularly useful, depending on the focus of the role.

It's also possible to enter the insurance industry in a junior or administrative role and work your way up by gaining experience and taking relevant qualifications. There are apprenticeships available at various levels across the insurance sector. For details, see the CII Aspire Apprenticeship programme and search for opportunities on Find an apprenticeship.

Skills

You'll need to have:

• excellent interpersonal skills to build rapport with clients, site personnel and colleagues across the insurance sector
• strong communication and influencing skills
• excellent report writing and presentation skills with the ability to present findings clearly
• a combination of assertiveness, tact and diplomacy to manage occasional conflict
• the ability to inspire confidence in clients and encourage implementation of risk improvement advice
• analytical thinking and the ability to investigate and assess technical and commercial risks
• good commercial awareness and understanding of the insurance industry
• the ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• attention to detail and a methodical approach to work
• strong organisational, planning and time management skills
• self-motivation and a results-driven approach
• confidence using digital tools and equipment, such as risk modelling software, inspection apps and digital cameras
• proficiency in IT, including Microsoft Office.

You'll need a driving licence for travel to sites within your region.

Work experience

Most insurance risk surveyors have prior experience in insurance and it's worth investigating general graduate entry-level roles in areas such as underwriting, claims handling or risk control to build relevant experience.

Some insurance companies, particularly the larger ones, advertise summer placements or internships for undergraduates in various areas of insurance, which will help develop your skills and build a network of contacts. Smaller firms may offer work experience, but you'll usually need to approach them directly to find out about opportunities.

Experience in fire safety, health and safety, risk administration and building surveying roles is also useful as the skills you gain in these areas can be used in insurance risk surveying.

Shadowing an experienced risk surveyor or taking part in site visits, where possible, can provide valuable insight into the role.

Any experience that develops your report writing, communication, analytical or risk assessment skills will be helpful.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The majority of insurance risk surveyors work for general insurance or reinsurance companies, but some are employed by larger firms of insurance brokers (the intermediaries between clients and insurance companies).

Other employers include:

• specialist insurance surveying firms
• specialist engineering insurance companies
• risk management consultancies
• life insurance or assurance companies
• corporate risk management departments within large organisations
• some local authorities and public sector bodies.

Due to mergers that have taken place within the insurance sector over recent years, many insurance companies are now large organisations. The major general insurance groups are the most likely to recruit and train graduates through formal programmes.

Insurance risk surveyors are also employed by Lloyd's syndicates and managing agents, which operate within Lloyd's, the world's specialist insurance and reinsurance market.

Look for job vacancies at:

• CityJobs - Insurance
• FutureMe Insurance Jobs - CII jobs website.
• Lloyd's

Specialist recruitment agencies such as IDEX Consulting and IPS Group also handle vacancies. These are usually for experienced insurance risk surveyor roles.

Vacancies are also advertised in the national press, specialist publications, on LinkedIn and the websites of major insurance companies.

Professional development

You'll need to keep your skills and knowledge up to date throughout your career by undertaking continuing professional development (CPD). This can include taking relevant qualifications and training to enhance your expertise.

Insurance risk surveyors often have Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualifications, which provide a flexible way to study at your own pace. Completing the Advanced Diploma in Insurance (ACII) entitles you to use the ACII designation and, with five years' industry experience (not necessarily post-qualification), apply for chartered status.

Health and safety qualifications are increasingly expected by employers, particularly the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety. For more advanced roles, the Level 6 NEBOSH National Diploma for Occupational Health and Safety Management Professionals is useful.

Some insurance risk surveyors take the International Diploma in Risk Management offered by the IRM (Institute of Risk Management). As a Diploma graduate with a minimum of three years' practical experience in a risk role, you're eligible to apply for Certified Member (CMIRM) status and can use the title Certified Risk Professional after your name. The Diploma is currently being reviewed, and new enrolments have been paused. It's also possible to gain CMIRM via the IRM's Senior Executive Route.

Additional professional development is available through bodies such as Airmic, which offers workshops and resources for insurance and risk professionals.

Career prospects

Progression is typically well-structured within most insurance companies, starting from trainee or junior surveyor roles. As you gain experience, there are opportunities to move into senior surveyor and team leader roles, with more responsibility.

As you advance, roles tend to become more strategic and desk-based, with greater involvement in risk planning, reporting and stakeholder engagement. With the right combination of skills, experience and qualifications, you could become a head of risk management.

For those who prefer to remain hands-on, it's possible to progress within surveying while still maintaining links to fieldwork. Senior surveyors may take on responsibilities such as mentoring, quality assurance and managing a remote or hybrid workforce.

You may choose to specialise in a technical area, such as fire risk, engineering or business continuity, or work with larger, more complex and higher-value risks. Opportunities also exist to move into more hazardous and high-risk industries such as chemicals, heavy manufacturing or energy.

With relevant experience, it's possible to move into related sectors including engineering, construction, health and safety or the wider public sector.

With extensive experience, you might set up your own consultancy or become a partner within a specialist firm of independent surveyors.