Sr. Medical Director

Are you passionate about being part of a team at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales that delivers extraordinary care to help individuals and businesses prepare for and protect their future? If so, then Nationwide Financial could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Medical Director, Life Underwriting

Location: Remote (U.S.)
Job Type: Full-time, Exempt

About the Role

We are seeking a Medical Director to join our Life Underwriting team, applying your clinical expertise to improve mortality and morbidity risk assessment. In this role, you will support life underwriting through medical case consultation, guideline development, and education, while partnering with underwriting leadership, claims, product, actuarial, and other stakeholders to deliver strong business results and an excellent customer experience.

This is an excellent opportunity for a physician or advanced practitioner with an interest in insurance medicine who wants to move into (or deepen) a career in life underwriting.

Key Responsibilities

Medical Risk Assessment

• Review life insurance applications referred for medical review and provide written risk assessments, including recommendations on ratings, postponements, declines, and exclusions.
• Interpret complex medical histories, medical records, lab data, and diagnostic testing (including ECGs) to assess mortality and morbidity risk.
• Serve as a medical resource for underwriters on complex, impaired-risk, older-age, and high–face-amount cases.

Underwriting Support, Automation & Digital Data

• Provide day‑to‑day consultation to underwriters and leadership on medical issues impacting risk selection.
• Collaborate with underwriting and underwriting innovation team to:
  • Refine medical aspects of underwriting rules and requirements.
  • Support the effective use of digital medical evidence sources (e.g., EHR-derived summaries, lab data, APS, pharmacy data) in risk assessment.
  • Contribute medical input to automation and accelerated underwriting initiatives so they maintain appropriate protective value.
• Help identify trends in impairments, testing, and outcomes that can inform underwriting strategy and process improvements.

Guidelines, Policy & Innovation

• Contribute to the development and ongoing refinement of evidence‑based medical underwriting guidelines, manuals, and rules.
• Assist in evaluating new lab tests, diagnostics, therapies, and clinical practices for their impact on mortality/morbidity and underwriting requirements.
• Ensure medical guidelines and practices align with regulatory requirements, reinsurance treaties, and internal risk appetite.

Training, Education & Collaboration

• Develop and deliver training for underwriters and junior team members on disease states, test interpretation, and emerging medical trends.
• Provide feedback and coaching through case referrals to help underwriters build stronger medical judgment.
• Work closely with cross-functional partners (underwriting, claims, product, actuarial, legal/compliance, operations, reinsurance) to align medical perspectives with business strategy.

Industry & Thought Leadership

• Stay current with advancements in medicine, insurance medicine, and underwriting practices; communicate key developments and implications to stakeholders.
• Participate in relevant professional organizations, conferences, and industry workgroups as appropriate.
• Represent the company externally as a medical underwriting expert when engaging with reinsurers, distribution partners, and industry bodies.

Qualifications

Education & Credentials

• Medical degree (MD or DO, or equivalent) required.
• Licensed to practice medicine in at least one U.S. state (or ability to obtain licensure in a reasonable timeframe).
• Board certification in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine preferred (not required).
• Board certification or eligibility in Insurance Medicine is highly desirable but not required.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of clinical experience post‑training; additional experience is welcomed.
• Prior experience in life insurance, risk assessment, or managed care is a plus but not strictly required.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting complex clinical information and making balanced, well‑reasoned decisions.

Technical Skills

• Comfort reviewing