Disability Underwriting Research Consultant

This role will support the modernization of MassMutual’s Disability Income underwriting manual, including the evaluation, redesign, development, and ongoing maintenance of evidence-based medical and non-medical underwriting guidelines. This is a high-impact opportunity to contribute to a strategic initiative that will help shape the future of DI underwriting at MassMutual and support the development of next-generation underwriting guidance aligned with digital transformation, underwriting quality, and long-term risk performance. The ideal candidate will be a highly experienced Disability Income underwriter with strong technical expertise, sound judgment, and the ability to translate complex medical, underwriting, claims, and industry information into clear, practical guidance for underwriters.

You’ll join a collaborative and forward-thinking team of underwriters from various backgrounds and product expertise, who are motivated to shape the underwriting landscape at MassMutual. As a team, we demonstrate accountability, agility, a dedication to being inclusive, strong business acumen, and the courage and professionalism to advocate for meaningful change while constructively challenging the status quo.  The Impact: Support the modernization and ongoing evolution of MassMutual’s Disability Income medical and non-medical underwriting manuals, helping ensure guidelines are evidence-based, practical, consistent, and aligned with business objectives. Research medical conditions, treatment advances, clinical outcomes, claims experience, and industry practices to support the development of updated underwriting guidance. Draft, review, and refine medical underwriting guidelines that translate complex clinical and risk information into clear, actionable direction for underwriters. Partner with the DI Head Underwriter,  Lead Disability Underwriter, Medical Directors, Claims, Pricing, Compliance, Product, and underwriting leadership to ensure guideline recommendations are balanced, competitive, and appropriately aligned with risk objectives. Contribute to impairment-based underwriting frameworks and support the development of consistent approaches to clinical risk stratification. Support digital and automated underwriting initiatives by helping translate guidelines into rules-based decisioning logic, knowledge-base content, and future underwriting technology requirements. Assist with training, communication, and change management efforts to promote adoption of updated underwriting guidance across underwriting teams. The Minimum Qualifications: 7+ years of work experience in Individual Disability Income Insurance Underwriting  OR  7+ years as an Occupational Health Nurse 7+ years of progressive experience in DI underwriting, including medical risk assessment, underwriting standards interpretation, and underwriting operations. 7+ years of experience evaluating medical evidence and applying underwriting guidelines to assess insurability and risk. 7+ years of experience conducting research and analysis of medical, claims, underwriting, and industry data, translating findings into underwriting recommendations and decisions. Individual Disability Income underwriting approval authority of at least $15,000  The Ideal Qualifications: Bachelor’s Degree. Industry exams/designations completed or in progress, e.g., ALU 101, 201, 202, LOMA, ALMI, FMLI, ALU, FALU, DIA, DIF, RHU, CLU Advanced knowledge of individual DI insurance practices, underwriting standards, risk selection, and operations. Experience developing, updating, or maintaining medical underwriting guidelines, manuals, job aids, or formal underwriting frameworks. Demonstrated ability to translate medical literature, clinical trends, and risk insights into practical underwriting guidance. Familiarity with impairment-based underwriting frameworks and clinical risk stratification. Exposure to automated or digital underwriting tools,