West Zone Leader- Underwriting, Middle Market Excess Casualty

What You’ll Be Doing Lead and develop a high-performing underwriting team across the West Zone, providing direction, coaching, and performance management aligned to regional and portfolio objectives. Own production and growth outcomes for the West Zone, including new business generation, retention, and rate execution, ensuring alignment with broader portfolio strategy. Execute a zone-level broker engagement strategy, strengthening relationships with key retail partners and expanding AXA XL’s presence across priority markets and distribution channels. Drive proactive marketing efforts across the territory, identifying target segments, coordinating broker outreach, and positioning AXA XL as a lead market for excess casualty risks. Maintain robust underwriting governance, ensuring adherence to underwriting guidelines, authority frameworks, and referral processes, while appropriately escalating key decisions. Identify and monitor emerging market trends and risks, staying ahead of marketplace developments (e.g., social inflation, industry-specific exposures, jurisdictional risk). Drive cross-sell and portfolio optimization opportunities across AXA XL business units to maximize client value and efficient deployment of capital. Provide technical underwriting oversight and guidance on complex or strategic accounts throughout the zone, ensuring disciplined risk selection, pricing adequacy, attachment strategy, and policy structure. Lead the execution of the West Zone underwriting and distribution plan, aligning team activity to strategic priorities and measurable performance outcomes. Support talent development and training, onboarding new hires, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and underwriting excellence. Partner cross-functionally (Actuarial, Claims, Legal, Risk Engineering) to collaborate in assessing portfolio performance, inform underwriting decisions, and support the execution of profitable growth strategies. Ensure operational excellence in partnership with Middle Office, delivering timely, accurate, and consistent service to brokers and clients. Represent the West Zone in regional and enterprise initiatives, contributing to strategic projects and influencing broader Excess Casualty direction. What You’ll Bring A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience In-depth underwriting expertise as it relates to solutions for umbrella/excess casualty to contribute to the underwriting of the full range of renewal and new business accounts. Robust insured and broker interaction in assigned geographic territory with the ability to effectively target current and prospective contacts to promote offered products. The ability to travel a minimum of 15% of the time. Exceptional organizational and time management skills with the ability to perform accurate mathematical calculations. Work self-directed with the ability to be an open-minded team player with a willingness to actively listen to comprehend unique circumstances that require practical and unique solutions to complex issues. Excellent written and oral communication skills to work with both internal teams and external brokers as you will work in a team environment, assisting underwriters and/or deal administrators as part of their overall responsibility. Excellent collaborative skills in a fast-paced team-centric environment. The ability to demonstrate critical thinking, decision making, and problem‑solving skills. Compensation and Benefits The U.S. base salary range for this position is USD 107,600-209,100. Actual pay will be determined based upon the individual's skills, experience and location. We strive for market alignment and internal equity with our colleagues’ pay. At AXA XL, we know how important physical, mental, and financial health are to our employees, which is why we are proud to offer benefits such as a competitive retirement savings plan, health and wellness programs, and many other benefits. We also believe in fostering our colleagues’ development and offer a wide range of learning opportunities for colleagues to hone their professional skills and to position themselves for the next step of their careers. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement AXA XL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #J-18808-Ljbffr AXA XL