DIRECTOR OF UNDERWRITING, COMM & PERS LINES

Job Description

Job Description

General Description: 

The Director of Underwriting is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational management, and technical excellence of Commercial and Personal Lines underwriting operations. This position provides leadership for Line and Staff Underwriting functions and is accountable for profitable risk selection, underwriting quality, operational efficiency, service excellence, regulatory compliance, and talent development.

The Director partners closely with Product Management, Sales, Claims, Actuarial, Information Technology, Compliance, Accounting, and other key stakeholders to develop and execute underwriting strategies that support profitable growth, operational excellence, strong business relationships, and competitive market positioning.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Underwriting Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute underwriting strategies that support profitable growth across Commercial and Personal Lines.
• Establish and maintain underwriting appetite, eligibility guidelines, referral authority, and risk selection standards.
• Monitor portfolio performance, market trends, catastrophe exposures, and competitive conditions and recommend appropriate actions.
• Partner with Product Management and Actuarial/Pricing to evaluate profitability, product performance, and competitive positioning.
• Recommend underwriting guidelines, coverage, and product enhancements based on portfolio results and market conditions.
• Develop and oversee action plans to address underperforming products, territories, agencies, or business segments.

Operational & Talent Leadership

• Establish underwriting department goals, priorities, and performance expectations aligned with corporate strategic objectives.
• Direct underwriting operations to achieve established service, quality, productivity, and customer experience standards.
• Oversee staffing, workload distribution, workflows, and operational efficiency.
• Develop and enhance underwriting processes and procedures to improve consistency, quality, automation, and service.
• Lead, coach, and develop underwriting leaders and staff, including performance management, career development, and succession planning.
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, employee engagement, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure appropriate underwriting education, technical training, and professional development programs are in place.

Data, Technology & Performance Management

• Utilize data and analytics to monitor underwriting trends, portfolio and agency performance, premium leakage, operational effectiveness, and underwriting consistency.
• Establish and monitor underwriting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and dashboards and implement corrective action plans when appropriate.
• Provide business leadership for underwriting technology initiatives, workflow automation, and system enhancements.
• Partner with Information Technology to establish business requirements, prioritize underwriting technology initiatives, and support system and product implementations.

• Ensure underwriting systems and processes support established guidelines, operational requirements, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Present underwriting performance, key trends, risks, and action plans to senior and executive leadership.

Agency & Market Relationships

• Develop and maintain effective relationships with key agency and business partners.
• Partner with Territory Sales Managers on agency performance, underwriting strategy, and relationship management.
• Participate in strategic agency meetings and assist with the resolution of complex underwriting and service matters.
• Represent the Company at appropriate industry meetings and professional organizations.

Vendor Management, Compliance & Governance

• Provide oversight of underwriting-related vendors and programs, including inspection, consumer reporting, premium audit, and loss control services.
• Monitor vendor performance, service quality, contractual requirements, invoice accuracy, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensure underwriting practices comply with applicable state insurance regulations, underwriting authority guidelines, consumer protection requirements, corporate governance standards, and internal controls.
• Partner with Compliance and Legal, as appropriate, regarding regulatory requirements and underwriting-related compliance matters.
• Support responses to Department of Insurance inquiries, consumer complaints, market conduct examinations, and regulatory or internal audits.

Cross-Functional & Strategic Leadership

• Collaborate with Product Management, Sales, Claims, Actuarial, Information Technology, Compliance, Accounting, and Customer Service to align underwriting strategy with profitability, growth, operational capabilities, and customer experience.
• Participate in strategic corporate initiatives and underwriting-related projects.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, book transfers, and other business initiatives, as applicable.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.

Perform other duties as required.

Supplemental Information:

This job description has been prepared to indicate the general nature and level of the work that the employees perform within their classification. This description is not and cannot be interpreted as an inventory of all the duties, tasks, responsibilities and qualifications required for the employees assigned to this job.

Education and/or Experience:

Bachelor’s degree required; MBA and/or CPCU preferred.

Minimum of 10 years of carrier underwriting experience, primarily within Commercial Lines. Experience across multiple lines of business preferred; Personal Lines experience is a plus.

Minimum of 5 years of progressive underwriting leadership and management experience, including responsibility for performance management and employee development.

Demonstrated experience developing and implementing underwriting strategies, programs, guidelines, processes, and procedures.

Experience with underwriting operations, quality assurance, vendor management, loss control, premium audit, and agency performance management.

Demonstrated experience utilizing data and analytics to evaluate underwriting results, identify trends, and implement corrective action plans.

Experience with underwriting systems, workflow improvement, automation, and technology implementations.

Strong knowledge of applicable insurance regulatory requirements and underwriting compliance practices.

Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop teams and establish effective succession and talent development strategies.

Strong analytical, business judgment, communication, and decision-making skills.

Proven ability to collaborate effectively across functions and influence stakeholders at various levels of the organization.

Experience developing and presenting results, recommendations, and strategic initiatives to senior and executive leadership.

Ability to manage multiple priorities and potentially conflicting responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to travel as required.

Licenses and / or Certifications:

CPCU preferred. but not required.

Language:

Effective ability to communicate in English orally and in written form with management, internal and external customers, including ability to provide highly effective customer service. Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, procedures, or regulations. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from internal and external business partners /customers. Spanish speaking skills are a plus, but not required.