Underwriter

Role Description

As an Underwriter, you'll play a key role in evaluating insurance risks and making coverage decisions that help protect our policyholders. Using your knowledge of insurance principles and underwriting practices, you'll review information and data to determine whether to approve, decline, or modify coverage within your authority level.

In this role, you'll build strong relationships with agents and policyholders by delivering exceptional customer service and serving as a trusted resource on our products and coverage options. You'll provide guidance on underwriting requirements, answer questions, and help stakeholders navigate the insurance process with confidence. Success in this position requires balancing customer needs with sound underwriting decisions while contributing to the overall mission and goals of TWIA/TFPA.

Essential Functions

• Review and process new applications, renewals, endorsements, cancellations, and inspections to determine eligibility and insurability of applicant and property. Communicate underwriting actions to the agents. (Scheduled time approximately 65%)
• Serve as contact for agents (via phone/email) and assist with coverage, rating, eligibility inquiries, and process policy transactions as appropriate. Explain coverage decisions and policy information to agents and policyholders/stakeholders. (Scheduled time approximately 25%)
• Assist Enterprise with additional duties as needed, training, and project work (Approximately 10%)

Qualifications

• Skilled communicator: Demonstrates ability to consistently deliver accurate, clear, and concise messages orally and/or in writing to effectively inform an audience; able to be an effective active listener, to get to the root of stakeholder needs without requiring lengthy explanations.
• Customer focus: Identifies customer requirements correctly, determines specific customer needs, and acts proactively to ensure value-added solutions that exceed customer expectations.
• Interpersonal skills: Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of others with respect, fairness, and consistency allowing for effective interactions with all stakeholders.
• Adaptability and flexibility: Adapts to change, is open to new ideas, takes on new responsibilities, handles pressure, and adjusts plans to meet changing needs.
• Job knowledge: Strong knowledge of insurance rules and regulations and basic underwriting principles for acceptability or rejection of risk; knowledge of building and construction terminology and techniques, and construction rating classifications to determine property and liability exposures on inspection issues.
• Initiative: Effectively work independently. Completes tasks and assignments independently with minimal direction and assumes responsibilities when specific directions are lacking.
• Critical thinking and analytical abilities: Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determining its significance; collecting data; making inferences about the meaning of the data; and using logic and intuition to arrive at conclusions or decisions; evaluates and applies information provided on applications to underwriting guidelines and coverages.
• Problem solving: Gathers relevant data from several sources, arrives at effective solutions to issues, and foresees problems before they arise.
• Time management: Prioritization skills to ensure timely responses to stakeholders.
• Computer skills: Proficiency with operating systems, email, word processing, and similar computer applications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Three (3) years of underwriting experience in the insurance industry.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Associate in General Insurance (AINS) designation.
• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation (CPCU), or demonstrated progress toward achieving the designation.
• Bilingual abilities; English, and Spanish or Asian languages (such as Mandarin or Vietnamese).

Physical Requirements

• This position requires the ability to sit, hear, converse over the telephone, and key frequently on a computer for long periods of time.
• This position may require some limited overnight travel to complete training programs, activities, and meetings.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, group life, AD&D, and dependent life insurance coverage.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) with a generous annual HSA employer contribution.
• A 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions up to 6%, in addition to a pension plan that begins vesting at 5 years of employment.
• Active support for professional growth, including ongoing training and professional development opportunities sponsored by TWIA, support to obtain professional certifications, and a tuition reimbursement program.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, paid holidays, and personal days.
• Flexible scheduling to support work-life balance.