Western National Insurance

Director of Underwriting - Surety

Western National Insurance

full-time

Posted on:

Origin:  • 🇺🇸 United States

Visit company website
✨ AI Apply
Manual Apply

Salary

💰 $138,000 - $200,000 per year

Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • Develops and implements underwriting strategies to achieve a balanced, profitable, quality book of surety business.
  • Selects, coaches, develops, and retains staff to achieve company, departmental, and individual goals.
  • Serves as a referral underwriter for underwriting staff and provides feedback and technical guidance to underwriters as needed.
  • May serve as a technical expert for surety-related systems and processes, working with our IT department and other partners on system and process improvements.
  • Establishes, delegates, and maintains underwriting authorities for underwriting staff.
  • Builds and maintains strong agency relationships and effectively manages underwriting and marketing staff to achieve established growth and profitability goals.
  • Frequent travel, by car and plane (up to 50%) for extended periods of time, with occasional overnight and weekend travel.
  • Travels to assigned and prospect agencies regularly to build on agency partnerships.
  • Travels to key accounts with assigned underwriter as needed to strengthen customer and underwriting relationships.
  • Travels to meet with remote underwriters and managers at least on a quarterly basis to help further develop territory and staffing.
  • Develops strategies to seize and develop new market opportunities and expand agency relationships throughout Western National’s licensed states.
  • Networks within the insurance / surety community and attends industry events to stay abreast of marketplace changes and emerging industry issues.
  • Develops, reviews, analyzes, and prepares periodic reports on assigned regional operations and takes appropriate underwriting and rate actions.
  • Participates in initiatives to develop and improve processes and policies.
  • Interprets and executes policies and guidelines within authority level.
  • Establishes account credit lines and individual bonds within assigned authority level.
  • Utilizes specialized knowledge, experience, and creative resources to find a wide range of solutions and articulates them to others.
  • Understands and effectively communicates relationships between problem components.
  • Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.
  • Consistently acts according to our customer experience standards, including responding quickly, maintaining a positive attitude, building rapport, demonstrating empathy, managing the customer’s expectations, using the proper communication channel for the situation, and taking ownership to ensure the customer’s issue is resolved.

Requirements

  • High degree of knowledge in surety, with extensive knowledge and understanding of contract and commercial surety underwriting, financial and risk management analytical skills, and effective surety marketing skills.
  • Ability to travel up to 50% of the time.
  • Ability to multitask and solve complex problems.
  • Demonstrated ability to coach, direct, and develop individuals.
  • Proven ability to communicate with individuals at all levels of an organization.
  • Excellent negotiation and resolution skills, with a strong ability to build and maintain relationships.
  • Demonstrated advanced organization and prioritization skills and ability to accomplish multiple priorities.
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.
  • Strong entrepreneurial skills and strong initiative.
  • Proficient use of various core systems, office and computer equipment, and software packages.
  • Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related business field, or equivalent related experience.