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Chicago, Illinois, United States
Remote only
Lead the future of specialty insurance as our Executive Underwriting Director in Brokerage Excess. Drive strategy, financial performance, and growth for a regional Excess portfolio while building upon your existing strong broker and program manager relationships.
Join a collaborative, fast-paced E&S/S team where your leadership can shape solutions others can’t offer and grow your career with us!
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Job Description Summary
Are you a leader who can create, develop and manage a strategy and plan that meets customer service and business goals? If you are driven to achieve top financial goals by managing the insurance underwriting business for a territory or region and seeking opportunities to build and grow business, we want to hear from you!Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
Risk Selection: proactively identify new market opportunities and help to drive through cross-functional product development processes. Participate in developing appetite guidelines for assigned territory and guidelines that apply to various risks. Proficiently write the most complex accounts independently. Granted expanded Letter of Authority.
Technical Underwriting: analyze exposure to loss, develop adequate premium, determine appropriate endorsements and exclusions. Proficient in policy terms/conditions, ability to manuscript coverage forms and understand the implications this will have on claims. Comprehensive understanding of catastrophe modeling. Mentor others with common and complex coverage forms. Analyze and interpret forms/coverages from other carriers and make appropriate recommendations to leader. Participate in research initiatives to enhance Technical Underwriting knowledge of the department. Analyze accounts to make independent recommendations to higher-level underwriters or managers (90% referrals approved as presented). Participate in helping to conduct Quality Control audits.
Broker Relations: Foster positive business relationships with brokers by maintaining frequent broker contact and developing rapport with brokers. Resolve broker conflicts without management or higher-level underwriter support. Provide recommendations to underwriting leadership regarding broker management. Provide support to others with sales and negotiation. Mentor others on developing and maintaining relationships with brokers.
Marketing: Independently conduct marketing visits. Drive broker conversations around Brokerage’s appetite, market/competitor conditions, and broker performance. Effectively relay marketing visit outcomes to manager and team and provides recommendations. Mentor others on concepts and skills for successful marketing visits. Take more-junior underwriters along for marketing visits and provides feedback to manager. Identify need for and help coordinate in-market receptions.
Territory Management: Analyze premium and losses of assigned brokers. Assess quality of broker submissions. Proactively take steps to maintain the book of business (rate, losses, coverage, appetite, etc.) within assigned territory. Examine and understand the underlying factors that are driving trends within the territory and broker performance. Identify the need for and drive broker management conversations (in conjunction with leaders). Recommend solutions to territory management issues. Provide feedback to management regarding strengths and opportunities around team performance.
Team Development: Find opportunities to develop the skills of others within the division. Demonstrate leadership qualities by consistently showing positive impact on and offering constructive feedback to team members. Act as substitute in lieu of manager for meetings or other ad hoc responsibilities. Contribute to higher-impact projects and initiatives throughout organization.
Production: Handle submissions of appropriate volume and efficiency, achieve premium and loss ratio goal. Help others on the team to meet their individual production goals.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.
Reporting Relationships: Reports to AVP. Direct reports include Underwriting professionals. Indirect reports not typically assigned.
Typical Skills and Experiences:
Education: Undergraduate studies in a related discipline, or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree preferred.
License/Certification/Designation: Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation preferred.
Experience: Eight years underwriting experience, handling large or complex programs and accounts preferred. Excess & Surplus lines experience preferred.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Knowledge of Excess & Surplus lines underwriting policies, practices and procedures, standard and alternative Rating plans and plan concepts, treaty & facultative reinsurance, regulatory issues, the general agency system, marketing principles and company operations. Ability to analyze and interpret mathematical, statistical and logical data, and evaluate its reliability and significance. Ability to communicate effectively, verbally, and in writing, inter personally with individuals and groups via telephone, fax, e-mail and in person. Ability to work with the wholesale/general agency distribution system. Ability to analyze complex problems and develop innovative creative solutions. Exceptional negotiation and communication skills and techniques. Ability to set work priorities that strategically align with departmental objectives. Ability to use/learn job related computer software.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.
Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.
Job Conditions:
Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)
Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Travel will be required.
ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.
We currently anticipate accepting applications until 11/12/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.Benefits
We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.
Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.
This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:
We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.
Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.The national salary range for Director, Brokerage Excess Underwriting - E&S/Specialty : $152,000.00-$269,000.00The expected starting salary range for Director, Brokerage Excess Underwriting - E&S/Specialty : $152,000.00 - $228,000.00