Director of Underwriting

Job Description

Director of Underwriting – Commercial & Personal Lines

Job Summary

Seeking an experienced Director of Underwriting to provide strategic and operational leadership across Commercial and Personal Lines underwriting operations for an established Property & Casualty insurance carrier.

This leadership role is responsible for developing and executing underwriting strategies, optimizing portfolio performance, ensuring profitable risk selection, enhancing operational efficiency, and fostering strong agency relationships. The position also plays a key role in underwriting technology initiatives, process improvements, and talent development.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive carrier-side Commercial Lines underwriting experience, proven leadership capabilities, and a demonstrated ability to develop effective underwriting strategies, guidelines, and high-performing teams. Experience in Personal Lines underwriting is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute underwriting strategies to 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 conditions, catastrophe exposure, agency performance, and underwriting trends.
• Collaborate with Product Management and Actuarial/Pricing teams to evaluate profitability, product performance, and competitive positioning.
• Develop and implement corrective action plans for underperforming products, territories, agencies, or business segments.
• Oversee underwriting operations, ensuring high standards of service, quality, productivity, and operational efficiency.
• Lead, mentor, and develop underwriting teams while supporting succession planning and professional growth.
• Utilize data and analytics to evaluate portfolio results, underwriting consistency, premium leakage, and operational performance.
• Establish underwriting KPIs and performance dashboards to communicate results, trends, risks, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Provide leadership for underwriting technology initiatives, workflow automation, system enhancements, and process improvements.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with agency partners and other key stakeholders.
• Oversee underwriting-related vendor relationships, including loss control, inspections, premium audits, and related services.
• Ensure underwriting practices comply with applicable regulatory requirements, underwriting authority guidelines, and internal controls.
• Collaborate with Claims, Sales, Product, Actuarial, IT, Compliance, Accounting, and Customer Service teams to support organizational objectives.
• Participate in broader strategic initiatives to enhance underwriting performance and business growth.
  
  

Qualifications/Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; MBA and/or CPCU designation preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of carrier-side underwriting experience, primarily within Commercial Lines.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive underwriting leadership and management experience.
• Experience across multiple Property & Casualty lines of business preferred.
• Personal Lines underwriting experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing underwriting strategies, guidelines, programs, processes, and procedures.
• Strong knowledge of underwriting operations, quality assurance, agency performance management, loss control, premium audits, and vendor management.
• Proven ability to leverage data and analytics to evaluate underwriting results and implement corrective actions.
• Experience with underwriting technology, workflow optimization, automation, and system implementations.
• Comprehensive understanding of Property & Casualty insurance regulations and underwriting compliance requirements.
• Strong leadership skills with experience coaching, mentoring, and developing underwriting professionals.
• Excellent analytical, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to collaborate across departments and influence senior-level stakeholders.
• Experience presenting underwriting performance, business insights, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership.
• Ability to travel as needed.
  
  

Compensation Package

• Base Salary: $150,000 – $170,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
• Bonus Potential: Performance-based bonus opportunities.
• Employment Type: Full-time.
• Location: Florida.
  
  

Disclaimer: Please note that this job description may not cover all duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the role, and it is subject to modification at the employer's discretion.