Underwriting Director/Manager, Commercial Habitational

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Lead, manage, and nurture a team of underwriters focused on new business and renewals, encompassing hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development.

• Spearhead the development and expansion of Commercial Habitational programs with significant autonomy and decision-making power.

• Establish underwriting strategy, risk appetite, and pricing frameworks for the commercial habitational portfolio.

• Take responsibility for portfolio growth, rate adequacy, and loss ratio outcomes.

• Underwrite and originate new and intricate habitational accounts, which includes risk selection, negotiation of terms and conditions, and pricing of accounts.

• Provide referral and escalation authority for the wider underwriting team.

• Keep abreast of market trends and competitive dynamics, translating insights into underwriting guidelines, product improvements, and market strategies.

• Forge and maintain senior-level connections with brokers, agencies, and reinsurance partners.

• Act as MSI's primary liaison for strategic accounts and drive new business production throughout the team’s territory.

• Ensure that issued policies meet carrier and reinsurance standards.

• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, and Reinsurance on treaty terms, audits, and regulatory issues.

• Develop and enforce underwriting guidelines, authority levels, and quality-control standards.

• Work alongside senior leadership on business planning, budgeting, and goal-setting initiatives.

• Provide regular reports on production, profitability, and team performance relative to established plans.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, ideally in Business, Economics, Marketing, or Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.

• Over 10 years of commercial underwriting experience with an insurance carrier, MGA/program administrator, or agency/brokerage, including significant experience with large or complex accounts.

• Extensive E&S commercial underwriting experience is essential; habitational expertise is highly preferred.

• At least 5 years of experience in managing and developing underwriting teams, with a proven history of building high-performing teams and holding direct reports accountable for production and profitability metrics.

• Proven ability to establish underwriting strategies and risk appetites, and to take ownership of profit-and-loss results for a business portfolio.

• Demonstrated urgency in problem resolution and meeting the service expectations of brokers and the market.

• Above-average technical skills with a proven ability to navigate multiple systems, tools, and digital platforms effectively.

• Proficient in MS Office applications (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook).

• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.

• Willingness to travel approximately 1-2 times per month to engage with agents, brokers, and reinsurance partners or attend team meetings.

• Capable of thriving in a fast-paced environment and collaborating efficiently with colleagues.

• Proven effectiveness in a remote working setting, showcasing strong self-management and accountability.

• Openness to travel up to 25% as required.

🏝️ Benefits

• Remote work environment.

• Travel opportunities to meet with agents, brokers, and reinsurance partners or attend team meetings.