Assistant Vice President Marine Insurance

DGA Careers; Toronto; On-site; CAD 170,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full benefits

Pension plan

Generous vacation

Job summary

DGA Careers is seeking a seasoned Marine underwriting leader to launch a brand-new national Marine portfolio in Canada. You will define appetite, build wordings and processes, and drive growth within a well-capitalized commercial insurer.

In this greenfield role, you’ll establish broker relationships, shape underwriting governance, and collaborate with pricing, actuary, and risk teams to ensure profitability. A strong track record in Marine and leadership is essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of commercial underwriting experience with Marine or complex specialty lines.
• Track record underwriting and managing large, complex commercial risks.
• Established Canadian marine market relationships are a real asset.
• Comfort being externally visible and representing Marine in the market.
• People leadership experience or readiness to build a team from scratch.
• University degree in Business, Finance, or related field; CIP (or equivalent) required; CRM asset.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and communication skills.
• Bilingualism is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, build-out, and day-to-day underwriting of a new national Marine portfolio for mid-market to multinational risks.
• Underwrite complex Marine cargo and freight forwarder risk for corporate clients (>$200M revenue).
• Shape appetite, tools, guidelines, and referral frameworks with pricing teams.
• Develop broker relationships across Canada to drive portfolio success.
• Collaborate with underwriting, pricing, reinsurance, claims, and risk teams to keep portfolio profitable.
• Cross-sell and collaborate with the Commercial Lines underwriting team.
• Build and scale a team of underwriters as the book grows.

Skills

Marine underwriting

Strategic leadership

Relationship mgmt

Cross-functional collab

Team leadership

Analytical skills

Bilingualism (asset)

Education

Business/Finance degree

Job description

A major Canadian insurance carrier is launching a brand-new Marine underwriting practice and looking for the Leader who will build it.

This is a true greenfield mandate. There's no book to inherit and no legacy strategy to untangle, you'll define the appetite, build the wordings and processes, and plant the flag for Marine within a well-capitalized commercial insurance platform. You'll have access to established international Marine capability and wordings to adapt for the Canadian market, backed by the resources of a national insurer with a strong existing corporate risk and P&C portfolio.

If you've ever wanted to put your name on a franchise rather than just manage someone else's, this is that chance.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading the strategy, build-out, and day-to-day underwriting of a new national Marine portfolio, with a focus on mid-market, large, and multinational risks
• Underwriting complex Marine cargo and freight forwarder risk for corporate clients (typically $200M+ in revenue), acting as the go-to technical resource on Marine for programs and MGAs
• Shaping underwriting appetite, tools, guidelines, and referral frameworks in partnership with technical and pricing teams
• Building and deepening broker relationships across Canada, this is a relationship-driven market, and your name and reputation will be central to the line's success
• Partnering with Underwriting, Pricing/Actuarial, Reinsurance, Claims, and Risk to keep the portfolio profitable and well-governed
• Cross-selling and collaborating with the broader Commercial Lines underwriting team
• Once the foundation is proven, building out a team of underwriters to support continued growth

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of commercial underwriting experience, with strong Marine and/or complex specialty lines exposure
• A track record underwriting and managing large, complex commercial risks
• Established Canadian marine market relationships and brand recognition are a real asset
• Comfort being externally visible, this role is as much about representing Marine in the market as underwriting it
• People leadership experience, including coaching and developing underwriting talent (or readiness to build a team from scratch)
• University degree in Business, Finance, or related field; CIP (or equivalent) required, CRM or similar an asset
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and communication skills
• Bilingualism is an asset

Why This Role

• Autonomy: a high degree of freedom to shape underwriting approach, appetite, and broker strategy from day one
• Platform: the backing and resources of a major national carrier, without inheriting legacy baggage
• Visibility: direct, personal impact, this line's success and your name will be closely linked
• Growth: a mandate that starts with you and is expected to grow into a team as the book matures
• Compensation: competitive base salary (flexible for the right profile), meaningful annual bonus target, generous vacation and a full benefits and pension package