Director Sales, Commercial Lines

NovaBenefits Private Limited; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 5,000,000; Full time

Job summary

NovaBenefits Private Limited in Bengaluru, Karnataka is seeking a Director of Sales for Commercial Lines. This role involves leading strategy and managing the P&L for the expanding Commercial Lines division, which includes various insurance products.

The ideal candidate will have 15+ years of experience in Commercial Lines, with proven skills in building high-performing sales teams and deep technical knowledge across multiple insurance domains.

Qualifications

• 15+ years in Commercial Lines with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Experience in building or running a Commercial Lines book of ₹100 Cr+.
• Deep technical knowledge across various insurance products.

Responsibilities

• Own the strategy, P&L, and team for Commercial Lines.
• Build and lead a team of business development managers.
• Define and execute the GTM strategy.

Skills

Commercial Lines expertise

Leadership

Sales team management

Job description

Job Description

About the role

Nova is India's fastest-growing B2B benefits and insurance broker. Commercial Lines is our next major growth chapter, and we're building it into a full-stack practice across Property, Liability, Marine, Engineering, Cyber, and Motor.

As Director of Sales, Commercial Lines, you own the strategy, the P&L, and the team that gets us there. This is a build-from-the-front role for an industry leader who has run a Commercial Lines book at scale and now wants to do it inside a profitable, tech-led broker.

What you'll own

• P&L for Commercial Lines. Annual NB premium, retention, brokerage, EBITDA contribution.
• GTM strategy. Define the ICP, segmentation (enterprise / mid-market / SME), pricing posture, and partnership architecture.
• Team. Build and lead a team of business development managers
• Insurer partnerships. Own senior relationships across the top 10 insurers and key reinsurance markets. Negotiate panel terms and bespoke programmes.
• Product and pricing. Partner with underwriting to launch new lines (Cyber, D&O, Trade Credit, Surety) and sharpen pricing intelligence.
• Cross-sell with EB. Define how the Commercial Lines team partners with EB Relationship Managers to convert the existing 1,000+ client base.
• Reporting. Drive monthly business reviews with the founders and board.

KPIs

• Annual NB premium and brokerage targets for Commercial Lines
• 95%+ retention on the existing book
• Team productivity: premium per BDM, win rate, sales cycle length
• Hiring quality and retention within the Commercial Lines team
• Insurer placement TATs and quality of market access

Compensation

• Fixed: Good compensation, Negotiable based on experience and current book
• Variable: tied to P&L outcomes, uncapped
• Meaningful ESOPs

Why Nova

• Greenfield at scale. Commercial Lines inside Nova is a startup with distribution attached. You shape the function.
• Tech leverage. Our platform handles policy ops, claims, and renewals so the sales team sells.
• Founder access. Direct lines to leadership. Quick decisions, no committees.
• Real ownership. ESOPs that matter and a P&L that's yours to run.

Requirements

What we're looking for

• 15+ years in Commercial Lines, with at least 5 years in a leadership role at a top broker, insurer, or insurtech
• Has personally built or run a Commercial Lines book of ₹100 Cr+ in annual premium
• Deep technical breadth across Property, Liability, Marine, Engineering, Cyber, and Motor
• Track record of building and retaining high-performing sales teams
• Senior insurer and reinsurer relationships across India, and ideally one of London / Singapore / Dubai markets
• Strong communicator; comfortable in front of CXOs, boards, and insurer leadership
• Bonus: experience with M&A insurance, large cross-border programmes, or captives