AVP, P&C Underwriting - Commercial

Argonaut Management Services, Inc; Omaha (NE); On-site; USD 165,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Professional development

Job summary

Farm Family seeks a seasoned underwriting leader to guide the Commercial Lines portfolio, overseeing daily department operations, strategy execution, and staff coaching. The role interfaces with actuarial, data analytics, claims, and compliance, driving profitability and risk management.

The position is 100% on-site with travel up to 25%, offering a competitive base salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Strong leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of P&C commercial underwriting experience.
• 5–10 years of progressive leadership and management experience.
• Proven experience leading underwriting teams and developing strategy for commercial lines.
• Industry designations: CPCU, ARM, AFIS, or AINS.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Overnight travel up to 25%.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute underwriting strategies for the Commercial Lines portfolio.
• Oversee daily operations of the underwriting department to meet targets.
• Coach and mentor underwriting staff and drive talent development.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Company

Farm Family specializes in farm and ranch protection with a wide range of products including flexible farm packages, business owner policies, commercial package, workers compensation, commercial auto and select personal auto coverage. Farm Family is a leader in serving the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets and is pursuing growth across the U.S. The Farm Family entities are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Clearbrook Group Holdings Inc.

Job Description

The position is responsible for leading underwriting strategy and execution for our Commercial Lines portfolio, including daily operations of the Commercial Lines underwriting department to ensure performance is aligned with financial and productivity targets. The position supports company goals by continuously improving core business processes for the division. This role is responsible for reviewing and handling referrals and approving larger, complex risks within their underwriting authority, managing workflow to meet established service-level agreements, and directing special projects, committees, and underwriting appetite. The position collaborates frequently with peers across all divisions. This position is responsible for coaching and mentoring personnel.

This is a 100% in-office position. Candidates must be able to work on-site at a designated company office during standard business hours.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute underwriting strategies that align with company goals, adapting to market conditions, risk tolerances, and emerging exposures.
• Portfolio Profitability: Monitor underwriting performance using detailed financial and operational analyses, including rate, reserve adequacy, and pricing program profitability.
• Team Management: Lead, direct, and hold full accountability for underwriting staff, focusing heavily on talent development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Actuarial, AI, Data & Analytics, Claims, Risk Services, and Compliance to address governance, regulatory requirements, and technical capabilities.
• Broker & Agent Relations: Maintain and grow strong relationships with agents to gain market insight and identify emerging business opportunities.
• Governance & Audit: Ensure compliance with underwriting authority delegations, audit criteria, and catastrophe management practices.
• Work closely with market strategy efforts and other product lines to achieve key marketing strategies
• Oversee placing and binding of FAC Reinsurance
• Provide input and recommendations of underwriting philosophies and guidelines for risk assessment and selection, oversee implementation and execution of underwriting and referral guidelines, submission requirement documents and binding authority documents. Assist in educating the team on changes in underwriting guidelines and appetite.
• Evaluate data, productivity, and loss analysis to analyze workflow, making decisions and/or recommendations if patterns detected or solutions needed to workflow and underwriting strategy.
• Monitor effectiveness and provide guidance for best practices surrounding underwriting systems and processes; ensuring system changes and projects produce expected results and aligned with strategic objectives and priority. Manage stakeholder expectations from beginning to end through consistent messaging and effective communication plans.
• Partner with team and stakeholders to assess impact, analyze cost/benefit and risk of change, and assist in prioritizing changes, service requests and projects in line with division and organizational roadmap.
• Utilize data analytics to monitor solution and process performance and recommend improvements to support change management or maximize efficiencies.
• Serve as a liaison between Underwriting and other business areas (E.g., IT; Product; Actuarial; Agencies; Training; Compliance; Claims; Billing; Call Center; Client Experience) and collaborate effectively.
• Daily contact with Operations personnel regarding items affecting underwriting, new business processing, and state mandated requirements to ensure correct policy assembly and premium accounting.
• Maintain effective compliance programs to ensure awareness, training, and review of applicable regulations.
  

Qualifications / Experience Required:

• Bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of 10 years of P&C commercial underwriting experience
• 5 to 10 years of progressive leadership and management experience.
• Proven experience leading underwriting teams, managing portfolio profitability, and developing underwriting strategy for commercial lines business with accountability for production, loss ratio, and underwriting results.
• Industry designations:
  • CPCU, ARM, AFIS, or AINS
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated success in strategic planning, driving operational and financial results, and leading change initiatives. Proven ability to influence organizational outcomes, execute business strategy, and lead teams through transformation and continuous improvement.
• Overnight travel required (25%)

The base salary range provided below is for hires in those geographic areas only and will be commensurate with candidate experience. Pay ranges for candidates in other locations may differ based on the cost of labor in that location.

In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for an annual bonus based on company and individual performance as well as a generous benefits package.

• Albany, Chicago, Richmond, New York, Los Angeles Pay Range:$165,000 - $220,000

PLEASE NOTE:

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. At this time, we are not able to sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar state or local law and you wish to discuss potential reasonable accommodations related to applying for employment with us, please contact our Benefits Department at 210-321-8400.

Benefits and Compensation

We offer a competitive compensation package, performance-based incentives, and a comprehensive benefits program-including health, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, paid time off, and professional development opportunities.

Core Values

At Clearbrook our Core Values are Integrity, Collaboration, Pursuit of Excellence and Forward Thinking. These values reflect who we are today and who we apsire to be - guiding how we work, how we lead and how we succeed.