Builder's Risk Underwriter

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance seeks a Builder’s Risk Underwriter with construction, engineering or project finance background in New York City. You will transition into an underwriting specialist role, applying field and project delivery experience to complex risk selection and pricing on major construction projects.

This role offers fast-moving exposure to power, infrastructure, manufacturing, data centers and high-rise projects with a clear career path within a high-performing team;

Qualifications

• 5–10 years of practical project experience in construction-related fields.
• Strong analytical judgment and ability to form clear views from incomplete information.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Review new construction project submissions and identify key exposures.
• Evaluate drawings, schedules, budgets, and contracts to form a view of risk quality.
• Work with underwriters to structure terms, pricing, and coverage.
• Negotiate with brokers and develop long-term relationships.
• Build underwriting judgment within an authority framework.

Skills

Underwriting

Construction risk

Project finance

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Education

Engineering/Construction background

Job description

Salary Range: $120,000.00 To $180,000.00 Annually

Who We Are

A strategic and trusted insurance partner, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), provides a broad range of commercial property, casualty and specialty insurance coverages and outstanding service to customers and brokers around the world. Part of Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance operations, we bring our solutions to market with our stellar brand name, top-rated balance sheet, and the expertise of our global team of professionals, who exude excellent capabilities and strong character.

We are a values-based organization where respect, integrity, excellence, collaboration, and passion define who we are and how we do business. We value diversity of backgrounds, experience, and perspectives and strive to foster an inclusive environment that enables all our team members to bring their best selves to work. We are one team committed to building a culture where every teammate has the opportunity to contribute and be recognized. Want to be part of the team building the finest property, casualty and specialty lines insurance company in the world?

A career transition opportunity for construction professionals seeking to apply project delivery experience to the underwriting of major construction risks.

Builder’s Risk Underwriter for Construction, Engineering, or Project Finance Background

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance is looking for an engineering, construction management, or project finance professional to develop into a specialist underwriter. This is a structured transition opportunity for someone who understands how major projects are planned, designed, financed, built, and completed and wants to apply that experience in the insurance market. The role offers fast-moving exposure to major construction projects, disciplined risk selection, and live underwriting decisions within a high-performing team.

Why This Role Is Worth Considering:

• Broad and fast-moving exposure to major construction projects across a range of sectors.
• A long-term career path in a specialized market that rewards technical judgment, curiosity, and disciplined decision-making.
• A relationship-driven business where strong interpersonal and negotiation skills help shape solutions for complex project finance and contract structures.
• A practical and meaningful way to apply field, design, project controls, estimating, or construction experience to risk selection and insurance pricing.
• Training in insurance fundamentals, underwriting principles, catastrophe exposure modeling, policy structure, and market practice.

What You Will Do:

• Review new construction project submissions and identify the key technical, contractual, schedule, procurement, site, natural catastrophe, and delay exposures.
• Evaluate drawings, schedules, budgets, geotechnical reports, contracts, method statements, risk registers, and other project information to form a clear view of risk quality.
• Work with experienced underwriters to structure insurance terms, pricing, limits, deductibles, and coverage positions for major projects.
• Negotiate with brokers and develop long-term strategic relationships.
• Build underwriting judgment over time within a clear authority framework and an experienced team.

Construction Projects You Will Underwrite:

You will evaluate a broad portfolio of complex construction projects, including:

• Power, oil, gas, and petrochemical projects.
• Infrastructure and civil works.
• Advanced manufacturing, data centers, and technology.
• Mining, metals, and heavy industry.
• Large-scale and high-rise buildings.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience:

• 5–10 years of practical project experience with an understanding of how complex construction projects are planned, priced, contracted, scheduled, built, and challenged in execution. Relevant backgrounds may include design, engineering, construction project management, project controls, estimating, scheduling, owner’s representative, lender advisory, or project finance.
• A practical understanding of how projects are delivered, where they fail, and how technical, contractual, schedule, procurement, and site conditions affect outcomes.
• Strong analytical judgment, attention to detail, and the ability to form a clear view from incomplete information.
• Clear written and verbal communication, with confidence engaging external stakeholders and internal decision-makers, including through in-person interactions.
• Curiosity, technical discipline, and a serious interest in building a long-term underwriting career.
• Willingness to travel for broker, client, project, and team meetings as required.

What We Will Teach:

• BHSI’s underwriting culture, values, decision-making standards, team approach, and long-term portfolio objectives.
• Builder’s Risk insurance fundamentals and how construction risk is transferred into an insurance policy.
• Assessment of values, coverage, limits, deductibles, delay exposures, pricing, and policy structure.
• Broker and customer engagement, including how submissions are presented, negotiated, and bound.
• Natural catastrophe modeling, portfolio management, and management of long-duration exposures.
• Procedures and systems, governance, file standards, authority framework, and underwriting discipline.
• Based in BHSI’s New York City office, with regular in-person broker, customer, project, and team engagement, including U.S. travel and possible travel to London.

What BHSI Offers:

• A competitive package and exciting growth opportunities for career-oriented teammates.
• A dynamic, action oriented, and thoughtful environment centered on always doing the right thing for our customers, teammates, and our other stakeholders.
• A purposely non-bureaucratic organization that embraces simplicity over complexity and emphasizes individual excellence in a team framework.
• Benefits that support your life and well-being, which include:
• Comprehensive Health, Dental and Vision benefits
• Disability Insurance (both short-term and long-term)
• Life Insurance (for you and your family)
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance (for you and your family)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Health Reimbursement Account
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement Savings 401(k) Plan with Company Match
• Generous holiday and Paid Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement

The base salary range for this position is $120,000 to $180,000, with annual bonus eligibility in addition. A candidate’s salary will be determined based on relevant skills, experience, location, and alignment with the requirements of the role. BHSI values both capability and character, and compensation decisions reflect the skills, experience, and judgment required for the role.

NOTE: Compensation will be commensurate with experience. This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Team Member may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.