Chief Commercial Surety Leader & Talent Builder

Polikov Recruitment Solutions; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Polikov Recruitment specializes in the Surety Bond and Commercial P&C industry and is seeking a true Commercial Surety leader to build a modern platform. This role focuses on strategy, underwriting execution, portfolio and risk management, profitability, and long-term growth, with regionally empowered underwriters and streamlined decision-making.

The leader will collaborate with senior leadership to shape strategy, scale regional hubs, and foster a high-performing underwriting culture, steering

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive Commercial Surety experience.
• Strong leadership experience within Commercial Surety or a closely related leadership role.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, develop, and retain underwriting talent.
• Experience building or scaling teams, regions, territories, or underwriting platforms.
• Strong understanding of Commercial Surety underwriting, bond forms, financial analysis, risk selection, portfolio management, and account structure.
• Ability to think strategically while still being close enough to the business to support tactical execution.
• Comfortable leading through influence, trust, and accountability rather than control and micromanagement.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage underwriters, brokers, clients, senior leaders, and internal partners.
• Ability to transfer technical knowledge to the team in a way that helps underwriters grow.
• Strong judgment around when to delegate, when to coach, and when to step in.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a disciplined underwriting foundation.
• Willingness to travel as needed to build teams, support regional hubs, and develop key relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Commercial Surety line of business and help shape the long-term growth strategy.
• Build out multiple regional Commercial Surety hubs over the next several years.
• Recruit, attract, mentor, and develop high-caliber Commercial Surety underwriting talent.
• Create a culture built around trust, field authority, disciplined underwriting, and accountability.
• Coach underwriters through complex risks, underwriting decisions, and broker/client situations.
• Delegate authority appropriately and empower regional underwriters to make decisions.
• Develop and execute a strategic business plan for profitable Commercial Surety growth.
• Maintain responsibility for the profitability, risk quality, and long-term performance of the Commercial Surety portfolio.
• Partner with regional bond leaders and field offices to support broker relationships and regional growth.
• Serve as a senior technical resource on complex Commercial Surety accounts, bond forms, contracts, referrals, and larger program opportunities.
• Support portfolio management, book reviews, underwriting procedures, and risk management toolsCollaborate with senior surety leadership, home office teams, field offices, reinsurers, and other key stakeholders
• Help refine underwriting guidelines, workflows, authority structures, and operating procedures as the platform scales
• Maintain a strong balance between growth, underwriting discipline, service, and long-term profitability

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Mentoring

Talent Development

Underwriting Leadership

Portfolio Management

Risk Management

Strategic Leadership

Job description

Polikov Recruitment specializes in the Surety Bond and Commercial P&C industry and is seeking a true Commercial Surety leader to build a modern platform. This role focuses on strategy, underwriting execution, portfolio and risk management, profitability, and long-term growth, with regionally empowered underwriters and streamlined decision-making.

The leader will collaborate with senior leadership to shape strategy, scale regional hubs, and foster a high-performing underwriting culture, steering