Commercial Lines Underwriter II

Western National Insurance Group; Anchorage, Northern (AK, KY); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 96,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

HSA/FSA

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Bonus opportunities

Parental leave

Job summary

Umialik Insurance Company in Anchorage, Alaska, seeks a Commercial Lines Underwriter II to join our team. You will develop and manage a profitable book of commercial lines by writing and retaining accounts through assigned agency partners.

Build strong agency relationships and analyze risks using established underwriting practices and authority levels. Ideal candidates have 2+ years of underwriting experience, strong communication skills, and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent underwriting

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to manage deadlines and time effectively.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Sound business judgment in decision making.
• Two+ years of underwriting experience preferred.
• Good organizational and prioritization skills to manage multiple priorities.
• Solid understanding of underwriting concepts and industry practices.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent underwriting experience.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with agency partners.
• Manage a defined agency territory to achieve growth and profitability goals.
• Analyze commercial risks using established underwriting practices and authority levels.
• Assess risks on new and existing business to drive loss ratio improvement and growth.
• Develop sound underwriting solutions aligned with organizational goals.
• Write new business in line with department goals and guidelines.
• Make underwriting decisions within policies and objectives.
• Identify opportunities to improve underwriting processes and efficiency.

Skills

Time management

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Verbal and written communication

Underwriting knowledge

Industry practices

Prioritization/multi-tasking

Underwriting experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Equivalent experience in commercial lines underwriting

Tools

Core underwriting systems

Office technology

Standard software

Job description

Description

Who are we?

Western National Insurance Group is a private mutual insurance company with over 120 years of experience serving customers' property-and-casualty insurance needs in the Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern United States. Known as “The Relationship Company®,” we define success as a measure of the relationships we’ve built over time. In everything that we do, we know that delivering a friendly and helpful interaction makes for a better experience for everyone involved. That’s the power of “nice”. At Western National, nice is something we work to bring to every person and organization with whom we partner and serve.

Does this opportunity interest you?

Umialik Insurance Company, a member of the Western National Insurance Group, is seeking a Commercial Lines Underwriter II to join our team.

In this role, you will develop and manage a profitable book of commercial lines business by writing and retaining accounts through assigned agency partners.

What are the responsibilities and opportunities of this role?

• Build and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with agency partners.
• Manage an assigned agency territory to achieve established growth and profitability goals.
• Analyze the operations and exposures of various commercial risks using established underwriting practices, procedures, and assigned authority levels.
• Assess risks on new and existing business to identify opportunities that support territory loss ratio and growth objectives.
• Conduct research and analysis to develop sound underwriting solutions aligned with organizational goals.
• Apply working knowledge of coverages, forms, symbols, endorsements, and rating methodologies by line of business.
• Write new business in alignment with annual department goals.
• Make underwriting decisions guided by established policies and objectives.
• Use intermediate-level knowledge, experience, and available resources to identify and evaluate multiple solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve underwriting processes, application efficiency, and overall effectiveness.
• Consistently demonstrate Western National’s customer experience standards by responding promptly, maintaining a positive and professional attitude, building rapport, showing empathy, managing expectations, selecting appropriate communication channels, and taking ownership to ensure issues are resolved.
• Make decisions in accordance with established policies and objectives.
• Apply intermediate-level knowledge, experience, and available resources to evaluate options and develop effective solutions.
• Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of applications and business processes.
• Consistently demonstrate customer experience standards by responding promptly, maintaining a positive and professional attitude, building rapport, showing empathy, managing customer expectations, selecting appropriate communication channels, and taking ownership to ensure issues are fully resolved.

Requirements

What are the must-have qualifications for a candidate?

• Demonstrated time management skills with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to exercise sound business judgment.
• Two or more years of underwriting experience preferred.
• Demonstrated intermediate organizational and prioritization skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Solid understanding of industry practices, standards, and core underwriting concepts.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; equivalent experience in commercial lines underwriting may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Proficiency in core underwriting systems, office technology, and standard computer software applications.

Compensation overview

The full hiring range for this role is $69,615 - $95,749.50, annually. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on the job-related knowledge, skills, credentials, and experience of each candidate as well as other factors such as the scope and location of the role. Candidates looking for compensation outside of the posted range are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on their individual qualifications and / or may be considered for other positions.

Culture and Total Rewards

Western National has long been known as “The Relationship Company®” and caring for our employees is part of that relationship commitment. We value connectiveness, empowerment, and accountability, and we believe that our employees are our biggest asset.

Currently ranked as the 41st largest private company by revenue in Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal), Western National has earned accolades year-over-year as an employer of choice and garnered multiple awards for wellness in the workplace. Western National has also been named a Top Workplace by the Star Tribune for the past four consecutive years. In addition, the Group is consistently recognized as a Ward’s 50 property-and-casualty insurance company for its outstanding financial results.

Western National offers full-time employees a significant Total Rewards Package, including:

• Medical insurance plan options and other standard employee benefits, including dental insurance, vision benefits, life insurance, disability insurance, and more!
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) Plan (participants are eligible for 100% matching on the first 6% of their contributions)
• Wellbeing Program, including onsite fitness studio
• Paid Time Off – including holiday, vacation, and volunteer
• 100% company-paid tuition reimbursement for approved job-relevant coursework and access to The Institutes (Risk and insurance education)
• Paid parental leave
• Bonus opportunities

Western National believes in supporting balance between work and life by providing a flexible work environment, which includes a variety of hybrid and remote work arrangements designed to balance individual, job, department, and company needs.

Western National provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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