Director, Enterprise Underwriting

Utica National Insurance Group; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Comprehensive benefits

Performance-based incentives

Professional development

Job summary

Utica National Insurance Group in Charlotte, NC, or New Hartford, NY, seeks a Director, Enterprise Underwriting to lead underwriting excellence across our commercial operations. You will shape strategy, govern authority, and develop talent while delivering tools and training for underwriters to make sound decisions.

This senior role partners with underwriting, product, actuarial, claims, and field leadership to drive performance, portfolio quality, and profitable growth; you will implement

Qualifications

• 8+ years of commercial P&C underwriting experience with leadership experience.
• 3+ years managing teams, programs, or strategic underwriting initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of underwriting principles, portfolio management and risk assessment.
• Experience driving quality, governance, training, or operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide commercial underwriting practices and execution.
• Manage underwriting authority structures for consistency in decisions.
• Lead the Quality Assurance Underwriting Program for accountability and improvement.
• Oversee referral processes and support complex underwriting decisions.
• Partner with LOB leaders to refine guidelines and best practices.
• Champion underwriting education and development initiatives.
• Identify skill gaps and develop targeted training solutions.
• Analyze financial results and portfolio performance to guide strategy.
• Support product enhancements and underwriting transformation efforts.
• Drive operational efficiencies and manage underwriting resources.
• Serve as a liaison between Enterprise Underwriting and regional teams.

Skills

Executive leadership

Underwriting leadership

Strategic thinking

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

CPCU

CIC

Job description

Hybrid | New Hartford, NY or Charlotte, NC

Lead Underwriting Excellence Across the Enterprise

At Utica National, underwriting discipline is a cornerstone of our success. We're seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as our Director, Enterprise Underwriting, responsible for driving underwriting excellence, consistency, quality, and execution across our commercial insurance operations.

This highly visible leadership role partners closely with underwriting, product, actuarial, claims, and field leadership teams to ensure sound underwriting practices, strong portfolio performance, and profitable growth. You'll help shape underwriting strategy, oversee underwriting governance and authority, develop talent, and create the tools and training that empower underwriters to make exceptional decisions.

If you're passionate about underwriting leadership, operational excellence, and developing high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Provide leadership and oversight for enterprise-wide commercial underwriting practices and execution.
• Manage underwriting authority structures and ensure consistency in underwriting decision-making across the organization.
• Lead the Quality Assurance Underwriting Program, driving accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the Strategic Underwriting referral process and support complex underwriting decisions across the field organization.
• Partner with line of business leaders to establish, maintain, and continuously enhance underwriting guidelines, rules, and best practices.
• Champion underwriting education and professional development initiatives, helping build technical expertise across underwriting teams.
• Identify skill gaps and collaborate with underwriting education and field leadership to develop targeted training solutions.
• Analyze financial results, loss trends, and portfolio performance to support underwriting strategy and market responsiveness.
• Support product enhancements, form revisions, book roll initiatives, and other underwriting transformation efforts.
• Lead key underwriting initiatives and serve as a subject matter expert on enterprise projects and cross-functional business initiatives.
• Drive operational efficiencies through process improvements and effective management of underwriting resources.
• Serve as a trusted partner and communication bridge between Enterprise Underwriting and regional underwriting teams.

What Makes You Successful

• 8+ years of commercial property and casualty underwriting experience, including progressive leadership responsibilities.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing teams, programs, or strategic underwriting initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of commercial underwriting principles, portfolio management, risk assessment, and underwriting operations.
• Experience driving underwriting quality, governance, training, or operational excellence programs.
• Demonstrated ability to influence business outcomes through collaboration and strategic leadership.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial and loss performance data.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, or a related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• CPCU, CIC, or other advanced insurance designations strongly preferred.

Why Utica National?

For more than 100 years, Utica National has built a reputation for financial strength, underwriting discipline, and exceptional service. We are committed to creating an environment where talented professionals can grow, lead, and make a meaningful impact.

When You Join Our Team, You'll Find

• A respected and financially stable organization
• Opportunities to influence enterprise-wide underwriting strategy
• A collaborative and supportive leadership culture
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• Performance-based incentive opportunities

Compensation

Director, Enterprise Underwriting

$190,000 - $233,000

This position is eligible for participation in the Company's Variable Compensation Bonus Plan.

Final compensation is based on factors including experience, geographic location, education, professional designations, scope of responsibilities, and overall qualifications.

Benefits

We believe strongly that talented people are core to our success and are attracted to companies that provide competitive pay, comprehensive benefits packages, career advancement and challenging work opportunities. We offer a Comprehensive Benefits Plan for full time employees that include the following

• Medical and Prescription Drug Benefit
• Dental Benefit
• Vision Benefit
• Life Insurance and Disability Benefits
• 401(k) Profit Sharing and Investment Plan (Includes annual Company financial contribution and discretionary Profit Sharing contribution based upon annual company financial results)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition Assistance, Training, and Professional Designations
• Company-Paid Family Leave
• Adoption/Surrogacy Assistance Benefit
• Voluntary Benefits - Group Accident Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Legal, ID Theft Protection, Pet Insurance
• Student Loan Refinancing Services
• Care.com Membership with Back-up Care, Senior Solutions
• Business Travel Accident Insurance
• Matching Gifts program
• Paid Volunteer Day
• Employee Referral Award Program
• Wellness programs

Additional Information

This position is a full time salaried, exempt (non overtime eligible) position.

Utica National is an Equal Opportunity Employer.