Director/Sr. Director, Operations & Underwriting

Markel; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with employer match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

PTO and holidays

Parental leave

Job summary

Markel is seeking a Director/Senior Director of Underwriting Operations & Strategy in the United States to lead underwriting operations, drive technology and automation initiatives, and align with PLLs and regional leadership to optimize profitable portfolios and underwriting execution.

The role bridges underwriting, operations, and enterprise support, delivering data-driven insights, improving workflows, and enabling scalable growth across claims, actuarial, finance, IT, and distribution.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of insurance industry experience with underwriting operations, portfolio management, product leadership, or business strategy.
• Deep understanding of underwriting processes, risk management principles, and portfolio performance metrics.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving underwriting, technology, actuarial, claims, finance, and operations.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning, and organizational leadership skills.
• Demonstrated success driving operational transformation, process improvement, and technology adoption.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management abilities, including executive-level presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead underwriting operations and support functions to improve efficiency, consistency, service delivery, and operational performance.
• Establish and monitor key operational metrics, service standards, and workflow performance indicators.
• Drive process improvement initiatives that enhance the underwriting experience and reduce operational friction.
• Identify opportunities for automation, simplification, and scalability across underwriting workflows.
• Act as the primary liaison between underwriting teams and technology organizations.
• Partner with IT and digital teams to develop and implement underwriting tools, workflow solutions, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Prioritize technology investments that improve underwriting effectiveness, decision quality, and customer responsiveness.
• Support system enhancements, platform modernization, and data governance initiatives.
• Partner with Product Line Leaders and regional underwriting leaders to execute underwriting strategies and portfolio objectives.
• Facilitate portfolio reviews, performance monitoring, and business planning activities.
• Deliver actionable insights regarding growth opportunities, risk selection, pricing trends, capacity deployment, and profitability.
• Support governance frameworks that align underwriting decisions with risk appetite and business objectives.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison among Underwriting, Claims, Actuarial, Finance, Compliance, Distribution, and IT.
• Coordinate enterprise initiatives requiring cross-functional alignment and execution.
• Ensure underwriting priorities are reflected in strategic planning, operational initiatives, and resource allocation.
• Drive transparency and communication across stakeholder groups.
• Leverage operational and portfolio analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Develop executive reporting and dashboards to support leadership decision-making.
• Monitor portfolio performance metrics, operational KPIs, and strategic initiative outcomes.
• Promote data-driven decision-making throughout the underwriting organization.
• Support organizational change management and adoption of new processes and technologies.
• Mentor leaders and team members to strengthen operational and strategic capabilities.

Skills

Underwriting operations

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Executive communication

Data analytics

Leadership

Job description

What part will you play? If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it.

The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities, and you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs. Join us and play your part in something special! The Director/ Senior Director, Underwriting Operations & Strategy is responsible for leading underwriting operational excellence, advancing technology and automation initiatives, and partnering with Product Line Leaders (PLLs) and regional leadership to support profitable portfolio management and underwriting execution. This role serves as a strategic bridge between underwriting, operations, and enterprise support functions, ensuring alignment of underwriting strategy, business processes, data analytics, and technology solutions.

The position drives continuous improvement in underwriting effectiveness, workflow optimization, portfolio insights, and business performance while fostering strong partnerships with Claims, Actuarial, Finance, Information Technology, and other key stakeholders. The Director/ Senior Director plays a critical role in enabling scalable growth, enhancing underwriting capabilities, and delivering data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead underwriting operations and support functions to improve efficiency, consistency, service delivery, and operational performance.
• Establish and monitor key operational metrics, service standards, and workflow performance indicators.
• Drive process improvement initiatives that enhance the underwriting experience and reduce operational friction.
• Identify opportunities for automation, simplification, and scalability across underwriting workflows.
• Act as the primary liaison between underwriting teams and technology organizations.
• Partner with IT and digital teams to develop and implement underwriting tools, workflow solutions, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Prioritize technology investments that improve underwriting effectiveness, decision quality, and customer responsiveness.
• Support system enhancements, platform modernization, and data governance initiatives.
• Partner with Product Line Leaders and regional underwriting leaders to execute underwriting strategies and portfolio objectives.
• Facilitate portfolio reviews, performance monitoring, and business planning activities.
• Deliver actionable insights regarding growth opportunities, risk selection, pricing trends, capacity deployment, and profitability.
• Support governance frameworks that align underwriting decisions with risk appetite and business objectives.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison among Underwriting, Claims, Actuarial, Finance, Compliance, Distribution, and IT.
• Coordinate enterprise initiatives requiring cross-functional alignment and execution.
• Ensure underwriting priorities are reflected in strategic planning, operational initiatives, and resource allocation.
• Drive transparency and communication across stakeholder groups.
• Leverage operational and portfolio analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Develop executive reporting and dashboards to support leadership decision-making.
• Monitor portfolio performance metrics, operational KPIs, and strategic initiative outcomes.
• Promote data-driven decision-making throughout the underwriting organization.
• Support organizational change management and adoption of new processes and technologies.
• Mentor leaders and team members to strengthen operational and strategic capabilities.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of insurance industry experience within a broad array of professional liability products with significant exposure to underwriting operations, portfolio management, product leadership, or business strategy.
• Deep understanding of underwriting processes, risk management principles, and portfolio performance metrics.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving underwriting, technology, actuarial, claims, finance, and operations.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning, and organizational leadership skills.
• Demonstrated success driving operational transformation, process improvement, and technology adoption.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management abilities, including executive-level presentation skills.
• Improved underwriting efficiency and service delivery.
• Increased use of technology, automation, and analytical tools.
• Strong alignment of underwriting strategy across product lines and regions.
• Delivery of strategic initiatives that support profitable growth and operational excellence

US Work Authorization required. Markel does not provide visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.

The base salary offered for the successful candidate will be based on compensable factors such as job-relevant education, job-relevant experience, training, licensure, demonstrated competencies, geographic location, and other factors. The national average salary range for the Director, Operations & Underwriting is $162,800 - $223,850/year with 55% incentive. The national average salary range for the Sr. Director, Operations & Underwriting is $188,880 - $259,710/year with 55% incentive.

Markel Group (NYSE – MKL) a fortune 500 company with over 60 offices in 20+ countries, is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, specialist advisory and investment operations around the world.

We’re all about people | We win together | We strive for better

We enjoy the everyday | We think further

What’s In It For You

In keeping with the values of the Markel Style, we strive to support our employees in living their lives to the fullest at home and at work.

• We offer competitive benefit programs that help meet our diverse and changing environment as well as support our employees’ needs at all stages of life.
• All full-time employees have the option to select from multiple health, dental and vision insurance plan options and optional life, disability, and AD&D insurance.
• We also offer a 401(k) with employer match contributions, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, PTO, corporate holidays and floating holidays, parental leave.

Markel is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic. This includes race; color; sex; religion; creed; national origin or place of birth; ancestry; age; disability; affectional or sexual orientation; gender expression or identity; genetic information, sickle cell trait, or atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait; refusal to submit to genetic tests or make genetic test results available; medical condition; citizenship status; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, familial status, or family responsibilities; military or veteran status, including unfavorable discharge from military service; personal appearance, height, or weight; matriculation or political affiliation; expunged juvenile records; arrest and court records where prohibited by applicable law; status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence; public assistance status; order of protection status; status as a smoker or nonsmoker; membership or activity in local commissions; the use or nonuse of lawful products off employer premises during non-work hours; declining to attend meetings or participate in communications about religious or political matters; or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Should you require any accommodation through the application process, please send an e-mail to the [e-mail].