Director Underwriting

Premera Blue Cross; Mountlake Terrace (WA); Hybrid; USD 158,000 - 316,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, vision, and dental coverage

401K employer match

Pension plan

Wellness programs

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Employee recognition

On-site resources

Commuter perks

Free parking

Job summary

Premera Blue Cross in Washington state seeks a Director of Underwriting to lead a skilled team and drive strategic underwriting initiatives for sustainable growth.

You will collaborate with sales, actuaries, and our pharmacy division to align product design with cost effectiveness, while overseeing the Alaska market and complex stop-loss renewals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Mathematics, or related field, or 4 years of work experience.
• Eight years of group medical underwriting or health insurance consulting, including at least 5 years of team leadership.
• CEBS designation; Master’s degree and extensive health insurance knowledge are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide Strategic Vision: sustain long-term policies and procedures to support organizational goals.
• Champion and Partner with Clients: support Sales and Account Management in presentations, negotiations, renewals and proposals.
• Provide Systems-Based Solutions: use business goals to address threats and opportunities.
• Innovate and Lead: develop pricing data systems for underwriting and management decisions.
• Design Excellence: oversee sophisticated underwriting models.
• Leverage Technology: drive practical solutions with technology.
• Mentor and Inspire: lead and grow an underwriting team.
• Build a Dream Team: recruit, hire, and train high-quality underwriters.
• Foster cross-department collaboration to drive success.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Client collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Mathematics

CEBS Designation

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Workforce Classification:

Hybrid

Join Our Team: Do Meaningful Work and Improve People’s Lives

Our purpose, to improve customers’ lives by making healthcare work better, is far from ordinary. And so are our employees. Working at Premera means you have the opportunity to drive real change by transforming healthcare.

Premera is committed to being a workplace where people feel empowered to grow, innovate, and lead with purpose. By investing in our employees and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous development, we’re able to better serve our customers. It’s this commitment that has earned us recognition as one of the best companies to work for. Learn more about our recent awards and recognitions as a greatest workplace.

Learn how Premera supports our members, customers and the communities that we serve through our Healthsource blog: https://healthsource.premera.com/.

As the Director of Underwriting, you will lead a talented team dedicated to delivering high-quality work and strategic support through advanced underwriting techniques. This leader will think creatively to achieve financially sound and sustainable growth.

This impactful leadership role will:

• Strategize with clients ranging from Fortune 10 to Fortune 500 companies that want to differentiate themselves in the marketplace via their benefits offerings and ensure that underwriting can support their benefits strategies sustainably.
• Strategically partner with actuaries and our pharmacy division that develops in-house formularies, pricing, and product design that strategically align with our mission to make healthcare work better and be more cost-effective.
• Provide underwriting oversight for the unique Alaska market where Premera has a close partnership with providers, hospitals, brokers, employer groups, unions, public entities, and native corporations. Oversee stop-loss renewals, working closely with self-insured groups in this complex market.

What you will do:

Underwriting and Pricing Activities

• Provide Strategic Vision: Assist Underwriting senior management in sustaining long-term policies and procedures to formulate work unit strategies in support of organizational goals.
• Champion and Partner with Clients: Provide integral support to Sales and Account Management teams in client presentations, negotiations, and sales of renewals and proposals.
• Provide Systems-Based Solutions: Use your understanding of key business goals and strategies to make decisions that address critical business threats and opportunities.

Data Systems and Technology

• Innovate and Lead: Develop and maintain state-of-the-art pricing data systems that empower underwriting and strategic management decisions with timely and accurate information.
• Design Excellence: Oversee the creation and maintenance of sophisticated underwriting models that set the standard for excellence.
• Leverage Technology: Stay ahead of the curve by leveraging technology to drive practical solutions.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Mentor and Inspire: Lead an engaged underwriting team, inspiring them to grow and develop at a company that cares.
• Build a Dream Team: Create and maintain a core competency in underwriting by recruiting, hiring, and training a high-quality, experienced, and energetic team of underwriters.
• Bring Your Collaborative Spirit: Foster open and collaborative relationships with other departments to drive success.

What you will bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Mathematics, or related field of study or 4 years of work experience.
• Eight years of group medical underwriting, or health insurance consulting experience, including 5 years of experience managing teams. (Required)

Additional preferred skills/ experiences include:

• Master’s degree in a related field.
• CEBS Designation.
• Demonstrated track record in providing underwriting leadership in complex medium to large size businesses.
• Substantial and diverse knowledge of the health insurance industry and the group underwriting function within an insurance carrier setting.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills. Demonstrated ability to negotiate "win-win" solutions as it relates to business decisions.

Preferred location is Western Washington, we are open to telecommuters in the PST and MST zones.

Premera total rewards

Our comprehensive total rewards package provides support, resources, and opportunities to help employees thrive and grow. Our total rewards are more than a collection of perks, they're a reflection of our commitment to your health and well-being. We offer a broad array of rewards including physical, financial, emotional, and community benefits, including:

• Medical, vision, and dental coverage with low employee premiums.
• Voluntary benefit offerings, including pet insurance for paw parents.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Retirement programs, including a 401K employer match and, believe it or not, a pension plan that is vested after 3 years of service.
• Wellness incentives with a wide range of mental well-being resources for you and your dependents, including counseling services, stress management programs, and mindfulness programs, just to name a few.
• Generous paid time off to reenergize.
• Looking for continuing education? We have tuition assistance for both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Employee recognition program to celebrate anniversaries, team accomplishments, and more.

For our hybrid employees, our on-campus model provides flexibility to create your own routine with access to on-site resources, networking opportunities, and team engagement.

• Commuter perks make your trip to work less impactful on the environment and your wallet.
• Free convenient on-site parking.
• Subsidized on-campus cafes make lunchtime connections with colleagues fun and affordable.
• Participate in engaging on-site activities such as health and wellness events; coffee connects; disaster preparedness fairs and more.
• Our complementary fitness & well-being center offers both in-person and virtual workouts and nutritional counseling.
• Need a brain break? Challenge someone to a game of shuffleboard or ping pong while on campus.

Equal employment opportunity/affirmative action

Premera is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Premera seeks to attract and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

If you need an accommodation to apply online for positions at Premera, please contact Premera Human Resources via email at [e-mail] or via phone at 425-918-4785.

The pay for this role will vary based on a range of factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographic location, market conditions, and specific skills and experience.

The salary range for this role is posted below; we generally target up to and around the midpoint of the range.

Salary Range

$157,900.00 - $315,900.00

We're happy to discuss compensation further during the interview because we believe that open communication leads to better outcomes for all. We're committed to creating an environment where all employees are celebrated for their unique skills and contributions.