EXECUTIVE UNDERWRITER
Shepherd Insurance Agency
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Shepherd Insurance Agency in New York is seeking an experienced commercial underwriter focused on construction and builder's risk, with 7+ years of underwriting experience. You will develop and negotiate price, coverage, terms, and conditions for new business and renewals, collaborating with internal and external partners.
This onsite role requires strong interpersonal skills, market development, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced startup environment.
Qualifications
- Minimum 7+ years of experience in commercial underwriting (construction, casualty or builder's risk preferred).
- Ability to manage ambiguity and multiple tasks in a fast-paced startup environment.
- Strong interpersonal and written communication skills with high EQ.
- Experience developing and negotiating price, coverage, terms and conditions for new business and renewals.
Responsibilities
- Develop and negotiate price, coverage, and terms for new business and renewals.
- Identify target accounts that fit Shepherd’s underwriting appetite and pursue them.
- Collaborate with internal and external partners to close deals.
- Demonstrate teamwork, negotiation, and adaptability in a fast-paced startup.
Skills
Education
Job description
Shepherd is an AI‑native commercial insurance platform transforming how high-hazard industries get covered. Our mission is to make risk frictionless for the builders and operators shaping the physical world — protecting progress from concept through construction and into decades of operation.
The Infrastructure Behind The AI Boom — Data Centers, Semiconductor Fabs, Renewable Energy Assets — Has To Be Built And Insured. But Traditional Carriers Weren’t Built For This Speed
- Complex commercial construction projects routinely wait weeks for a single quote
- Legacy carriers rely on static applications and disconnected systems
- Brokers chase carriers through calls, emails, and resubmissions
We built Shepherd to solve that. Our AI performs the same underwriting workflows in seconds, and integrates real-time data from construction technology partners — Procore, Autodesk, OpenSpace, DroneDeploy, and others — to see risk as it actually exists, not just as it was reported on a static form.
We're pursuing the most ambitious technical vision in commercial insurance: fully autonomous underwriting. We're closing in on the first fully agentic submission in the industry — email in, price out, no human intervention until the last mile.
With Shepherd, safety, speed, and quality no longer trade off against one another — they compound. We're building:
- Faster decisions
- Smarter, more accurate pricing
- Better risk outcomes for insureds who invest in safer practices
In March 2026, Shepherd Raised a $42M Series B — Bringing Total Funding To Over $60M — Led By Intact Private Capital, The Investment Arm Of One Of The Largest Insurers In The World. Intact Is Not Only Our Lead Investor But Also a Carrier Partner, a Testament To The Confidence The Incumbent Industry Has In What We're Building.
- Intact Private Capital
- Spark Capital
- Costanoa Ventures
- Y Combinator
- Susa Ventures
- And several others
We're a team of technologists and insurance enthusiasts, bridging the two worlds together. Check out our About page to learn more.
We are looking for a motivated and eager individual who’s passionate about the future of construction and eager to do the best work of their career.
- You have a minimum of 7+ years of previous experience in the commercial underwriting space (Construction, Casualty, and/or Builder's Risk experience preferred)
- You aren’t afraid of ambiguity
- You have a strong work ethic, are self‑motivated, and have the ability to manage multiple tasks/projects simultaneously
- You have exceptional interpersonal skills (verbal and written) and a high EQ
- You have strong sales and marketing skills and are able to position accounts and close deals
- Underwriting duties will include developing and negotiating price, coverage, terms and conditions for all new business and renewals while actively identifying target accounts that fit Shepherd’s underwriting appetite
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- Candidate must be able to demonstrate success in marketing, producer management, new business development, and the ability to successfully negotiate on all levels with both internal and external partners.
- Teamwork, communication, and negotiation skills are required.
- Solid background in risk analysis and experience with construction and/or casualty underwriting.
- Knowledge and proficiency with compliance, coverage, products and pricing strategies.
- Be adaptable and creative in a fast paced startup environment
This is an onsite position in our New York City, San Francisco, or Dallas Fort Worth offices.
100% contribution to top-tier health, dental, and vision
Flexibility to take the time off, recharge, and perform
We work together, and enjoy meals together too
Access to premium coaching, including leadership development
Plenty of dogs to play with and make friends with in the SF office
Compensation Range: $185K - $228K
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