Personal Lines Manager

Avery Insurance; Portsmouth (NH); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work

PTO & holidays

ICHRA health benefits

Disability insurance

Licensing & CE support

Professional development

Job summary

Avery Insurance is seeking a Personal Lines leader to run the Personal Insurance team, balancing day-to-day operations with strategic planning.

You will manage performance, staffing, capacity, P&L, and collaborate with agency leadership on department strategy, technology use, and carrier relationships.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Personal Lines insurance experience with supervisory/leadership background.
• Active P&C license required.
• Strong knowledge of Personal Lines coverages, underwriting and carrier markets.
• Ability to drive accountability, coaching, and development.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations and performance of Avery’s Personal Lines department.
• Directly manage Account Managers, Team Lead, and Support staff.
• Manage department P&L with leadership on revenue, expenses, and staffing costs.
• Monitor capacity, service levels, retention, and workflow trends using data and AgencyZoom.
• Lead department meetings and conduct regular performance reviews.

Skills

People leadership

Coaching

Strategic mindset

Financial acumen

Data-driven

Problem solving

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Active Property & Casualty license

Tools

Agency management systems

Microsoft Office

Google apps

Job description

This role is about more than managing a team.

We’re looking for a Personal Lines leader who can keep a strong department running today while thinking strategically about what it needs tomorrow. You’ll lead Avery’s Personal Insurance team, manage performance and workflows, serve as a technical and operational resource, and work closely with agency leadership on staffing, capacity, financial performance, and department strategy.

The right person is comfortable moving between people leadership and business leadership: coaching an employee one minute, reviewing workload and retention data the next, then stepping back to decide where people, technology, and other resources should be deployed for the greatest impact.

What You’ll Own

• Lead the day-to-day operations and overall performance of Avery’s Personal Lines department, ensuring work is prioritized, distributed, and completed to agency standards.
• Directly manage Personal Lines Account Managers, the Team Lead, and Personal Lines Support staff, setting clear expectations and providing coaching, feedback, accountability, and day-to-day support.
• Think strategically about resource deployment across the department, using workload, book size, service activity, skill sets, business priorities, and available technology to determine where people and resources are best positioned.
• Manage the department P&L with support from agency leadership, developing an understanding of department revenue, expenses, staffing costs, productivity, and other financial drivers and using that information to support sound operating decisions.
• Monitor department capacity, service levels, retention, sales activity, lost business, and workflow trends using reporting, data, and AgencyZoom, then turn those insights into action.
• Lead department meetings and keep the team aligned on priorities, market developments, expectations, and follow-through.
• Conduct performance reviews and regular check-ins, address performance concerns promptly, and actively develop team members through coaching, training, education, and growth opportunities.
• Partner with leadership on staffing strategy, hiring, onboarding, cross-training, succession planning, and coverage across the agency.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, workflows, technology use, and department efficiency, then help move those improvements from idea to implementation.
• Serve as a senior technical resource on Personal Lines coverage, underwriting, carrier requirements, market placement, and complex account situations.
• Step into escalated client situations when needed, helping the team navigate complex issues and communicate effectively.
• Maintain strong knowledge of carrier appetites, underwriting guidelines, products, coverage changes, and market conditions, and make sure the team understands what matters.
• Build productive carrier relationships and meet with carrier partners regarding underwriting changes, service, production, training, and department needs.
• Collaborate with Claims and agency leadership on significant or complex Personal Lines claims when management involvement is appropriate.
• Manage a small book of business, as business needs allow, to maintain firsthand knowledge of client expectations, carrier relationships, underwriting practices, and market conditions.

What We’re Looking For

• 5+ years of Personal Lines insurance experience, with prior supervisory, team lead, or management experience strongly preferred.
• An active Property & Casualty insurance license.
• A strong working knowledge of Personal Lines coverages, underwriting, carrier markets, and agency account-management practices.
• Proven people‑leadership skills, including coaching, delegation, performance management, team development, and the ability to create accountability without losing trust.
• A strategic mindset. You can look beyond today’s task list, understand capacity and business needs, and make thoughtful decisions about staffing and resource deployment.
• Business and financial acumen, with the ability and interest to understand department financial performance and participate in P&L management with support.
• Strong problem‑solving and decision‑making skills with a practical, proactive approach.
• Excellent organization, communication, discretion, and follow‑through.
• Comfort using data, reporting, agency management systems, Microsoft Office, Google applications, and evolving technology to improve performance.
• A collaborative leadership style and the ability to build productive relationships across the Avery team.

Why Avery?

Avery Insurance is an independent agency with a long history and a forward-looking approach to client service and agency operations. We value expertise, relationships, accountability, collaboration, and leaders who are willing to think critically about how we work. This is an opportunity to lead an established department while having a meaningful voice in how it evolves.

Avery offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including:

• Hybrid work flexibility
• Paid time off and paid holidays.
• Health reimbursement benefits through Avery’s ICHRA program.
• Short and Long‑Term Disability
• Professional development, licensing, and continuing‑education support.
• A collaborative environment with the opportunity to influence department strategy, operations, and team development.

Specific benefit eligibility, plan details, and employer contributions are provided during the hiring process.

The Bottom Line

If you’re an experienced Personal Lines professional who enjoys leading people but also wants a seat at the table for the operational and strategic side of the business, we’d like to meet you.