Primary Casualty Lead

HDI Global SE; United States; Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid Time Off

Medical

Dental

Vision

Wellness Program

EAP

Transit and Parking benefits

Job summary

HDI Global Insurance Company in Chicago, IL, seeks an experienced and strategic underwriting leader to head the Primary Casualty portfolio. You will define portfolio strategy, governance, profitability, production management, and talent leadership across E&S Primary Casualty.

Lead cross-functional collaboration with Claims, Actuarial, Reinsurance, Legal, and senior leadership; build broker and client relationships; drive market strategy and responsible pricing; mentor a high-performing team and

Qualifications

• Significant commercial casualty underwriting experience, including substantial E&S Primary Casualty expertise.
• Proven leadership in recruiting, coaching, and talent development.
• Strong knowledge of Primary Casualty exposures (General Liability, Products Liability, Liquor Liability).
• Executive-level relationship skills with brokers, clients, and partners.
• Experience guiding underwriting strategy and portfolio performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute national E&S Primary Casualty strategy and portfolio.
• Establish underwriting appetite, governance, pricing, and coverage standards.
• Lead decisions for high-severity casualty risks and portfolio reviews.
• Mentor and develop the underwriting team; manage staffing and succession.
• Build executive relationships with wholesale brokers and clients.
• Collaborate with Claims, Actuarial, Reinsurance, Legal, and Finance teams.
• Identify opportunities for market expansion and pricing tool improvements.

Skills

Underwriting strategy

Portfolio management

Leadership

Relationship management

Analytical skills

Negotiation

Communication

Compliance knowledge

Education

Risk Management/Insurance degree

CPCU/ARM designation

Job description

AI Powered. Human Driven.

HDI Global Insurance Company is a commercial property and casualty insurer headquartered in Chicago, IL. As a wholly owned subsidiary of HDI Global SE, we manage the industrial lines division of the Talanx Group. Our extensive portfolio of products and services, combined with an international network of local insurers, enables us to offer comprehensive domestic and global insurance solutions for U.S.-based multinational companies.

Locations: Chicago, IL or Remote

AI Powered. Human Driven.

HDI Global Insurance Company is a commercial property and casualty insurer headquartered in Chicago, IL. As a wholly owned subsidiary of HDI Global SE, we manage the industrial lines division of the Talanx Group. Our extensive portfolio of products and services, combined with an international network of local insurers, enables us to offer comprehensive domestic and global insurance solutions for U.S.-based multinational companies.

With Xcelerate29, HDI is shaping its future by becoming a Trusted Global Player, achieving Next-level Excellence, and building a Forward-thinking Organization. This direction helps HDI Global lead the profitable growth game as a globally connected business, raise the bar every day through stronger underwriting, claims, and investment performance, and win tomorrow by starting today with a lean, fast, resilient, and future-ready organization. Together, these priorities support profitable growth, sustainable profitability, global consistency, digital transformation, AI acceleration, smart cost leadership, and stronger collaboration across teams and markets. They also reflect our focus on being a workplace of choice by building future-ready workforce where people.

HDI Global Insurance Company is seeking an experienced and strategic underwriting leader to serve as Primary Casualty Lead. This role is responsible for the overall portfolio strategy, underwriting governance, profitability, production management, and talent leadership of the Primary Casualty business. The successful candidate will establish underwriting frameworks, guide market strategy, oversee portfolio performance, and cultivate executive-level relationships with brokers, clients, and key business partners.

This position plays a critical role in driving profitable growth while ensuring underwriting discipline, market relevance, and operational excellence across the Primary Casualty portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

Underwriting Strategy & Portfolio Management

• Develop and execute the national E&S Primary Casualty underwriting, marketing, production, and portfolio strategy.
• Establish underwriting appetite, authority frameworks, pricing expectations, coverage positions, referral standards, and governance requirements.
• Lead underwriting and referral decisions for highly complex, high-severity, or strategically significant casualty risks.
• Maintain ownership of portfolio performance, including production, retention, rate adequacy, business mix, concentration management, deployed capacity, and profitability.
• Monitor market conditions, legal and regulatory developments, social inflation, litigation trends, and emerging casualty exposures.
• Conduct portfolio reviews and provide strategic recommendations and performance updates to senior leadership.
• Maintain direct underwriting responsibility for selected strategic accounts, as appropriate.

Leadership & Talent Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the Primary Casualty underwriting team.
• Establish staffing strategies, succession planning initiatives, and talent development programs.
• Recruit, coach, and support underwriters while fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture.
• Promote underwriting discipline, accountability, and continuous professional growth.

Broker & Market Relationship Management

• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with wholesale brokers, clients, and strategic market partners.
• Represent HDI Global at broker meetings, client engagements, industry conferences, and market forums.
• Strengthen HDI Global's market presence through relationship-building and thought leadership

Business Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead product development initiatives and identify opportunities for market expansion.
• Support enhancements to pricing tools, data quality, technology platforms, and underwriting processes.
• Partner closely with Claims, Actuarial, Reinsurance, Legal, Product, Operations, Finance, Compliance, and senior leadership teams to execute business objectives.
• Contribute to strategic initiatives that improve underwriting effectiveness and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• Significant commercial casualty underwriting experience, including substantial E&S Primary Casualty expertise.
• Demonstrated success developing underwriting strategy and managing profitable casualty portfolios.
• Proven leadership experience, including recruiting, coaching, performance management, talent development, and succession planning.
• Strong knowledge of primary casualty exposures, including General Liability, Products Liability, and Liquor Liability.
• Deep understanding of casualty loss drivers, contractual risk transfer, indemnification provisions, social inflation, litigation trends, and emerging exposures.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, communication, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and manage multiple initiatives in a dynamic underwriting environment.
• Commitment to underwriting discipline, documentation quality, data integrity, and customer service excellence.
• Executive leadership capabilities with experience influencing business strategy and market direction.
• Established relationships within the wholesale brokerage community and insurance industry.
• Education in Risk Management, Insurance, Business, Finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant industry experience.
• Professional insurance designations such as CPCU, ARM, ARe, AU, or similar credentials are highly valued.

Work Environment & Travel

Professional office, hybrid, or remote work environment with prolonged periods of sitting and computer use.

Travel approximately 20% to 30% for broker meetings, client visits, industry events, leadership meetings, and team collaboration.

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary range for this position is $190,000- $235,000 plus eligibility for a performance-based annual bonus. Actual compensation will be based on a variety of factors including experience, education, and location.

We offer a competitive benefits package, including:

• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off
• Sick Leave
• Medical
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Telemedicine
• Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Dental
• Vision
• Accident & Critical Illness Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Dependent Care FSA
• Group and Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Pet Insurance
• Transit and Parking benefits

Additional Information

HDI Global Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Recruitment Agencies: All resumes submitted without prior HR authorization will be considered unsolicited.

HDI Global Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and participates in E-Verify.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

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