Rotational Insurance Specialist (RIS)

Palomar Holdings, Inc.; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Palomar Holdings, Inc. invites recent graduates and early-career professionals to join the 18-month Rotational Insurance Specialist (RIS) Program starting September 2027.

The program offers five capability-based tracks designed to accelerate development and build cross-department relationships within Palomar's insurance operations. Participants will rotate through Insurance Execution, Actuarial, Capital Strategy, Digital Insurance & AI, and Product & Portfolio Strategy, with learning objectives,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and a genuine interest in developing a career in insurance, risk management, or financial services.
• 0+ years of professional work experience (internships preferred) and the ability to begin the RIS Program in September 2027.
• Strong academic performance and demonstrated interest in insurance, risk, finance, data, or a related field
• Curiosity and comfort operating across multiple departments and disciplines
• Ability and willingness to relocate, if needed, and work in a hybrid environment aligned with the assigned team and rotation schedule (typically 2-3 days onsite per week).
• Professionalism, adaptability, and strong communication skills
• Actuarial Rotational Program: coursework or demonstrated aptitude in mathematics, statistics, or actuarial science is preferred. Must be taking Actuarial exams to qualify.

Responsibilities

• The RIS Program is organized around five capability-based paths, each built from a data-driven analysis of overlap and adjacency across Palomar's departments.
• Each rotation includes learning objectives, a dedicated manager or mentor, and formal feedback.
• Activities vary by path and rotation and can include: building insurance knowledge, cross-functional interaction, researching new product opportunities, KPI development, and presenting and reporting.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Curiosity

Ability to relocate

Cross-functional collaboration

Adaptability

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Job description

The Details:

At Palomar, our commitment to a fresh perspective on specialty insurance begins with great talent; people guided by an entrepreneurial spirit who bring diverse perspectives to work. We are seeking recent graduates and early-career professionals to join our Rotational Insurance Specialist (RIS) Program beginning in September 2027. The RIS Program offers early-career professionals a structured, 18-month path through one of five capability-based rotational tracks.

The program is designed to accelerate technical and professional development, build durable relationships across departments, and give each participant a well-rounded view of both the insurance industry and Palomar as a company, while creating a qualified, well-prepared pipeline of future Palomar talent.

Rotational Insurance Paths:

Insurance Execution, Actuarial, Capital Strategy, Digital Insurance & AI, and Product & Portfolio Strategy.

1. Insurance Execution: Builds end-to-end fluency in how work is prioritized, executed, and translated into disciplined risk selection.

   Department Focus: Underwriting and Operations

2. Actuarial Rotational Program: Develops a complete actuarial foundation across data quality, portfolio performance, and forward-looking risk pricing through a three-facet actuarial experience. (Must be sitting for an Actuarial Exam)

   Department Focus: Analytics, Reserving, Pricing

3. Capital Strategy: Builds capital fluency through growth strategy, risk transfer, and investment decision-making.

   Department Focus: Reinsurance, Investments, and Corporate Development

4. Digital Insurance & AI: Applies automation, data, and technology to redesign work, scale processes, and improve business enablement.

   Department Focus: Technology, Data & Analytics

5. Product & Portfolio Strategy: Connects risk selection to product design and portfolio-level decisions across the insurance value chain.

   Department Focus: Product, Underwriting & Claims

What will you do? (Job Duties)

The RIS Program is organized around five capability-based paths, each built from a data-driven analysis of overlap and adjacency across Palomar's departments. Each rotation includes clear learning objectives, a dedicated manager or mentor, and formal performance feedback.

Activities vary by path and rotation, and can include:

• Building insurance knowledge and exposure across multiple product lines
• Increasing business acumen through interaction with cross-functional teams
• Researching new product opportunities and their financial implications
• Key performance indicator (KPI) development
• Assisting with presentations and report preparation
• Customer account set-up and customer service activities
• At the conclusion of the 18-month program, Palomar determines the department each specialist is most interested in, evaluates performance and prepares a budget review based on that department's needs.
• Permanent placement decisions occur only after all three rotations are complete.

What we are looking for: (Experience)

The RIS Program is designed for early-career professionals including graduating seniors who want structured, cross-functional exposure to the specialty insurance industry rather than a single fixed role.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and a genuine interest in developing a career in insurance, risk management, or financial services.
• 0+ years of professional work experience (prior internship experience preferred) and the ability to begin the RIS Program in September 2027.
• Strong academic performance and demonstrated interest in insurance, risk, finance, data, or a related field
• Curiosity and comfort operating across multiple departments and disciplines
• Ability and willingness to relocate, if needed, and work in a hybrid environment aligned with the assigned team and rotation schedule (typically 2-3 days onsite per week).
• Professionalism, adaptability, and strong communication skills
• Actuarial Rotational Program: coursework or demonstrated aptitude in mathematics, statistics, or actuarial science is preferred. Must be taking Actuarial exams to qualify.

We love people who want to:

• Build strong relationships through transparency, trust, and respect for each other.
• Collaborate and celebrate diverse perspectives, promoting inclusivity and equality.
• Zoom in and out between strategic and tactical.
• Demonstrable record of working autonomously and driving progress.
• Be intellectually curious, think creatively, and pragmatic.
• Be hands on with their team and roll up their sleeves.

If you thrive in a dynamic environment, and like working with happy, authentic, talented people, you will enjoy a career with Palomar!

We love people who want to:

Build strong relationships through transparency, trust, and respect for each other.

Work in an agile environment, with a resilient mindset to find creative solutions to challenges.

Collaborate and celebrate diverse perspectives, promoting inclusivity and equality.

Do the right thin