Senior Director - Portfolio Risk & Underwriting Strategy

Protective; Nebraska; Hybrid; USD 137,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Pension plan

Annual incentive opportunity

Job summary

Protective Asset Protection in the United States is seeking a senior underwriting leader to connect judgment with actuarial analysis, pricing, forecasting, and portfolio performance management across vehicle protection plans and ancillary products.

You will guide governance, develop models and dashboards, influence product strategy, and lead a high-performing team to drive profitable growth while managing risk.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, economics, finance, risk management or related field.
• 7+ years in underwriting, actuarial, portfolio management, or related insurance disciplines.
• 4+ years in leadership with direct people management.
• Experience managing portfolio performance across products, markets or channels.
• Ability to partner across functions to shape strategy and initiatives.
• Ability to present recommendations to senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio risk management and performance oversight with profitable growth.
• Analyze loss, exposure, pricing, frequency, and market trends.
• Direct underwriting strategy including pricing, eligibility, and governance.
• Partner with Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, and Operations.
• Develop forecasts, models, dashboards, and scenario analyses.
• Establish portfolio monitoring routines and executive reporting.
• Influence product design and program strategy.
• Lead high-impact decisions and communicate trade-offs to leadership.
• Improve underwriting processes, data, tools, and governance.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team.

Skills

Underwriting leadership

Portfolio management

Actuarial analysis

Pricing strategy

Forecasting

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science or related field

Job description

The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.

We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most.

Help shape the profitability and risk strategy of a growing, multi-product Asset Protection portfolio. Protective is seeking a senior insurance leader who can connect underwriting judgment with actuarial analysis, pricing, forecasting, and portfolio performance management. This high‑visibility role will influence decisions across vehicle protection plans, GAP coverage, limited warranties, and ancillary products serving automotive, marine, powersports, and recreational vehicle markets.

You will lead underwriting strategy and governance, turn complex portfolio data into clear actions, and advise executive leaders on growth, profitability, and risk. This opportunity is well suited to a P&C actuarial or underwriting leader who enjoys moving beyond analysis to shape products, risk appetite, operating practices, and business outcomes. You will also build organizational capability by developing talent and strengthening the tools and processes used to manage the portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio risk management and performance oversight across products, programs, distribution channels, and geographies, with accountability for profitable growth and disciplined risk selection.
• Analyze loss, exposure, pricing, frequency, severity, mix‑of‑business, and market trends to identify emerging risks and recommend timely portfolio actions.
• Direct underwriting strategy and governance, including pricing, eligibility, authority, referral, and exception frameworks; ensure decisions align with business objectives and risk appetite.
• Partner with Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, and Operations to evaluate product changes, pricing actions, reserving implications, and opportunities to improve portfolio returns.
• Guide the development and use of forecasts, predictive models, simulations, dashboards, and scenario analyses, translating technical results into practical business decisions.
• Establish portfolio monitoring routines, performance thresholds, and executive reporting that make profitability drivers and risk concentrations visible and actionable.
• Influence product design and program strategy by assessing financial, actuarial, underwriting, operational, and customer impacts.
• Lead complex decisions in ambiguous, high‑impact situations and communicate recommendations, trade‑offs, and financial implications to senior leadership.
• Improve underwriting processes, data, tools, controls, and governance to increase consistency, scalability, speed, and decision quality.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing team while strengthening collaboration and analytical capability across the organization.

Core Competencies (skills, knowledge and abilities)

• Deep knowledge of underwriting, portfolio management, risk selection, and insurance profitability drivers.
• Strong actuarial and quantitative orientation, including pricing, forecasting, trend analysis, scenario modeling, and performance measurement.
• Ability to connect technical findings to underwriting actions, product strategy, financial outcomes, and risk appetite.
• Understanding of loss cost, frequency, severity, exposure, mix, concentration, and rate adequacy concepts relevant to P&C or specialty insurance portfolios.
• Executive‑level communication skills, including the ability to explain complex analyses to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Strategic judgment and the ability to balance growth, customer, profitability, compliance, and risk considerations.
• Cross‑functional leadership and influence across Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, Operations, and Technology.
• People leadership, coaching, talent development, and organizational change capability.
• Comfort navigating incomplete information, challenging assumptions, and making sound decisions in rapidly evolving markets.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Finance, Risk Management, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in underwriting, actuarial, portfolio management, product management, risk management, or a related insurance discipline.
• 4+ years of relevant leadership experience, including direct people management.
• Experience managing portfolio performance and profitability across multiple products, programs, markets, or distribution channels.
• Experience using analytics, performance metrics, and financial insights to support strategic decisions and portfolio actions.Demonstrated success partnering across functions to shape business strategy and execute complex initiatives.
• Ability to present recommendations and influence decisions at the senior‑leadership level.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in actuarial, underwriting, portfolio management, product, or insurance risk leadership.
• ACAS, FCAS, or meaningful progress toward a Casualty Actuarial Society designation; CPCU, ARM, or another relevant insurance credential also valued.
• Experience in automotive finance and insurance (F&I), extended service contracts, vehicle protection products, warranty administration, specialty insurance, or adjacent P&C markets.
• Experience with pricing strategy, reserving, predictive analytics, loss trend analysis, or actuarial model implementation.
• Experience leading underwriting transformation, governance, data modernization, or technology‑enabled decisioning.
• Advanced degree such as an MBA, MS, or related discipline.

About Us – Asset Protection

Protective Asset Protection has been providing finance and insurance (F&I) solutions for the automotive industry for more than 60 years. We proudly serve thousands of dealerships and financial institutions in the automotive, marine, powersports and recreation vehicle industries throughout the U.S. providing innovative vehicle protection products, wealth‑building programs, training, and technology. Our portfolio of vehicle protection plans, GAP coverage, limited warranties, and ancillary products provide opportunities to generate revenue with products that help drive customer retention and satisfaction. Protective Asset Protection is part of the financial services holding company, Protective Life Corporation. For more information about Protective Asset Protection visit www.ProtectiveAssetProtection.com.

$137,000 - $210,000 a year

Protective’s targeted salary range for this position is $137,000 to $210,000. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors, including but not limited to, job location, skills, and experience. The range listed is just one component of Protective’s total compensation package for employees. This position also offers additional incentive opportunities through an annual incentive based on individual and Company performance.

The internal title for this position is "Sr. Director Underwriting".

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Employee Benefits

We aim to protect the wellbeing of our employees and their families with a broad benefits offering. In addition to offering comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, we support emotional wellbeing through mental health benefits and an employee assistance program. Work/life balance is important and Protective offers a variety of paid time away benefits (e.g., paid time off, paid parental leave, short‑term disability, and a cultural observance day). The financial health of our employees is just as important as physical and emotional health. Some of the financial wellbeing benefits include contributions to healthcare accounts, a pension plan, and a 401(k) plan with Company matching. All employees are encouraged to protect their overall wellbeing by engaging in ProHealth Rewards, Protective’s platform to improve wellbeing while earning cash rewards.

Eligibility for certain benefits may vary by position in accordance with the terms of the Company’s benefit plans.

Accommodations for Applicants with a Disability

If you require an accommodation to complete the application and recruitment process due to a disability, please email [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application and recruitment process.

Please note that the above email is solely for individuals with disabilities requesting an accommodation. General employment questions should not be sent through this process.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to being inclusive and attracting, retaining, and growing an inclusive workforce.