Small Business Underwriting Manager

Westfield-Insurance; Westfield Center (OH); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Westfield-Insurance seeks an experienced Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager to lead a high-touch underwriting team in Ohio. You will direct productivity, workload balance, and risk decisions, while handling referrals beyond team authority to ensure profitable risk selection and exposure control.

You will collaborate with Underwriting Operations and Territory Leaders to advance business development, align with territory strategy, and foster a culture of continuous underwriting excellence.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of Commercial Lines Underwriting experience.
• Bachelor's degree in related field and/or commensurate work experience.
• Preferred: Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) certification.
• Preferred: Property And Casualty Insurance License.

Responsibilities

• Leads a team of Commercial Line underwriters handling medium-touch / high-touch new and renewal business that requires underwriting expertise and individual risk decision making aligned to the Commercial Lines appetite.
• Manages productivity, prioritization, balancing of workloads, and sound underwriting decisions of their team of underwriters.
• Handles underwriting referrals exceeding the authority limits of their team members. Exercises underwriting authority to achieve profit through quality risk selection and exposure control.
• Ensures alignment and collaboration with the Underwriting Operations Team and Territory Managers/Leaders, driving business development best practices in the underwriting environment, aligned to field operations.
• Partners with Territory Leader/Managers ensuring alignment to territory strategy & vision, creating a shared accountability and team environment for underwriting, underwriting support, and territory partners.
• Ensures efficient, consistent, quality underwriting decisions and ensures adherence to compliance of all underwriting rules and policies.
• Utilizes knowledge, experience, technical underwriting and subject matter expertise to coach and mentor team members. Performs talent management responsibilities including employee selection, performance management, coaching in technical and career development, employee-related issues, employee morale and work environment.
• Partners with the QA underwriting function, utilizing findings to help develop underwriting acumen and decision making of the team.
• Works to increase the overall business and underwriting acumen of the team and its members through one-on-one interactions (e.g., reviewing underwriting decisions, answering questions, listening to phone calls).
• Ensures individual authority grants for underwriters are established following a well-calibrated, objective, data-driven process.
• Participates in professional industry groups and stays abreast of industry changes, advancements, and jurisdictional issues to communicate, develop, and incorporate best practices in Commercial Lines.

Skills

Commercial Lines Underwriting

Insurance Industry Knowledge

Data Analysis and Reporting

Automation

Customer Service Management

Insurance Policies

Risk Management

Business Planning

Information Systems

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Job Summary

The Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager is responsible for leading a team of commercial lines’ underwriters handling medium-touch / high-touch new and renewal business that requires underwriting expertise and individual risk decision making aligned to the Commercial Lines appetite. The role is responsible for productivity, prioritization, balancing of workloads, and sound underwriting decisions of their team of underwriters. The role is also responsible for handling underwriting referrals exceeding the authority limits of team members. The role ensures alignment and collaboration with the Underwriting Operations Team and Territory Managers/Leaders, driving a culture of virtual teaming to ensure achievement of territory plans and targeted financial results. The role is responsible for coaching and mentoring team members along with continuously growing the overall underwriting acumen on the team and its members, while also focusing on driving the business development practices and acumen that will ensure the achievement of territory objectives.

Job Responsibilities

• Leads a team of Commercial Line underwriters handling medium-touch / high-touch new and renewal business that requires underwriting expertise and individual risk decision making aligned to the Commercial Lines appetite.
• Manages productivity, prioritization, balancing of workloads, and sound underwriting decisions of their team of underwriters.
• Handles underwriting referrals exceeding the authority limits of their team members. Exercises underwriting authority to achieve profit through quality risk selection and exposure control.
• Ensures alignment and collaboration with the Underwriting Operations Team and Territory Managers/Leaders, driving business development best practices in the underwriting environment, aligned to field operations.
• Partners with Territory Leader/Managers ensuring alignment to territory strategy & vision, creating a shared accountability and team environment for underwriting, underwriting support, and territory partners.
• Ensures efficient, consistent, quality underwriting decisions and ensures adherence to compliance of all underwriting rules and policies.
• Utilizes knowledge, experience, technical underwriting and subject matter expertise to coach and mentor team members. Performs talent management responsibilities including employee selection, performance management, coaching in technical and career development, employee-related issues, employee morale and work environment.
• Partners with the QA underwriting function, utilizing findings to help develop underwriting acumen and decision making of the team.
• Works to increase the overall business and underwriting acumen of the team and its members through one-on-one interactions (e.g., reviewing underwriting decisions, answering questions, listening to phone calls).
• Ensures individual authority grants for underwriters are established following a well-calibrated, objective, data-driven process.
• Participates in professional industry groups and stays abreast of industry changes, advancements, and jurisdictional issues to communicate, develop, and incorporate best practices in Commercial Lines.

Job Qualifications

• 6+ years of Commercial Lines Underwriting experience.
• Bachelor's degree in related field and/or commensurate work experience.

Licenses and Certifications

• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (Preferred)
• Property And Casualty Insurance License (Preferred)

Location

Hybrid- defined as working three or more days per week in the office if the employee's residence is within 50 miles of Westfield Center, OH; OR Remote-if the employee resides more than 50 miles from Westfield Center, OH.

Behavioral Competencies

• Collaborates
• Communicates Effectively
• Customer Focus
• Decision Quality
• Nimble Learning
• Builds Effective Teams
• Business Insight
• Develops Talent
• Directs Work
• Ensures Accountability
• Manages Complexity

Technical Skills

• Commercial Lines Underwriting
• Insurance Industry Knowledge
• Data Analysis and Reporting
• Automation
• Customer Service Management
• Insurance Policies
• Risk Management
• Business Planning
• Information Systems

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, responsibilities, knowledge, etc. These may be subject to change and additional functions may be assigned as needed by management.