Specialist, Underwriting Projects - Personal Lines (Core Team)

Nationwide Insurance; United States; Remote; USD 78,000 - 117,000; Full time

Job summary

Nationwide Insurance is seeking an Underwriting Specialist who will be instrumental in leading underwriting projects while providing exceptional risk assessment and customer service. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in Property and Casualty insurance and demonstrate strong analytical and relationship-management skills. This role offers flexibility for remote work and a chance to work in a dynamic, team-oriented environment.

Benefits

Medical/Dental/Vision

401(k) with company match

Company-paid pension plan

Minimum 18 days paid time off

Paid time off for special days

Business Casual Attire

Qualifications

• 3+ years in Property & Casualty underwriting experience preferred.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Entrepreneurial spirit with Personal Lines acumen.

Responsibilities

• Review complex individual risks for acceptance based on guidelines.
• Lead and resolve escalated underwriting decisions.
• Educate partners on underwriting processes and provide ongoing coaching.

Skills

Risk Evaluation

Data Analysis

Negotiation

Decision Making

Documentation

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Technical Insurance Coursework (e.g., CPCU)

Job description

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Work Environment: The location of this position is flexible and open to virtual and/or remote based applicants.

What you can Expect: The Personal Lines Underwriting Core team is growing. Associates will operate in a queue basis, where agency quotes will get divided up. The Specialist role will act as a team lead for these groups of Sr Underwriter and Underwriter associates. This will be a Project Management based role - primary function will be leading the global sourcing work and helping with reporting functionality.

The ideal candidate will have:

• 3 or more years of P&C underwriting experience is highly preferred.

• An agency relationship orientation, with the evidenced ability to quickly establish and reestablish strong relationships.

• An entrepreneurial spirit.

• A high degree of Personal Lines business acumen.

• Key skillsets: risk evaluation, data analysis, decision making, documentation, and negotiation.

• Building strong relationships quickly.

Job Description Summary

Are you a critical thinker who can analyze risks and find insurance solutions that balance customer needs with business goals? If you can take initiative, use both your analytical and creative abilities to make sound decisions and have a desire to help people solve real challenges, we want to hear from you!

Our primary customers are insurance agents, who count on us to be their business partners and provide them with exceptional service and personal insurance lines products and services that help them grow their businesses. It’s a fast-paced environment in a collaborative, team-oriented culture, working in a competitive and growing industry.

As an Underwriting Specialist, you’ll work within broad limits and authority on highly complex underwriting risks and initiatives which require specialized knowledge and expertise. You’ll represent Underwriting on cross functional teams from areas such as sales, claims, processing, services, staff underwriting, and product. You’ll have opportunities to lead underwriting projects focused on lean, enhanced efficiency, customer engagement, innovation, quality and audit remediation.

We’ll count on you to be a subject matter expert and provide training and coaching to underwriters and agents on a variety of underwriting related concepts and issues. In this role, you’ll focus on four key areas: agency relationship management, underwriting, sales and informal team leadership.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Reviews highly complex individual risks for acceptability, and handles those within authority, based on company underwriting guidelines and standards. Uses critical thinking and understanding of the market and underwriting best practices to assess the total risk proposition and alternatives for acceptability.

• Resolves referred underwriting decisions escalated from other underwriting staff or agents. Responds to requests from agents and underwriting staff with resolution within established time and service standard to facilitate and expedite service needs.

• Represents the underwriting organization on special projects and cross functional teams that include areas such as sales, claims, processing, services, staff underwriting, and product.

• Educates internal and external partners on underwriting processes, practices, and tools. Strengthens internal and external relationships through regular contact on underwriting matters. Conducts risk clinics and participates in training sessions and orientation/implementation of new products/programs for select agencies.

• Provides ongoing coaching, mentoring, and training across underwriting teams. This includes helping underwriters effectively communicate decisions to various audiences. Partners with leaders to identify training needs/solutions across the organization.

• Identifies opportunities for business development and issue resolution. This includes participating and/or leading underwriting projects related to enhanced efficiency, customer engagement, innovation, quality, and audit remediation.

• Leads, owns and completes problem resolution through Lean management system including, but not limited to, A3s at the Tier 2 level. Conducts lean management techniques to support the business unit, assess areas of strength and opportunities, and provides appropriate coaching or support.

• Represents the company on behalf of underwriting for court depositions, affidavits and hearings/complaints.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to Underwriting Manager or Director. No direct reports.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred.

License/Certification/Designation: Technical insurance coursework such as CPCU desirable. In depth knowledge of property/casualty products, insurance companies’ operations, field operations.

Experience: Typically, five years of experience in underwriting or related insurance experience preferred. Experience leading or working on complex projects and or teams preferred. Lean and workforce management experience is a plus.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Demonstrated decision-making and analytical ability. Ability to communicate with leadership, staff management and other departments. Strong verbal and written communication skills necessary to interact with all levels of internal and external contacts. Ability to evaluate and recommend solutions to work-related problems. Ability to analyze insurance risks to determine the degree of acceptability. Ability to advise agents and agency staff on personal lines contracts, procedures and business practices. Must be comfortable presenting to groups. Ability to train and lead personal lines underwriters in all aspects of underwriting. Able to build and maintain cooperative and mutually rewarding partnerships, both internally and externally. Ability to accommodate and anticipate the broad spectrum of customer’s needs.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Occasional field travel may be required.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 06/23/2025. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage,paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states. Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.
For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. The national salary range for Specialist, Underwriting Projects - Personal Lines : $70,000.00-$145,500.00 The expected starting salary range for Specialist, Underwriting Projects - Personal Lines : $78,000.00 - $117,000.00