Strategic Underwriting Manager - Workers' Comp

MEM; Columbia Township (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

401k retirement plan

Paid time off

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

MEM Insurance is seeking an experienced Underwriting Manager to lead and elevate our underwriting team in a role that bridges leadership strategy with day-to-day execution. You will guide decisions to support profitable growth and partner across departments to ensure consistent best practices.

You will mentor underwriters, influence portfolio performance, and drive governance, quality, and documentation standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Insurance, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• CPCU or AU designation preferred.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• 6+ years of underwriting experience, with property and casualty experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into clear direction.

Responsibilities

• Translate MEM’s underwriting appetite and strategic direction into clear guidance that drives consistent, portfolio-aligned decision-making.
• Lead the team to think beyond individual transactions, ensuring underwriting decisions reflect broader portfolio outcomes.
• Monitor book-of-business composition, identifying trends, concentrations, and opportunities for proactive strategic adjustments.
• Coach underwriters to strengthen judgment and decision-making aligned to performance and profitability goals.
• Oversee daily underwriting operations to ensure alignment with department objectives and broader business goals.
• Manage risk selection, pricing, and reinsurance decisions within authority to maintain quality and profitability.
• Balance workload across the team to deliver strong service levels and consistent results.
• Partner with underwriting leadership to ensure consistent execution of best practices across the organization.
• Ensure underwriting decisions align with company guidelines, authority levels, and compliance expectations.
• Analyze historical loss data and financial trends to inform risk selection and portfolio strategy.
• Support the development and evolution of underwriting guidelines based on market and business needs.
• Participate in quality assurance efforts by reviewing underwriting work, identifying improvement opportunities, and driving corrective actions.
• Maintain strong documentation standards and audit readiness.
• Develop underwriting judgment within the team, empowering individuals to make confident, independent decisions.
• Create tailored development plans that support growth at every stage of an underwriter’s career.
• Lead meaningful performance conversations focused on decision quality, consistency, and alignment with strategy.
• Identify hiring, promotion, and role alignment opportunities that strengthen overall team capability.
• Build strong relationships with agency partners and Sales Executives to grow in-appetite business.
• Collaborate across departments—including Safety, Claims, Finance, and Sales—to drive aligned outcomes.
• Lead coordination on complex accounts through account reviews and cross-functional engagement.
• Represent underwriting with professionalism and clarity to internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide insights and recommendations on profitability, premium planning, and portfolio performance.
• Support strategic initiatives that enhance underwriting operations and competitiveness.
• Contribute to improvements in underwriting tools, systems, and processes.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Insurance, Finance, or related field

CPCU or AU designation

Job description

MEM Insurance is seeking an experienced Underwriting Manager to lead and elevate our underwriting team in a role that bridges leadership strategy with day-to-day execution. You will guide decisions to support profitable growth and partner across departments to ensure consistent best practices.

You will mentor underwriters, influence portfolio performance, and drive governance, quality, and documentation standards.