Underwriting AVP – Excess & Umbrella

Great American Insurance Group; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

Wellness programs

Parental leave

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) with company match

Employee stock purchase plan

Commuter benefits

Job summary

Great American Insurance Group in Dallas, TX, seeks an AVP of Underwriting for the South-Central Excess Liability team. You will manage your own book, lead an expanding underwriting staff, and influence market strategy while balancing production, relationships, and risk selection.

The role blends hands-on underwriting with future leadership responsibilities, requiring on-site presence four days a week with one day remote; travel to client sites will be needed. Learn more on the company site.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
• Generally, 10+ years of casualty underwriting experience; prior underwriting management or leadership experience preferred.
• 5+ years of Excess Liability and Commercial Umbrella underwriting experience strongly preferred.
• Progress toward or completion of a professional insurance designation preferred.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively market products and services.
• Willingness to travel, including overnight travel (more than 10% and less than 50%), to visit agents and brokers.

Responsibilities

• Territory & Portfolio Management: Manage and develop the South-Central territory for Excess and Umbrella business, ensuring profitable growth and alignment with underwriting strategy.
• Relationship & Market Development: Develop and maintain strong business relationships with internal partners, agents, brokers, and other external stakeholders to attract and retain profitable business.
• Leadership & Oversight: Provide leadership, guidance, and oversight to underwriting staff as the team expands and coach performance.

Skills

Communication

Negotiation

Relationship-building

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

Company Overview

Be Here. Be Great. Working for a leader in the insurance industry means opportunity for you. Great American Insurance Group's member companies are subsidiaries of American Financial Group. We combine a "small company" culture where your ideas will be heard with "big company" expertise to help you succeed. With over 30 specialty and property and casualty operations, there are always opportunities here to learn and grow. At Great American, we value and recognize the benefits derived when people with different backgrounds and experiences work together to achieve business results. Our goal is to create a workplace where all employees feel included, empowered, and enabled to perform at their best.

This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for current or future sponsorship.

Location & Role

Great American’s Excess Liability Division provides large-limit liability solutions designed to protect clients’ corporate assets from catastrophic loss. The Division provides large limit capacity for both Lead Umbrella and Excess Liability placements, serving a diverse portfolio of industries and businesses.

We are seeking an Assistant Vice President (AVP) of Underwriting for our South-Central Excess Liability team in Dallas, TX. This role combines hands-on underwriting with the potential for future leadership responsibility and strategic market oversight. The individual will maintain their own book of business while building and eventually managing an underwriting team. The position focuses on underwriting Lead Umbrella and Excess Liability accounts across manufacturing, contracting, retail services, and distribution. The role supports a nationwide producer base and targets Middle Market through National commercial accounts, balancing disciplined underwriting practices with production, relationship management, and territory development.

Great American’s culture is built on connection, shared learning, and strong relationships. To support this, employees in this role are expected to be on-site four days a week, with the flexibility to work one day remotely. Core in office days are Tuesday–Thursday, with the fourth day determined by business needs.

Earning more: https://www.greatamericaninsurancegroup.com/about-us/business-operations/division/excess-liability

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

Territory & Portfolio Management

• Manage and Develop the South-Central territory for Excess and Umbrella business, ensuring profitable growth and alignment with underwriting strategy.
• Analyze financial and risk data for prospective and renewal accounts to identify hazards, exposures, and risk quality.
• Determine appropriate coverage, pricing, and terms in accordance with underwriting authority, guidelines, and management direction.

Relationship & Market Development

• Develop and maintain strong business relationships with internal partners, agents, brokers, and other external stakeholders to attract and retain profitable business.
• Build and expand the retail agency plant within the assigned territory, identify new agency opportunities, and strengthen existing partnerships.
• Establish productive, consultative relationships with assigned agencies to support long-term growth and account retention.
• Ensure timely delivery, follow-up, and servicing all quotes for new and renewal business.

Leadership & Oversight

• Provide leadership, guidance, and oversight to underwriting staff as the team expands.
• Support coaching, development, and performance management efforts in alignment with division and company goals.
• Promote underwriting discipline, consistency, and adherence to best practices across the territory.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
• Generally, 10+ years of casualty underwriting experience required; prior underwriting management or leadership experience preferred.
• 5 Years of Excess Liability and Commercial Umbrella underwriting experience strongly preferred.
• Progress toward or completion of a professional insurance designation preferred.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively market products and services.
• Willingness to travel, including overnight travel (more than 10% and less than 50%), to visit agents and brokers.

Benefits

We offer competitive benefits packages for full-time and part-time employees*

• Full-time employees have access to medical, dental, and vision coverage, wellness plans, parental leave, adoption assistance, and tuition reimbursement.
• Full-time and eligible part-time employees also enjoy Paid Time Off and paid holidays, a 401(k) plan with company match, an employee stock purchase plan, and commuter benefits.

*Excludes seasonal employees and interns.

Compensation varies by role, level, and location and is influenced by skills, experience, and business needs. Your recruiter will provide details about benefits and specific compensation ranges during the hiring process.

Learn more at http://www.gaig.com/careers.

Culture & Additional Information

Great American Insurance Group understands the importance of choosing a financially strong company. We are an organization built for the long term and are committed to giving you that strength.

Why can you trust Great American Insurance Group? For nearly 150 years, Americans have trusted us to protect them. Our innovative insurance solutions and specialization serves niche marketplaces that we know well. This expertise gives us a successful foundation that spans generations. You never know where a career in insurance will take you. Whether you are starting your career or are looking for a company to grow your experience, at Great American Insurance Group, you can join our more than 8,500 employees to “Be Here. Be GREAT!”.

To learn more, visit our Career Page