Underwriting Director/Senior Director: Property - Northeast

Markel Corporation; New York (NY); On-site; USD 153,000 - 369,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Health/Dental/Vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Markel Group in New York seeks a senior underwriting leader to drive regional strategies and oversee underwriting teams across property lines. You will guide risk selection, pricing and portfolio management, while developing strong broker relationships and coordinating with actuarial, product leadership, claims and IT.

The role requires extensive underwriting experience, leadership capability, and travel about 25%. US work authorization is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; CPCU designation preferred.
• Approximately 15 years of property underwriting experience.
• Experience mentoring underwriters and support staff.
• Strong technical judgment in risk selection, pricing, and underwriting decisions.
• Strong broker relationships and customer service, communication, and time-management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CAT modeling systems, and other underwriting systems.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute regional business, underwriting, and marketing strategies with Product Line leadership.
• Underwrite new and renewal property business within delegated authority and guidelines; guide risk selection and pricing.
• Lead property underwriters and underwriting support staff; foster a professional, accountable team culture.
• Monitor underwriting quality and ensure work products align with strategy and standards; provide coaching.
• Build and maintain relationships with wholesale brokers and customers; coordinate with cross-functional teams.

Skills

Underwriting leadership

Broker relationships

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

CPCU designation

Tools

Microsoft Office

CAT modeling systems

CoPilot / AI tools

Job description

What part will you play? If you’re looking for a place where you can make a meaningful difference, you’ve found it. The work we do at Markel gives people the confidence to move forward and seize opportunities, and you’ll find your fit amongst our global community of optimists and problem-solvers. We’re always pushing each other to go further because we believe that when we realize our potential, we can help others reach theirs. Join us and play your part in something special! The primary purpose of this position is to lead and implement the strategic development and execution of organizational goals and objectives. Exhibit extensive knowledge of the insurance industry and business operations across all product lines with proven success with new product and new business development. Provide leadership, direction and support to underwriting teams and/or direct reports. Is responsible for underwriting, profitability, growth and retention of new and renewal business that is consistent with underwriting strategies. Manage territorial underwriting functions to achieve profit, revenue, loss ratio, and expense targets. Ensure effective execution of Best Practices. In conjunction with the Regional President and PLL Leadership delegate underwriting authority to staff via letters of authority; monitor and revise as appropriate. Ensure a quality underwriting work product is produced consistent with letters of authority, underwriting strategy, standards and process. Provide coaching and training for underwriting staff based on results of underwriting audit review. Works with the Dir, Operations to ensure that all processing and service standards are met. Communicate identified agency production, training or quality issues to Marketing. Develop and maintain relationships with internal resources (PLL, Claim, Premium Audit etc.) to coordinate the services to customers. Demonstrates the ability to build partnerships with other business groups and identifies and delivers agency and product solutions. Maintains an understanding of all Markel products, services and solutions and initiates discussions with other business units as appropriate.

Strategy

Develop and execute regional business, underwriting, and marketing strategies in coordination with Regional Product Lead and Product Line Leadership. Manage underwriting activities to meet profit, premium, production, loss ratio, expense, growth, revenue, and retention objectives. Drive practical change and innovation, adjusting priorities as business needs evolve.

Underwriting and Portfolio Management

Underwrite new and renewal primary and excess property business within delegated authority and established rules, rates, forms, guidelines, and philosophy. Guide risk selection and pricing across small, middle market, and large property risks. Review unusual or complex risks, identify needed research, consult leadership, and approve risks above an underwriter’s authority when within this role’s authority.

People Leadership

Lead property underwriters and underwriting support staff, balancing workloads and staffing needs. Build a professional, accountable, collaborative team culture. Coach and develop associates in underwriting, marketing, broker management, and relationship skills; provide career planning, feedback, training, and performance evaluation.

Quality, Operations, and Service

Monitor unit performance and underwriting quality through periodic audits. Ensure work products align with letters of authority, strategy, standards, and processes and provide targeted coaching based on underwriter results.

Collaboration and Market Relationships

Build and maintain productive, significant relationships with wholesale brokers and other customers. Manage underwriters to achieve required broker results. Work with the Regional Product Lead to coordinate solutions with Actuarial, Product Leadership, Claims, Business Development, IT, and other workgroups.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred; CPCU designation preferred.
• Approximately 15 years of property underwriting experience required, including significant expertise with all risk segment sizes, wholesale brokers, primary and excess deals, manuscript policies and reinsurance agreements, and CAT modeling.
• Demonstrated experience managing and mentoring underwriters and support staff.
• Strong technical judgment in risk selection, pricing, and property underwriting decisions.
• Strong broker relationships along with customer service, communication, analytical, and time-management skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, CAT modeling systems, and other underwriting systems.
• CoPilot experience or other AI systems experience is a plus.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a flexible business environment and travel approximately 25% when appropriate.

US Work Authorization US Work Authorization required. Markel does not provide visa sponsorship for this position, now or in the future.

Pay information

The salary range for the Director, Underwriter position is $152,600 - $318,00 and the Sr. Director, Underwriter is $177,100-$368,900. The posted salary range reflects the lowest and highest base salary applicable to this role across our U.S. locations. Individual offers are determined based on geographic location, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and other job-related factors. As a result, the salary offered for a specific location will fall within a narrower range than the overall range displayed in this posting. This position may also be eligible to participate in the Company's annual incentive plan.

Who we are

Markel Group (NYSE – MKL) a fortune 500 company with over 60 offices in 20+ countries, is a holding company for insurance, reinsurance, specialist advisory and investment operations around the world. We’re all about people | We win together | We strive for better We enjoy the everyday | We think further

What’s in it for you

• In keeping with the values of the Markel Style, we strive to support our employees in living their lives to the fullest at home and at work.
• We offer competitive benefit programs that help meet our diverse and changing environment as well as support our employees’ needs at all stages of life.
• All full-time employees have the option to select from multiple health, dental and vision insurance plan options and optional life, disability, and AD&D insurance.
• We also offer a 401(k) with employer match contributions, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, PTO, corporate holidays and floating holidays, parental leave.

Markel is an equal opportunity employer

Markel is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate or allow discrimination on the basis of any protected characteristic. This includes race; color; sex; religion; creed; national origin or place of birth; ancestry; age; disability; affectional or sexual orientation; gender expression or identity; genetic information, sickle cell trait, or atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait; refusal to submit to genetic tests or make genetic test results available; medical condition; citizenship status; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, familial status, or family responsibilities; military or veteran status, including unfavorable discharge from military service; personal appearance, height, or weight; matriculation or political affiliation; expunged juvenile records; arrest and court records where prohibited by applicable law; status as a victim of domestic or sexual violence; public assistance status; order of protection status; status as a smoker or nonsmoker; membership or activity in local commissions; the use or nonuse of lawful products off employer premises during non-work hours; declining to attend meetings or participate in communications about religious or political matters; or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodation

Should you require any accommodation through the application process, please send an e-mail to the [e-mail].