Underwriting Strategy Specialist (Hybrid)

Selective Insurance; Short Hills (NJ); On-site; USD 130,000 - 168,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Job summary

Selective Insurance in New Jersey seeks an enthusiastic Analyst to support the Underwriting Strategy function by analyzing portfolio performance across commercial lines. You will translate portfolio, pricing, loss and market data into strategic insights to inform underwriting priorities and portfolio management decisions.

Ideal candidates possess 5–8 years in commercial P&C, strong BI skills (Cognos/Power BI), and a proven ability to turn data into actionable business recommendations, with a

Qualifications

• Understanding of major commercial lines of business and related pricing, underwriting, and loss dynamics.
• Ability to analyze portfolio data and translate findings into business recommendations.
• Experience using business intelligence tools such as Cognos and/or Power BI.
• Strong written, verbal, analytical, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Exposure to actuarial concepts, competitive analysis, and external market data.
• Familiarity with ISO, reinsurance concepts, and both field and home office environments.
• Understanding of commercial market segments, industry verticals, and related underwriting and competitive dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze portfolio performance across commercial lines, including growth, profitability, retention, pricing adequacy, and loss trends.
• Identify emerging issues, adverse trends, opportunities, and line-specific performance drivers.
• Support quarterly underwriting reviews, countrywide reviews, executive reporting, and strategic planning materials.
• Partner with Product, Actuarial, Claims, Underwriting Practices, and regional leadership to develop strategic insights.
• Support pricing, rate adequacy, loss review, and diversification initiatives.
• Help develop dashboards, analytical frameworks, and repeatable portfolio monitoring processes. Help improve segment-level tools, reporting, and analytical frameworks.
• Contribute to tool and process innovation, including AI-enabled analysis and reporting improvements.
• Identify trends, concentration risks, opportunities, and competitive dynamics that impact our market segments.
• Analyze external market and industry trends impacting segment performance and strategy.
• Support diversification strategy, segment monitoring, and execution tracking.

Skills

Commercial lines knowledge

Portfolio analysis

BI tools Cognos/Power BI

Communication skills

Actuarial concepts

ISO & reinsurance

Market/underwriting dynamics

Education

Bachelor degree in Business/Finance/Insurance

5-8 years commercial P&C experience

CPCU/ARM/AU preferred

Experience across multiple commercial lines

Tools

Power BI

Cognos

Job description

About Us

At Selective, we don't just insure uniquely, we employ uniqueness.

Selective is a midsized U.S. domestic property and casualty insurance company with a history of strong, consistent financial performance for nearly 100 years. Selective's unique position as both a leading insurance group and an employer of choice is recognized in a wide variety of awards and honors, including listing in Forbes Best Midsize Employers in 2025 and certification as a Great Place to Work in 2025 for the sixth consecutive year.

Employees are empowered and encouraged to Be Uniquely You by being their true, unique selves and contributing their diverse talents, experiences, and perspectives to our shared success. Together, we are a high-performing team working to serve our customers responsibly by helping to mitigate loss, keep them safe, and restore their lives and businesses after an insured loss occurs.

Overview

This role supports the Underwriting Strategy function by analyzing portfolio performance across Selective's commercial lines of business, including General Liability, Commercial Auto, Workers Compensation, Property, Umbrella/Excess, and specialty lines. The analyst translates portfolio, pricing, loss, and market data into strategic insights that help inform underwriting priorities and portfolio management decisions.

All job duties and responsibilities must be carried out in compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze portfolio performance across commercial lines, including growth, profitability, retention, pricing adequacy, and loss trends.
• Identify emerging issues, adverse trends, opportunities, and line-specific performance drivers.
• Support quarterly underwriting reviews, countrywide reviews, executive reporting, and strategic planning materials.
• Partner with Product, Actuarial, Claims, Underwriting Practices, and regional leadership to develop strategic insights.
• Support pricing, rate adequacy, loss review, and diversification initiatives.
• Help develop dashboards, analytical frameworks, and repeatable portfolio monitoring processes. Help improve segment-level tools, reporting, and analytical frameworks.
• Contribute to tool and process innovation, including AI-enabled analysis and reporting improvements.
• Identify trends, concentration risks, opportunities, and competitive dynamics that impact our market segments.
• Analyze external market and industry trends impacting segment performance and strategy.
• Support diversification strategy, segment monitoring, and execution tracking.

Qualifications

Knowledge and Requirements

• *Understanding of major commercial lines of business and related pricing, underwriting, and loss dynamics.
• *Ability to analyze portfolio data and translate findings into business recommendations.
• *Experience using business intelligence tools such as COGNOS and/or Power BI.
• *Strong written, verbal, analytical, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• *Exposure to actuarial concepts, competitive analysis, and external market data.
• *Familiarity with ISO, reinsurance concepts, and both field and home office environments.
• *Understanding of commercial market segments, industry verticals, and related underwriting and competitive dynamics.

Education and Experience

• *College degree in Business, Finance, Risk Management, Insurance, Economics, or related field preferred.
• *5-8 years of commercial P&C insurance experience in underwriting, portfolio analysis, actuarial, analytics, or related roles.
• *Insurance designations such as CPCU, ARM, or AU preferred.
• *Experience across multiple commercial lines.

Total Rewards

Selective Insurance offers a total rewards package that includes a competitive base salary, incentive plan eligibility at all levels, and a wide array of benefits designed to help you and your family stay healthy, achieve your financial goals, and balance the demands of your work and personal life. These benefits include comprehensive health care plans, retirement savings plan with company match, discounted Employee Stock Purchase Program, tuition assistance and reimbursement programs, and 20 days of paid time off. Additional details about our total rewards package can be found by visiting our benefits page.

The actual base salary is based on geographic location, and the range is representative of salaries for this role throughout Selective's footprint. Additional considerations include relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and business needs.

Pay Range

USD $130,000.00 - USD $168,000.00 /Yr.

Additional Information

Selective is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. That means we respect and value every individual's unique opinions, beliefs, abilities, and perspectives. We are committed to promoting a welcoming culture that celebrates diverse talent, individual identity, different points of view and experiences - and empowers employees to contribute new ideas that support our continued and growing success. Building a highly engaged team is one of our core strategic imperatives, which we believe is enhanced by diversity, equity, and inclusion. We expect and encourage all employees and all of our business partners to embrace, practice, and monitor the attitudes, values, and goals of acceptance; address biases; and foster diversity of viewpoints and opinions.

For Massachusetts Applicants

*It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.