Vice President Operations

Oliver James; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Oliver James is partnering with a specialty insurance organization to identify a senior operations leader for a VP of Operations role in New York City. This executive will oversee the operational infrastructure across underwriting teams, drive efficiency, and partner with underwriting leadership to scale the business.

The ideal candidate has deep experience in insurance underwriting operations, strong people leadership, and a track record of transforming processes, systems, and data-driven

Qualifications

• Significant experience supporting commercial or specialty underwriting organizations
• Proven people leadership experience
• Experience leading systems, automation, or transformation initiatives
• Strong understanding of the underwriting lifecycle
• Ability to use data and KPIs to drive operational decisions

Responsibilities

• Partner closely with underwriting leadership to identify and resolve workflow and process challenges.
• Develop and implement scalable operating procedures and best practices.
• Analyze operational KPIs including submission throughput, quote turnaround, clearance accuracy, policy issuance, service levels, and data quality.
• Lead process optimization, automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Partner with IT and business stakeholders on systems and workflow improvements.
• Establish quality assurance and operational control practices.
• Work closely with Finance, Compliance, and other functions to improve processes, reporting, and controls.
• Provide senior leadership with actionable operational reporting and recommendations.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.

Skills

People leadership

Operations leadership

Process improvement

Data-driven decisions

KPIs

Underwriting operations

Insurance domain knowledge

Job description

Location: New York City
Industry: Specialty Commercial Insurance
Level: Vice President

We're partnering with a specialty insurance organization on a senior leadership opportunity.

This is an opportunity for an experienced insurance operations leader to have a meaningful impact on how a complex underwriting organization operates leading teams, improving processes, leveraging technology, and partnering closely with underwriting leadership to drive greater efficiency and scalability.

The Opportunity

The VP of Operations will oversee the operational infrastructure supporting specialty underwriting teams and will serve as a key partner to senior underwriting leadership.

This person will have a broad mandate across people leadership, operational strategy, process improvement, technology, reporting, and cross-functional collaboration.

Key responsibilities include:

• Partner closely with underwriting leadership to identify and resolve workflow and process challenges.
• Develop and implement scalable operating procedures and best practices.
• Analyze operational KPIs including submission throughput, quote turnaround, clearance accuracy, policy issuance, service levels, and data quality.
• Lead process optimization, automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Partner with IT and business stakeholders on systems and workflow improvements.
• Establish quality assurance and operational control practices.
• Work closely with Finance, Compliance, and other functions to improve processes, reporting, and controls.
• Provide senior leadership with actionable operational reporting and recommendations.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.

Ideal Background

We're particularly interested in senior leaders with experience across insurance underwriting operations, specialty P&C, commercial insurance, or Financial Lines.

The strongest candidates will bring a combination of:

• Significant experience supporting commercial or specialty underwriting organizations
• Proven people leadership experience
• A track record of improving insurance processes and operating models
• Experience leading systems, automation, or transformation initiatives
• Strong understanding of the underwriting lifecycle
• Ability to use data and KPIs to drive operational decisions
• Strong executive presence and stakeholder management skills

Why Consider It?

This is a high-visibility leadership opportunity for someone who wants more than simply managing an established operation.

The organization is looking for someone who can challenge the status quo, build scalable processes, improve the underwriting experience, and help shape the future operating model of a growing specialty business.

If you're an experienced insurance operations leader looking for broader ownership, meaningful executive exposure, and the opportunity to make a measurable impact, I'd be interested in connecting.

Unfortunately we will not be able to sponsorship or visa transfer at this time. Candidates must have a green card or US citizenship.