Regional Underwriting Officer, Southwest

CopperPoint has an exciting opportunity for a Regional Underwriting Officer, Southwest. This senior leadership role plays a pivotal part in driving profitable growth, underwriting excellence, and strategic portfolio initiatives across the Southwest region, while providing national underwriting leadership for the Auto and Umbrella lines of business. As a highly collaborative and influential partner, the Regional Underwriting Officer will work closely with regional and field underwriting leaders to execute financial strategies, uncover new market opportunities, and strengthen existing business—all while championing disciplined risk selection, loss prevention, and long-term customer partnerships.

Job responsibilities:

Regional Underwriting Leadership

• Develop and execute regional underwriting strategies and financial plans for growth and profitability in collaboration with Regional Presidents, Field Underwriting, and Regional Product Managers — from planning through execution, and ongoing monitoring.


• Joint-ownership of regional underwriting results, including loss and combined ratios, premium growth and retention, new business quality, execution of portfolio-level segmentation (e.g., rate and non-rate initiatives), and overall line, class, and geographic mix. Proactively identify issues and implement corrective portfolio management actions.


• Conduct Quality Assurance reviews and audits of regional underwriting decisions and portfolios; identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Produce a memo of findings and action plans in collaboration with Field Underwriting leaders to drive desired outcomes.


• Partner deeply with the Regional President, Field Underwriting, and Regional Product Manager to uncover and respond to underwriting opportunities in new classes and market segments, while supporting disciplined execution in current classes and segments through referrals, guideline development/updates, consultations, training, and mentorship.


• Although not a market-facing or production underwriting role, RUOs will build, maintain, and support strong long-term relationships with key brokers and agents across the region. Participate in agency reviews and planning, joint external calls, risk presentations, and strategic account reviews, emphasizing CopperPoint’s industry expertise (particularly in Construction, Healthcare, Agriculture, etc.) and proactive risk management approach.


• Integrate and support execution of the value proposition including use of Risk Management Services and Loss Control to make underwriting decisions, drive meaningful risk improvement, and differentiate CopperPoint in the marketplace.


• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, company guidelines, and ethical standards across all states in the assigned multi-state region.


• Act as a subject matter expert and partner to the enterprise Product organization, Regional Product Manager, Actuarial Pricing, and other teams in the development of filing, forms, and rules, as well as pricing model updates, and use of other underwriting / portfolio tools, reports, and dashboards; thus, ensuring alignment of corporate strategies and regional field execution – and aiding in change management across the business.

National Line of Business Underwriting Leadership

• Serve as a national underwriting leader and subject-matter expert Commercial Auto and Umbrella/Excess.


• Develop, maintain, and continuously enhance national underwriting guidelines, appetite statements, pricing methodologies, and coverage recommendations for the assigned line(s) in collaboration with others.


• Provide high-level consultation, training, and support to underwriters across the company on complex risks and emerging issues within the assigned line(s).


• Contribute to underwriting-focused product enhancements, data analytics initiatives, and process improvements for the assigned line(s).


• Monitor industry, regulatory, and competitive trends for the assigned line(s) and recommend underwriting-specific responses.

Enterprise Collaboration & Influence

• Collaborate effectively in a matrix environment, balancing regional priorities with enterprise underwriting standards.


• Partner closely with Claims, Loss Control, Actuarial, Finance, Legal/Compliance, and Technology teams to optimize underwriting outcomes.


• Represent CopperPoint in industry associations, regulatory discussions, and conferences at regional and national levels.

More about the Role:

Our Southwest region is $200M+ GWP and includes AZ, UT, NV, NM, CO, TX, OK, KS, and MO. The portfolio is profitable and growing—with 20+ underwriters and market-facing leaders.

Historically, the region was driven by small-to-middle markets monoline Work Comp—mostly in Arizona. However, in recent years, the company and the Southwest region have transformed dramatically. There has been a sustained, highly intentional, and strategic change to become a service-driven middle markets multiline operation. The transformation has run through the entire business including underwriting, claims, loss control, operations, and more. This effort has been underway for years and the results are now showing in our financial outcomes, talent acquisition and development, and the marketplace.

Today, we write Work Comp, Auto, GL, Umbrella, Property and Inland Marine. Our primary specialization is mid-markets Construction risk $250,000-$750,000. But we write many other classes—including transportation, manufacturing, warehousing, hospitality, and more. We also have emerging loss sensitive casualty capabilities (e.g., Large Deductible, Retro) supported by $10M umbrella capacity. The book skews heavily towards casualty-driven classes but can freely deploy $100M amount subject property capacity.

Admitted or non-admitted backgrounds are both acceptable, but we go to market admitted and primary. A good background in construction and casualty lines are ideal. New pricing models for all lines are being implemented now, as well as new Regional Product Manager roles that will act as peers to the RUO role—providing critical data, insights, and analysis to the region.

Interested candidates will have the opportunity to meet with leaders and better understand the regional operating model, our strategy and underwriting philosophy, and goals for the business. This is a high-impact role that will be part of the enterprise Senior Leadership Team, and play a key role in developing and growing our Southwest business.

Qualifications/Competencies:

• Bachelor’s degree. Professional designations (CPCU, ARM, CIC, or equivalent) strongly preferred.


• 10+ years of progressive commercial lines underwriting experience, including at least 5 years of portfolio, line, industry vertical, or field leadership experience.


• Demonstrated success in achieving underwriting profitability and growth targets in a multi-state or regional environment.


• Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following: Workers’ Compensation (ideally with niche industry experience), General Liability, Property & Inland Marine, Commercial Auto, or Umbrella lines.


• Strong knowledge of risk assessment, pricing, reinsurance, loss control principles, and underwriting quality assurance/audit processes.


• Proven ability to influence and drive results through collaboration in a matrix organization.


• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to provide effective training, mentorship, and consultation to peers and stakeholders.


• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within the assigned region and periodically to Phoenix headquarters and other locations.


• Ability to obtain and maintain appropriate multi-state insurance licenses.

Preferred

• Experience underwriting or influencing underwriting decisions in the Western United States, particularly California, the Pacific Northwest, or Southwest markets.


• Background in specialty workers’ compensation and/or complex middle-market or large-account underwriting ($1M+ GWP).


• Familiarity with data analytics, predictive modeling, and modern underwriting tools.

Note from the Chief Underwriting Officer:

At CopperPoint, insurance is more than risk transfer — it’s about partnership, expertise, and helping to make our customers and communities healthier, safer, and more resilient. Our RUOs play a pivotal role in living this mission by combining disciplined underwriting, technical skill, and leadership with genuine internal and external partnerships.

This is an opportunity to shape both regional market success and national underwriting standards inside a collaborative, ambitious, hi-growth, values-driven organization that has been in business for over 100 years.

We continue to make significant and ongoing investments in our capabilities and underwriting talent. The future is bright at CopperPoint! Qualified candidates will have the opportunity to learn more about our enterprise plans, to ask questions about this new role, and spend time getting to know our leadership team.

Benefits:

• Employees and their families are eligible to participate in CopperPoint Insurance Companies benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, a health savings account, a flexible spending account, and a 401k plan.


• We provide some benefits at no cost to the employee (Basic Life Insurance and AD&D at two times an employee’s annual salary, Short- and Long-term Disability coverage, and Employee Assistant Plan).


• Employees will accrue 0.1269 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) per paid hour, which may total 33 days a year. In addition, employees will also receive 10 paid holidays throughout the calendar year.

Founded in 1925, CopperPoint Insurance Companies is a leading provider of workers’ compensation and commercial insurance solutions. With an expanded Line of insurance products and a growing ten-state footprint in the western United States, CopperPoint embodies stability for policyholders in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Holding Company is the corporate parent of Arizona-based CopperPoint Insurance Companies, Alaska National Insurance Company, and other CopperPoint Insurance Entities.

CopperPoint’s culture of compassion extends to the community through employee volunteerism, corporate matching, Board service, program sponsorships, and in-kind contributions. We empower employees by providing 12 hours of paid volunteer time annually and matching their personal contributions to the charities of their choice up to $500 per year. In 2020, CopperPoint employees reported 3,500 volunteer hours.

CopperPoint offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits package including major medical, dental, and vision and a wide range of competitive benefits programs, generous matching contributions to your 401(k) plan, generous paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and other education benefits and business casual dress. CopperPoint is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, ancestry or citizenship status, genetic information, pregnancy status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal or local law. CopperPoint maintains a drug-free workplace.

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