Underwriting Supervisor - Personal Lines

Summary:

This leadership position works side-by-side with the Underwriting Manager or Vice President of Underwriting to ensure exceptional results. This position manages a team of Underwriting staff, seasoned to entry level, providing leadership, direction, performance coaching and development to the team in all technical, operational and performance aspects. This position is responsible for supervision of the Underwriting staff while also directly handling underwriter responsibilities for specific accounts/territories as assigned. This position is responsible for providing quality and efficient service, handling elevated customer inquiries, troubleshooting and training.

Functions:

• Review coverage and risks with Agents and underwriters to determine acceptability, pricing and policy modifications on complex accounts and submissions.
• Assist in training and sharing product knowledge with staff where appropriate. 
• Ensure underwriter’s work meets established standards. Actively promote and support company and department goals and objectives, with emphasis on underwriting profitability and quality growth. 
• Maintain working relationships with Agents, Marketing Team, Claims and other departments. 
• Assist with the planning and conducting of training seminars. 
• Make field trips and attend Agent meetings, as directed, in order to establish rapport with Agents, develop knowledge of underwriting territories, and obtain feedback on service levels of underwriting staff.  
• Review risk and claim reports on large losses, and coach underwriters through appropriate action, including coverage modifications or termination of existing accounts.  
• Evaluate and advise Vice President of Underwriting or Underwriting Manager on effectiveness of current underwriting guidelines and offer appropriate suggestions of improvement or revision. 
• Assist Vice President of Underwriting or Underwriting Manager in establishing short- and long-range objectives related to growth in Personal, Farm, or Commercial Lines of business with an emphasis underwriting profitability and underwriting development and training.
• Builds Personal, Farm or Commercial lines expertise of new and existing underwriters for increased independence and sound judgment when working with Agents to pursue desired business.
• Identify Agents requiring additional guidance and interaction from their Field Marketing Representative on Goodville Mutual Group products and services.
• Make acceptability and pricing decisions on risks within defined binding authority. Refer risks that are beyond binding authority to Vice President of Underwriting or Underwriting Manager.  
• Develop and maintain effective relationships and contact between New Holland, Napoleon, and De Smet offices and their respective underwriting management and underwriter teams. 
• Develop and maintain strong working knowledge of Goodville’s Personal, Farm, or Commercial lines products, including policy features and key endorsements and sources of information on Goodville’s resources.
• Ensure Accountability of assigned underwriting staff, and negotiate conflict resolution with agents or members.
• Manage and monitor budget, if requested.
• Monitor workflows, processes, and procedures for continuous improvement.
• Perform account coordination activities with other departments when needed.
• Perform internal quality control audits and manages staff for internal and external audits, if requested.
• Coordinate or participate in file reviews and preparation for reinsurance, state and internal audits.
• Ensures compliance with individual state requirements and policies and procedures.
• Recruit and supervise underwriting staff.
• Monitor authority levels for underwriting staff.
• Perform special projects as directed by management.
• Train and mentor underwriters and assistant underwriters as needed. 
• Communicate with Agents and staff on a regular basis to answer questions and discuss risks. Also communicate with Marketing Team regarding Agent issues or concerns.
• Participate in insurance-related education and develop knowledge of current industry trends. Maintain an understanding of existing laws and regulations, emerging technologies, and competitor actions that can impact our members, our product offering, or our pricing.
• Analyze account experience, related reports, rate adequacy and acceptability of occupancy and/or operation in order to prepare and evaluate change request, and renewal proposals.  
• Participate in the evaluation of Agents. 
• Maintain Agent files for periodic review with management.  
• Advise management of issues or concerns.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor.

• Bachelor's degree and five years related underwriting experience at the company or agency level with an in-depth knowledge of all related business lines required; or
• Associate degree and seven years portfolio underwriting required; or
• High school diploma or GED, and nine years portfolio underwriting required; or
• High school diploma or GED, and successful completion of CPCU, CIC or PLCS designation required.
• Mastery of underwriting guidelines and techniques, demonstrated through proven strong underwriting performance required.  
• Occasional travel required.
• Successful completion of the General Insurance program (INS 21, 22, 23) required. 
• Successful completion of two parts of the following programs: CPCU, CIC, PLCS, AAI, API, AIC, AU, AFIS or ARM required.  
• Mentoring and leadership experience preferred.
• Ability to work flexible hours, travel to all organization offices (including in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and South Dakota) and travel to vendor work sites required.
• Ability to work in an office environment with moderate noise level, remain in a stationary position and operate a computer a majority of the time required.
• Ability to move throughout the office to access work materials and to move work materials weighing up to ten pounds daily required.
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation required.