Are you interested in taking on new challenges in a stable, mission-oriented insurance company? Do you have perseverance and grit? Prefer meeting goals in a collaborative environment? If this describes you, apply now.

United Educators is a member-owned company and a pre-eminent provider of insurance and risk management to over 1,600 educational institutions. We offer a dynamic, professional work environment for those who share our values and commitment to excellence. We foster an inclusive and supportive culture that embraces diverse ideas and opinions and provides opportunities for all to succeed. This starts with recruiting, hiring, developing, and promoting diverse talent, ensuring that the UE culture promotes inclusion and equity, and enables employees to bring their authentic selves to the workplace. A diverse workforce helps UE build strong relationships with current and prospective members, brokers, and other external partners. These groups also play a pivotal role in UE’s commitment to ensuring that our community reflects and embraces diversity.

The AVP of Underwriting Operations serves as a catalyst for change and growth for the company’s underwriting approach and the development of the department’s staff and leaders. Operating in a collaborative culture, this Associate Vice President will possess the business acumen, operational effectiveness and leadership skills that will drive results in support of the overall mission. This role must meet annual departmental customer, new business, rate, and retention goals, yet also support future strategic changes that allow the company to maintain market relevancy as the expectations of buyers, risks, and competition continue to evolve.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Business Strategy & Operations

• Maximize technology and optimize process excellence, allowing underwriters the opportunity to perform efficiently and effectively
• Evaluate, recommend, and implement workflow, process designs and systems to improve productivity and adherence to service standards
• Acts as project sponsor to champion project and change management efforts within the department
• Identify, recommend, and implement new processes, technologies, and systems with the goal of improving the use of resources and materials
• Develop teams and leaders, providing coaching on growth and career planning to aid in succession management.
• Align with the Vice President of Underwriting to support the department’s vision, plan and execute strategies and tactics to achieve objectives, and lead change
• Collaborate with other departments to achieve cross pollination, as well as cross-functional objectives — with IT for strategic process and technology optimization; with business development for new business production; with product management for improvements in products; with resolutions to ensure seamless integration of policy issuance to claim management; and with actuarial for pricing models and analysis of departmental performance
• Develop and nurture broker and member relationships
• Support core underwriting business by researching, revising and developing insurance products including policy language, applications and underwriting guidelines
• Make formal presentations to internal and external audiences to generate alignment and enthusiasm for overall underwriting operations and technology optimization goals
• Participate in special projects and other duties as required

Talent Management

• Attract, grow, and retain departmental leaders and staff, understanding each individual’s skills and working with managers to create plans to leverage their potential
• Continuously assess staff performance and meet regularly with staff to discuss their progress and concerns; offer ongoing support and coaching
• Understand the talent in the department to assist in allocating resources as needs change

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 10+ years of commercial casualty insurance experience
• Consistent and proven ability to innovate and implement change, contribute to long-term strategic vision, participate in operations planning and organization, and impact results at an elevated level for the organization
• Proven leadership and management skills, strong business acumen
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and analytical skills and an attention to detail
• Superior multitasking and negotiating abilities
• CPCU and/or PLUS designation or equivalent
• Travel periodically to brokers and members