Director - Underwriting, Personal Lines

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. This is a remote role.

About the Role

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated personal lines underwriting leadership experience, with a strong understanding of underwriting operations, risk selection, portfolio management, agency relationships, and profit-driven decision making.

• Proven ability to translate strategy into execution, leading teams through organizational change while driving accountability, engagement, and measurable business results.
• Strong people leadership experience, including coaching leaders, building high-performing teams, developing talent, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Experience building and maintaining strategic relationships with agents, sales partners, and cross-functional stakeholders, with a customer-focused approach to influencing outcomes and enhancing the agent experience.
• Demonstrated success leading large initiatives, modernization efforts, organizational design changes, or process improvements, coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to identify opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and drive innovation.
• Preferred experience in agency, carrier, broker, or client-facing insurance environments, with the ability to influence partners, navigate complex relationships, and serve as a trusted underwriting consultant.
• Experience leading teams through transformation, change management, or underwriting modernization initiatives.

Success on our team requires a blend of customer service skill and analytical prowess. Each account we work on is interesting and challenging. Satisfaction comes from finding solutions that provide the best coverage and give our partner agents a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. If you are adaptable, responsive, love customers and really want to make a difference, we want to hear from you!

As the Director, you will drive profitable underwriting results through leadership, development, and engagement for an assigned personal lines underwriting unit. You will direct resources to deliver quality, timely underwriting decisions in support of the business, producers, and members. You will proactively identify issues, ideas, and make recommendations to profitably grow the business. You will also be responsible for planning, budgeting, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Establishes research objectives and practice standards for the department. Ensures that methodologies and outcomes meet business and strategic objectives. Identifies research projects and may lead large research initiatives.
• Leads identification of organizational needs that require analysis and directs department in completion. Sets expectations and standards of practice for analysis of underwriting rules and other processes. Ensures compliance to legal requirements and alignment with organizational, business, and strategic objectives.
• Determines priorities and ensures adherence to workflow standards for the unit. Monitors and manages performance measurements to ensure effectiveness of the department's service delivery process. Effectively aligns organizational structure to drive business needs.
• Directs the management of multi-line underwriting teams in support of personal lines products. Directs the alignment of underwriting execution based on underwriting strategy, objectives, and goals. Provides recommendations to leadership regarding underwriting strategy and opportunity. Measures and manages underwriting effectiveness and overall quality assessment. Responsible for personal lines underwriting decisions related to the agencies portfolio.
• Translates strategic plans into organizational direction. Creates business plans, goals, budget, and timelines aligned with company standards. Directs associates and provides performance management, salary planning and administration, organizational planning, hiring and placement, and disciplinary actions.
• Consults with all levels of internal and external partners regarding underwriting policy and practice. Provides input into strategic and business plans and helps identify operational opportunities and efficiencies.
• Communicates strategic direction, operational decisions, and underwriting perspective to underwriting unit and internal and external partners.
• Develops effective internal and external collaborative partnerships across all related functions, including: Claims, Sales, Product, IT, vendors, DOI, etc. to understand business developments and helps meet business needs.
• Responsible for a high level of service to all customers and partners. Responds to escalated issues from internal and external partners. Drives customer service performance to established standards.
• Determines and ensures delivery of training and development based on individual and department needs. Coaches, develops, and provides feedback to associates. Directs development and delivery of education for internal and external partners and key organizational groups regarding underwriting practice, goals, and strategies.
• May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree and pursuit of continued education desired. Master's in business or a related field is preferred.
• License/Certification/Designation: Completion of technical insurance coursework such as CPCU preferred.
• Experience: Eight years underwriting, customer service, or related experience. Significant business management and people leadership experience desired.

Skills

• Detailed knowledge of personal lines insurance products, state regulations, management techniques, underwriting policies, procedures, and best practices. Familiarity with other lines of business.
• Strong knowledge of company operations, financials, trend analysis, and competitor data to drive underwriting performance.
• Ability to set strategic goals and priorities. Demonstrated decision-making ability required in day-to-day operations.
• Ability to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding customer service, work processing, underwriting selection, and best practices compliance. Ability to reach a solution in situations where there may be multiple options or competing priorities.
• Strong analytical skills and drive for results.
• Skilled communicator with strong people leadership, engagement, and development skills.
• Possess the ability to manage matrix relationships with regional, product, and service center leadership; and to partner with sales and regional leadership in cooperative efforts to meet business objectives.
• Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies, and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resource Business Partner.

Values

Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions

• Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)
• Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Occasional travel may be required to visit agencies or attend meetings. Extended or non-standard work hours as required to meet business need.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance, short and long-term disability coverage
• Paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
• Nine paid holidays
• 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
• 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
• 401(k) with company match
• Company-paid pension plan
• Business casual attire

Pay

The national salary range for Director, Underwriting - Personal Lines: $122,000.00 - $214,000.00

The expected starting salary range for Director, Underwriting - Personal Lines: $122,000.00 - $182,000.00

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials, and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity, and location of the role; as well as the cost of labor in the market and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, sales incentives based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range.