Senior Underwriter - Small Business

About the Role

Berkley Edge offers solutions for hard-to-place and distressed risks for both professional and casualty lines of business. Edge will focus on small to mid-sized risks through a wholesale only distribution model. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation has grown from a small investment management firm into one of the largest commercial lines property and casualty insurers in the United States, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, with revenue well past $10 billion, and a Fortune 500 Company.

Responsibilities

• Maintain contributory responsibility for small business underwriting, including revenue growth, profitability and competitiveness, while having sole responsibility for an individual book of business and serving as a key point of contact for assigned brokers.
• Maintain and grow a profitable book of small business through effective underwriting and business skills in assigned territory or product line.
• Oversee policy applications, renewals, repricing, restrictions, and cancellations to determine risk acceptability and appropriate coverage.
• Act as a technical expert with both technical and administrative responsibility for the underwriting function or team.
• Focus on assigned brokers to foster growth, market the company's appetite and initiatives, and serve as the key point person for resolution of service issues.
• Demonstrate broad knowledge of small contractors, OL&T and manufacturing risks.
• Link product line policies, procedures and practices to the overall company strategy and demonstrate a broad overview of company operations.
• Identify and act on opportunities to share line of business knowledge with customers and team members.
• Recognize and advance the development of technological enhancements to meet strategic needs.
• Blend outside ideas with internal values when making recommendations and network with peers and outside resources to exchange ideas and information.
• Make recommendations in the development and implementation of policies and practices.
• Recommend new coverage enhancements to products to fill market gaps and create customer value.
• Integrate coverage, service, and regulatory or emerging hazard issues to exceed customer needs.
• Coach and direct others on coverage, service and regulatory or emerging hazard issues, and act as a referral source on coverage and pricing within assigned authority.
• Help train less experienced underwriters in the product line.
• Develop pricing proposals utilizing advanced techniques and understand pricing needs over a large territory or book of business.
• Work with claims to understand current claims trends and incorporate those trends into underwriting decisions.
• Gather and analyze information to determine risk acceptability and assess rate adequacy relative to exposure.
• Integrate internal and external resources and assess and prioritize underwriting and service needs and the feasibility of their delivery.
• Identify critical exposures, trends and opportunities, and assist with the development of strategies to address them.
• Share specialized knowledge of exposures for specific industry or market segments.
• Persuade customers and influence brokers in a preferred direction.
• Build and lead effective underwriting teams.
• Negotiate advanced coverage issues and solicit broker feedback, bringing resolution to issues.
• Provide training guidance and act as a referral source on coverage and pricing.
• Demonstrate advanced selling skills and coach and develop staff on client management.

Qualifications

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment managing multiple complex assignments and competing priorities.
• Comfortable working in an ambiguous and dynamic environment.
• Minimum of 5 years' small business underwriting experience.
• Strong experience in Excess & Surplus (E&S) Lines and Wholesale Brokerage Distribution.
• Experience writing primary commercial general liability is required.

Education

• Four (4) year college degree, or commensurate experience and training (Risk Management preferred).
• CPCU, RPLU, ASLI, AU and other professional designations preferred.

Location: Saint Petersburg, FL. Sponsorship not offered for this role.