CAO Commercial Lines Territory Manager

Penn National Insurance•Harrisburg, PA

About The Position

The Commercial Lines Territory Manager serves as a liaison between Penn National Insurance and its agents, managing relationships with agents, the regional underwriting team, and corporate departments. The role assesses agency strengths and weaknesses and helps agents achieve profitable growth in premium volume and policy count. It ensures agents understand the company’s commercial lines initiatives, products, policies, procedures, and services, and leads commercial lines agency prospecting, planning, and management initiatives. The manager also collaborates with and supports underwriters and RVPs on small business and mid-market decisions and other branch initiatives. Using assigned authorities, the position works to improve agent, team, and branch commercial lines results; at the direction of the President-Partners Mutual or Regional Vice President, this may include limited direct underwriting of small commercial new business. The territory is within the Central Atlantic Office branch, with primary assignments in Maryland. The role develops and evaluates agency relationships, monitors growth and profitability, supports underwriting decisions, and creates agency plans to address performance. It provides agency training, develops annual marketing plans, analyzes territory results, and applies data analysis to business problems. The position involves direct contact with branch underwriting and claims personnel, Home Office Underwriting Operations personnel, agents, and insureds. The position is primarily sedentary, with occasional standing and walking in an office environment. It requires use of a computer and general office equipment, accurate use of automated systems, telephone communication, and presenting information to individuals and groups. A valid driver’s license, ability to operate a motor vehicle, and travel—including overnight stays—are required. The estimated hiring range is $90,000–$125,000, with possible participation in an annual incentive program subject to eligibility.

Requirements

Minimum of three years of property/casualty commercial lines underwriting and/or marketing experience with a Property and Casualty carrier preferred; agency or broker experience heavily concentrated in underwriting exposure/risk and marketing may substitute for carrier experience.
Technical underwriting knowledge of the commercial lines of business written by Penn National Insurance.
Effective oral and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate highly technical information.
Proven sales, negotiation, and solution-selling skills.
Working knowledge and skill in agency and company automation systems, including fundamental personal computer skills and Microsoft Office Suite.
Exceptional customer service skills.
Good financial analysis skills.
Excellent time management skills.
Strong commercial lines underwriting analysis skills.
Valid driver’s license and ability to operate a motor vehicle.
Ability to travel, with overnight stays required.
Ability to use a computer monitor, computer, keyboard, printers, and other general office equipment; accurately access and enter information in automated systems; communicate by telephone and/or monitoring devices; present information to individuals and groups; interpret and apply concepts; and maintain acceptable attendance and adhere to scheduled work hours.

Nice To Haves

Four-year college degree preferred.
Continuing education in specialized insurance courses such as IIA, AU, CPCU, or CIC, or other educational experiences that enhance product knowledge and technical business relations.
Active agent’s Property and Casualty license in the domiciled state preferred.
Property/casualty commercial lines underwriting and/or marketing experience with a Property and Casualty carrier preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop agencies to pre-qualify, rate, and bind profitable commercial lines business.
Use assigned authority to help agency partners write profitable business and make consistent underwriting decisions aligned with company acceptability and pricing philosophies.
Build professional working relationships with agents, regional underwriting and claims teams, and corporate departments.
Evaluate prospective agents and submit written recommendations to the Regional Vice President.
Maintain ongoing two-way communication between agents and the company.
Monitor agency growth, compliance, and results, and follow up with agents regarding company initiatives, procedures, and policies.
Conduct ongoing agency prospecting in the territory to develop a pipeline of potential future appointments.
Share relevant industry information, ideas, products, and changes in other carriers’ philosophies with colleagues.
Participate in commercial lines rate reviews as requested.
Profile commercial lines books of business and develop and implement agency profitability plans when warranted.
Facilitate agency reviews with team members, compare performance with established goals, and implement corrective actions as needed.
Develop and implement agency action plans to achieve profitability.
Train agency personnel on programs, products, services, and systems.
Develop annual agency/company marketing plans.
Analyze territory profitability, premium growth, and agency representation, and implement corrective actions where appropriate.
Collaborate with underwriters and RVPs on small business and mid-market decisions and other branch initiatives.
Apply data to common business problems and compile, manipulate, and analyze data of varying complexity.
Perform other duties as assigned by the President-Partners Mutual or Regional Vice President.