Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager

Western National Group & Umialik Insurance•Seattle, WA

18h

About The Position

Western National Insurance Group is seeking a Manager, Commercial Lines Underwriting to lead its commercial lines underwriting function. The role is responsible for driving profitable growth, developing underwriting talent, and maintaining strong agency relationships. It oversees underwriting strategies and operations to support a balanced, profitable, high-quality commercial lines book while advancing company objectives and agency management initiatives. Western National is a private mutual insurance company with more than 120 years of experience serving property-and-casualty insurance customers in the Midwestern, Northwestern, and Southwestern United States. The company describes itself as “The Relationship Company®” and emphasizes friendly, helpful interactions and strong relationships with the people and organizations it serves. The position offers a flexible work environment with hybrid and remote arrangements designed to balance individual, job, department, and company needs. Travel to agency offices may be needed, up to 25% of the time. Applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer; visa sponsorship is unavailable.

Requirements

Extensive knowledge of commercial lines underwriting concepts, industry best practices, and standards.
Previous experience in a people leadership role.
Demonstrated ability to coach, direct, develop, and retain employees.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, including the ability to evaluate complex information and make sound business decisions.
Ability to multitask, prioritize competing responsibilities, and solve complex problems.
Strong relationship-building, communication, and negotiation skills.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, demonstrate initiative, and make decisions within established authority levels.
Experience analyzing business performance and identifying opportunities for profitable growth.
Bachelor's degree in insurance, finance, or a related field, or equivalent related experience.

Nice To Haves

CPCU, AU, or CIC designation.
Intermediate to advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Experience with ImageRight or a similar document imaging platform.
Basic to intermediate knowledge of Guidewire or a similar policy administration system.
Strong business analytics skills and ability to translate underwriting data into actionable strategies.
Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with agency partners and internal stakeholders.
Ability to travel to agency offices as needed, up to 25% of the time.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement underwriting strategies to achieve a balanced, profitable, and high-quality book of commercial lines business.
Lead, coach, develop, and retain underwriting staff to achieve company, departmental, and individual performance goals.
Serve as a referral underwriter, providing technical guidance, feedback, and support on complex underwriting decisions.
Identify opportunities to promote Western National products and services and support profitable business growth.
Develop and execute strategies to capitalize on market opportunities and manage existing agency relationships.
Build and maintain relationships with agents, internal business partners, and external customers to support business objectives.
Monitor marketplace trends, competitive developments, and emerging industry issues through active participation in the insurance community.
Develop, review, and analyze periodic reports on assigned regional underwriting operations and take appropriate underwriting and rate actions.
Participate in initiatives to develop and improve underwriting processes, policies, and operational efficiencies.
Interpret and execute underwriting policies and guidelines, ensuring decisions align with company objectives.
Assign and approve underwriting authority levels and make decisions within established guidelines.
Analyze complex underwriting challenges, identify patterns and trends, and implement effective solutions.
Communicate and negotiate with agents, business partners, and stakeholders to support positive business outcomes.
Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.