Director, Products & Underwriting

Ryan Specialty • Chicago, IL

4d • $120,000 - $150,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

RT Connector, a division of Ryan Specialty, is seeking a Director of Products & Underwriting within our Wholesale division to join our Chicago, IL office. We are a fast-paced, energetic, and rapidly growing organization offering an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to advance their careers. This role is pivotal in positioning RT Connector as the premier solution for digitalized insurance capacity in the U.S. wholesale market. The Director of Products & Underwriting will play a multifaceted role, with a strong emphasis on building and cultivating insurance capacity on the Connector platform. Key responsibilities include product delivery, client and carrier stewardship, strategic planning, and the execution of various platform solutions. The Product Manager will lead the strategy, development, and execution of RT Connector’s admitted standard lines marketplace, delivering innovative solutions tailored to the needs of retail agents. This cross-functional role involves close collaboration with vendors, technology teams, internal stakeholders, carrier partners, and agents to build a fully bindable quoting experience that meets market demands and supports scalable growth. Key responsibilities include driving product strategy and market selection, designing workflows, providing regular updates to senior leadership, cultivating carrier relationships, and developing training materials for new insurance products. Location: This role is hybrid and will report to our corporate office in downtown Chicago (155 N Wacker Drive, Suite 4000 Chicago, IL 60606)

Requirements

• Experience in wholesale brokerage and/or underwriting E&S commercial insurance (minimum 10 years combined).
• Experience with digital distribution of commercial insurance and carrier relationship management
• Ability to think critically and objectively about the commercial considerations associated with developing and launching insurance products on The Connector.
• Ability to analyze data using excel, including pivot tables, and put together presentations using PPT.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills. Must be able to read, interpret, and write complex information, talk with external stakeholders, and listen attentively.
• Ability to cultivate interpersonal customer and co-worker relationships – equally adept at interacting with development engineers as with business organizations.
• Experience handling multiple deliverables and moving adeptly between internal and external issues and interactions.
• Willingness to take on new responsibilities and work in a dynamic, fast-moving small company environment.
• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university

Nice To Haves

• ACSR, CPCU, or similar designation preferred.
• Pursues continuing education opportunities and attends industry conferences

Responsibilities

• Insurance Product Development Integral to driving insurance product strategy and direction for RT Connector.
• Identifies target capacity specifications for each line of business (class codes, geographies, products, coverages, etc.) using carrier underwriting guidelines and appetite
• Participates in the entire insurance product delivery lifecycle, including formulation and development of carrier-specific underwriting business requirements, product testing, and final release of the product.
• Serves as the product line expert to the Connector team and management.
• Oversees underwriting guideline changes for incumbent markets
• Provides underwriting governance and oversight.
• Monitors the effectiveness of existing products and looks for opportunities to further refine, streamline, and improve.
• Engages with the Compliance Department to ensure ongoing compliance.
• Maintains strong communication with internal teams (PMO, marketing, compliance, actuarial, etc.) and vendors.
• Responsible for monitoring the performance of assigned lines of business, especially profitability, exposure profile of the book, and top-line growth (including other carrier and Connector Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)).
• Establishes and cultivates carrier relationships; maintains strong communication with carriers.
• Participates in audits and/or underwriting meetings as required.
• Works with our marketing team to develop tools to drive adoption of RT Connector and assist in the training of sales and other field personnel.
• Delivers marketing material, including writing white papers, data sheets, and presentations.
• Stays current on the small commercial insurance segment and carrier marketplace; identifies and assesses market trends to adjust strategy and bring innovative ideas to The Connector.
• Identifies market segments and provides recommendations for product strategies related to the development of new products within the marketplace.
• Produces thorough competitor and market analyses.

Benefits

• In addition to paid time off for company holidays, vacation, sick and personal days, Ryan offers paid parental leave, mental health services and more.
• For additional information on Ryan Specialty Total Rewards, visit our website https://benefits.ryansg.com/.
• We provide individuals with disabilities reasonable accommodations to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment in accordance with applicable law.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director