Director, Property & Casualty Staff Underwriting

Nationwide•Ohio-Work from Home-2, OH

4d•$122,000 - $214,000•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Property & Casualty Staff Underwriting leads Nationwide’s Personal Lines underwriting rules and technology portfolio. The role translates underwriting strategy into scalable capabilities that improve decision quality, speed, consistency, customer and agent experience, and profitability. It provides business leadership across underwriting rules, risk filters, models, and related technology solutions while partnering with Underwriting, Experience, Product, Pricing, Business Insights, Technology, Operations, and Distribution. The director oversees and manages staff underwriting functions, develops and recommends underwriting or product policies, procedures, and standards, and coordinates between corporate office and field operations. The role also develops strategy for assigned products, advances profitability initiatives, supports state and regional underwriting leadership, and manages a team of six or more underwriting professionals and support staff. The position reports to a Staff Vice President or Officer. The position may be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states. It is exempt from overtime and is performed in a normal office environment; frequent travel may be required.

Requirements

Typically 10 years of property and casualty underwriting experience in personal and/or commercial lines.
At least five years of management experience.
Knowledge of property/casualty products, insurance company operations, field and staff functions, industry trends, and project management.
Demonstrated decision-making and strategic abilities, including the ability to drive results, deal with ambiguity, communicate with upper management, and conceptualize strategic objectives.
Ability to lead staff, committees, and project participants in product and underwriting activities.
Personal Lines underwriting knowledge and ability to connect strategy to day-to-day decisions.
Experience across Auto, Property, and other lines of business.
Experience leading underwriting rules, risk filters, models, decisioning capabilities, or technology-enabled underwriting change.
Experience with model performance, KPI analysis, recalibration, or impact assessment.
Experience leading delivery through design, UAT, implementation, validation, and stabilization.
Ability to build productive partnerships with Experience, field underwriting, Product, Pricing, Technology, Business Insights, Operations, and Distribution.
People leadership, talent development, strategic planning, roadmap, budgeting, prioritization, risk management, and executive communication skills.
Regularly and consistently demonstrate Nationwide Values.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree or post-graduate studies preferred.
Relevant professional designation such as CPCU highly desirable.
Exposure to both field and staff office operations preferred.
Experience with underwriting decision platforms, rules engines, decision management, workflow technology, third-party data or vendors, or modernization initiatives.
Familiarity with automation, analytics, AI, or other emerging technologies in underwriting.

Responsibilities

Lead the strategic development, implementation, governance, and ongoing management of underwriting rules, guidelines, and related control gaps.
Own risk-filter management, including new and changed filters, testing, vendor coordination, monitoring, issue resolution, and controls.
Oversee underwriting model implementation, KPI measurement, performance analysis, recalibration impact analysis, and follow-up actions.
Set technology priorities and roadmaps, identify modernization opportunities, and manage related scope and budget with delivery partners.
Partner with Product, Pricing, Technology, Business Insights, Experience, field underwriting, and other stakeholders to design and implement underwriting solutions; coordinate UAT, post-production validation, and stabilization.
Build partnerships and feedback loops to improve solution usability, adoption, workflow effectiveness, and customer, agent, and field-underwriting outcomes.
Identify automation and emerging-technology opportunities that improve underwriting speed, accuracy, consistency, and profitability.
Lead and develop a specialized team; set priorities, resolve dependencies, manage delivery risk, and influence senior stakeholders across a complex, matrixed organization.
Develop and reinforce strategy and direction for assigned products, participating in initiatives addressing product strategy and profitability objectives.
Provide technical assistance and support to state and regional underwriting and services leadership, and maintain relationships with entities, access points, and distribution channels that require product or underwriting staff support.
Lead projects for assigned profitability initiatives and ensure designated high-priority projects follow the formal project management process.
Serve on committees, project teams, and industry boards as assigned.
Oversee support functions, including product functional audits, training, vendor selection and management, employee career enhancement, competitive monitoring, systems, and liaison work with other business units.
Manage associates, including performance management, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow and organizational planning, hiring and placement, and disciplinary actions.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Life insurance.
Short- and long-term disability coverage.
Paid time off: newly hired associates receive a minimum of 18 days per full calendar year, prorated quarterly based on hire date.
Nine paid holidays.
Eight hours of Lifetime paid time off.
Eight hours of Unity Day paid time off.
401(k) with company match.
Company-paid pension plan.
Business casual attire.