Manager, Carrier Relationship

Hippo Insurance • Austin, TX

5h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Carrier Relationship Manager is responsible for building, managing, and expanding relationships with insurance carrier partners. This role owns the carrier strategy end-to-end, including identifying coverage gaps, sourcing and onboarding new carriers, and negotiating commission structures and incentive programs. The ideal candidate brings a mix of strategic thinking, relationship management, and strong insurance market knowledge.
About You:
You are a strategic relationship builder who excels at developing and managing high-impact partnerships. You bring strong negotiation and influencing skills, allowing you to align diverse stakeholders and drive mutually beneficial outcomes. With a sharp eye for market and competitive analysis, you identify opportunities, anticipate shifts, and position initiatives for success. You thrive in cross-functional environments, collaborating seamlessly across teams to move complex projects forward. Above all, you communicate with clarity and confidence, delivering executive-level insights that inform decisions and inspire action.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in insurance carrier management, brokerage, underwriting, or related roles
• Strong understanding of P&C insurance products, carrier economics, and distribution models
• Proven experience negotiating commissions, incentives, or agency/carrier agreements
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and negotiation skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with multiple carriers across different lines or states
• Familiarity with insuretech or digitally enabled insurance platforms
• Analytical mindset with comfort interpreting financial and performance data

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for all carrier partners, ensuring clear communication and alignment.
• Develop and maintain strong, long-term relationships with carrier executives and operational stakeholders.
• Lead recurring performance reviews and strategic business updates to drive accountability and continuous improvement.
• Identify product, geographic, and underwriting gaps; proactively source and evaluate new carrier partnerships to support growth.
• Lead end-to-end carrier onboarding, including due diligence, contract negotiation, and cross-functional coordination.
• Monitor carrier appetite, underwriting guidelines, and capacity to ensure alignment with company strategy and market demand.
• Negotiate commission structures, overrides, profit-sharing agreements, and performance-based incentive programs.
• Partner with finance and executive leadership to model carrier economics and evaluate partnership profitability.
• Structure agreements that align with revenue growth objectives and long-term margin targets.
• Collaborate closely with sales, underwriting, product, and operations teams to execute carrier initiatives.
• Communicate carrier requirements, updates, and opportunities across internal stakeholders to ensure seamless execution.
• Support new product launches and geographic expansion efforts from a carrier strategy perspective.
• Track and analyze carrier performance metrics, recommending optimization strategies to improve production and profitability.
• Stay informed on insurance market trends, carrier positioning, and competitive dynamics to guide strategic decision-making.
• Provide leadership with data-driven insights and recommendations regarding carrier-related risks, opportunities, and market shifts.

Benefits

• Healthy Hippos Benefits - Multiple medical plan options, 100% covered dental and vision for you and your family, and a wellness program that rewards healthy habits. We also offer a 401(k)-retirement plan, short & long-term disability, employer-paid life insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for health and dependent care, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Equity - This position is eligible for equity compensation
• Training and Career Growth - Training and internal career growth opportunities
• Flexible Time Off - You know when and how you should recharge
• Little Hippos Program - We offer 12 weeks of parental leave for primary and secondary caregivers
• Hippo Habitat - Snacks and drinks available for onsite employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed