Middle Market Casualty Principal Commercial Underwriter

Farmers Insurance Careers

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is the technical authority and strategic lead for middle market and complex commercial risks within assigned industry segments. The role is accountable for the profitability, performance, and long‑term health of the portfolio, underwriting the organization’s most complex and highest‑value accounts while shaping underwriting philosophy and risk selection. As a recognized industry expert, this role provides advanced technical leadership and market influence, partnering with agents, field leadership, and enterprise stakeholders to drive disciplined growth, strategic agency engagement, and sustainable portfolio outcomes.

Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent required.
10+ years of commercial underwriting experience, with demonstrated experience underwriting complex middle market accounts within an industry segment such as Construction or Manufacturing and Wholesale.
Demonstrated analytical skills.
Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills.
Effective negotiation skills.
Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.
Effective leadership skills.

Nice To Haves

Bachelors degree preferred.
Professional designations such as CRIS (construction), MRIS (manufacturing and wholesale), CPCU, AU, or ARM, are preferred.

Responsibilities

Serves as the technical underwriter and recognized subject matter expert for middle market and complex commercial risks, including industry‑specific, multi‑location, and multi‑jurisdictional exposures.
Exercises high levels of individual underwriting authority, independently evaluating, pricing, and structuring coverage for the organization’s most complex and highest‑value accounts across multiple lines of business.
Owns portfolio‑level results for assigned industry segments, including profitability, growth, retention, pricing adequacy, overall risk mix, and long‑term portfolio health.
Interprets and applies complex coverage forms, endorsements, and manuscript language, providing expert guidance on non‑standard and emerging exposures within the assigned segment and influencing underwriting philosophy and risk appetite.
Identifies portfolio trends, loss drivers, and emerging risks; develops and recommends action plans to improve results, support disciplined risk selection, and sustain long‑term performance across market cycles.
Acts as a trusted advisor to agents and brokers, leading sophisticated underwriting discussions, negotiating terms, positioning underwriting decisions in competitive or challenging market conditions, and influencing strategic agency engagement and relationship outcomes.
Partners with underwriting leadership and enterprise stakeholders to develop and execute industry‑specific underwriting strategy, including appetite definition, authority guidelines, risk selection philosophy, and segment‑level strategic positioning.
Provides technical leadership and mentorship, collaborating with claims, loss control, actuarial, and marketing partners while representing the underwriting function internally and externally as a recognized industry authority.
Performs other duties as assigned.