Professional Liability Underwriting Lead

Shepherd • Fort Worth, TX

5d • $200,000 - $240,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Shepherd is launching a Professional Liability product to support its Construction and Energy verticals and future business areas. The Professional Liability Underwriting Lead will help build and shape this product expansion, initially focusing on Errors & Omissions (E&O) and Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL). The role defines underwriting strategy and go-to-market plans and drives long-term profitable growth. It is suited to an experienced professional liability underwriter with leadership experience, strong broker relationships, and an entrepreneurial approach.

The role is based in one of Shepherd’s New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Dallas–Fort Worth offices. The position involves approximately 25% travel to meet brokers, partners, and the team. The base salary range is $200,000–$240,000, plus an annual performance bonus and equity; offers within the range depend on experience, relationships, and market following.

Shepherd describes its underwriting approach as client-centric and focused on efficient processes, using technology and data to make quick, informed decisions tailored to clients’ needs. The company emphasizes building a nationally scalable professional lines vertical and collaborating across underwriting, product, engineering, data, claims, actuarial, customer experience, and finance.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of professional liability underwriting experience.
• Deep expertise in architects and engineers E&O, as well as exposure to other industries such as technology, financial services, real estate, manufacturing, or healthcare.
• Proven record of profitable growth, including originating new business, quoting, binding, and building a professional liability book while managing loss-ratio and combined-ratio targets.
• Strong technical command of risk selection, underwriting models, exposure and loss analysis, loss development and trends, pricing, and E&O and MPL coverage.
• Strong technical command of application and financial review, pricing, and coverage, including claims-made forms, retroactive dates, prior acts, extended reporting periods, retentions, and primary and excess structures.
• Sound judgment on manuscript endorsements, contractual liability, and emerging professional-services exposures, including technology, regulatory, and litigation trends.
• Established regional and national broker relationships capable of driving submission flow.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or managing underwriters, including setting authority and running underwriting audits.
• Executive presence to present strategy and results to leadership, capacity partners, and reinsurers.
• Comfort making decisions with incomplete information and adapting as the business evolves.
• Willingness to travel about 25%.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Define the professional liability strategy, including target classes, lines of business, limits, attachment points, geographies, appetite, and growth and loss-ratio targets.
• Support development of underwriting guidelines, rating approach, authority framework, and referral rules.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Data to design submission-to-bind workflows, pricing tools, and exposure and loss-trend views.
• Underwrite new and renewal primary and excess professional liability business within assigned authority.
• Own premium, profit, loss-ratio, and retention results for the book.
• Use broker relationships to drive submission flow and market Shepherd’s professional lines products through broker and client meetings, industry events, and targeted business development.
• Hire, coach, and grow a team of professional liability underwriters as the book scales.
• Work with Corporate Underwriting to set letters of authority, conduct underwriting audits, and coach based on audit results.
• Collaborate with Claims, Actuarial, Customer Experience, and Finance to ensure the business is underwritten, serviced, and reported effectively.
• Travel approximately 25% to meet brokers, partners, and the team.

Benefits

• 100% company contribution to top-tier health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Fertility benefits and family-building support.
• Unlimited PTO.
• Daily lunches, dinners, and snacks.
• Professional development, including access to premium coaching and leadership development.
• Competitive 401(k) plan.
• Dog-friendly office; the description specifically mentions dogs at the San Francisco office.
• Annual performance bonus and equity in Shepherd.

What This Job Offers

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