Senior Director - Portfolio Risk & Underwriting Strategy

Protective•Chesterfield, MO

7d•$137,000 - $210,000

About The Position

Protective is seeking a senior insurance leader to shape the profitability and risk strategy of its growing, multi-product Asset Protection portfolio. The role connects underwriting judgment with actuarial analysis, pricing, forecasting, and portfolio performance management across vehicle protection plans, GAP coverage, limited warranties, and ancillary products for automotive, marine, powersports, and recreational vehicle markets. The Senior Director will lead underwriting strategy and governance, translate complex portfolio data into clear actions, and advise executive leaders on growth, profitability, and risk. The role will influence products, risk appetite, operating practices, and business outcomes while building organizational capability through talent development and improvements to portfolio management tools and processes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Finance, Risk Management, Business, or a related field.
7+ years of progressive experience in underwriting, actuarial, portfolio management, product management, risk management, or a related insurance discipline.
4+ years of relevant leadership experience, including direct people management.
Experience managing portfolio performance and profitability across multiple products, programs, markets, or distribution channels.
Experience using analytics, performance metrics, and financial insights to support strategic decisions and portfolio actions.
Demonstrated success partnering across functions to shape business strategy and execute complex initiatives.
Ability to present recommendations and influence decisions at the senior-leadership level.
Deep knowledge of underwriting, portfolio management, risk selection, and insurance profitability drivers.
Strong actuarial and quantitative orientation, including pricing, forecasting, trend analysis, scenario modeling, and performance measurement.
Ability to connect technical findings to underwriting actions, product strategy, financial outcomes, and risk appetite.
Understanding of loss cost, frequency, severity, exposure, mix, concentration, and rate adequacy concepts relevant to P&C or specialty insurance portfolios.
Executive-level communication skills, including explaining complex analyses to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Strategic judgment and ability to balance growth, customer, profitability, compliance, and risk considerations.
Cross-functional leadership and influence across Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, Operations, and Technology.
People leadership, coaching, talent development, and organizational change capability.
Comfort navigating incomplete information, challenging assumptions, and making sound decisions in rapidly evolving markets.

Nice To Haves

8+ years of progressive experience in actuarial, underwriting, portfolio management, product, or insurance risk leadership.
ACAS, FCAS, or meaningful progress toward a Casualty Actuarial Society designation; CPCU, ARM, or another relevant insurance credential is also valued.
Experience in automotive finance and insurance (F&I), extended service contracts, vehicle protection products, warranty administration, specialty insurance, or adjacent P&C markets.
Experience with pricing strategy, reserving, predictive analytics, loss trend analysis, or actuarial model implementation.
Experience leading underwriting transformation, governance, data modernization, or technology-enabled decisioning.
Advanced degree such as an MBA, MS, or related discipline.

Responsibilities

Lead portfolio risk management and performance oversight across products, programs, distribution channels, and geographies, with accountability for profitable growth and disciplined risk selection.
Analyze loss, exposure, pricing, frequency, severity, mix-of-business, and market trends to identify emerging risks and recommend timely portfolio actions.
Direct underwriting strategy and governance, including pricing, eligibility, authority, referral, and exception frameworks, ensuring decisions align with business objectives and risk appetite.
Partner with Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, and Operations to evaluate product changes, pricing actions, reserving implications, and opportunities to improve portfolio returns.
Guide the development and use of forecasts, predictive models, simulations, dashboards, and scenario analyses, translating technical results into practical business decisions.
Establish portfolio monitoring routines, performance thresholds, and executive reporting that make profitability drivers and risk concentrations visible and actionable.
Influence product design and program strategy by assessing financial, actuarial, underwriting, operational, and customer impacts.
Lead complex decisions in ambiguous, high-impact situations and communicate recommendations, trade-offs, and financial implications to senior leadership.
Improve underwriting processes, data, tools, controls, and governance to increase consistency, scalability, speed, and decision quality.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team while strengthening collaboration and analytical capability across the organization.