Sr. Underwriter, Builder Risk

Howden•New York, NY

3d•Remote

About The Position

DUAL North America is seeking a VP Underwriter for the Builders Risk division. At DUAL, VP Underwriters play a critical leadership role in defining the underwriting strategy and fostering new broker relationships. In this role, you will act as the subject matter expert in wood frame builders risk project evaluation and underwriting, manage a team of 1-5 through the employee lifecycle, and own profitable portfolio growth. Leading a team of underwriters within the builder’s risk division, you will work with the division president, and other team leads to manage the underwriting direction for the national construction portfolio, train and oversee junior underwriters including referrals for team members, and oversee strategy for large, complex projects. This role includes executive oversight of broker relationships, profitability targets, and cross-functional alignment with product, claims, and actuarial.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in risk management, psychology, criminal justice, mathematics, finance, business, or a related field preferred
6-12 years of relevant underwriting experience
Demonstrates a naturally inquisitive mindset with a strong desire to understand processes, solve problems, and improve outcomes.
In-depth understanding of technical underwriting principles and risk assessment
Strong analytical, negotiation, and decision-making skills
Proven ability to manage and build broker and client relationships
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
Demonstrated ability to handle complex risks with sound judgment
Highly self-motivated with strong attention to detail
Must be able to remain in a stationary position approximately 50% of the time, with occasional movement throughout the office to access files and equipment
Ability to travel up to 30% or more as required for client meetings, conferences, or industry events

Responsibilities

Manage and grow your own portfolio of projects evaluating risk and utilizing and maximizing our carrier capacity within carrier agreements and underwriting guidelines
Train and foster careers of Associate Underwriters and Underwriters within the team
Manage a small to mid-sized team and be responsible for performance evaluations, hiring and recruiting, and termination decisions
Define team production goals that align to division goals, and drive execution in a hands-on fashion
Review referrals from team members
Curate a portfolio of business in accordance with Underwriting Guidelines and prescribed pricing tools within UW guidelines; may provide input to governance and defining underwriting guidelines
Owns division level projects or initiatives outside of direct area of expertise to gain knowledge and exposure to larger organizational operations
May manage budget for a small team or portion of the division, including staffing and T&E costs
Working level knowledge of capacity and expectation to build relationships with capacity providers
Act as Subject Matter Expert for their respective business to peers and leadership and those within their team
Demonstrates advanced understanding of technical underwriting principles and risk underwriting characteristics which will include more nuanced risks in the wood frame and renovation market, deployment of capacity limits, and managing pricing cycles.
Execute on annual new business goals by achieving agreed premium income and hitting quote numbers with desired hit ratios, and ensuring the team is executing on these goals as well
Foster and build new relationships with key producers – expectation is to gain more business and place it