SVP, Underwriting - E&S Property
About The Position
Palomar is seeking a Senior Vice President, E&S Property to build and lead its Excess & Surplus Lines property portfolio. The executive will own the portfolio’s underwriting strategy, profit and loss, and team. The book includes primary and ground-up, excess, layered, and shared property placements, covering catastrophe-exposed and non-catastrophe risks and written exclusively through wholesale distribution. The role sets underwriting appetite, drives profitable growth, and develops a high-performing team. The SVP will lead portfolio strategy and performance, establish underwriting standards, oversee pricing and risk selection, manage catastrophe exposures and capital usage, and review large or complex accounts. The role also builds broker and reinsurer relationships, manages alignment with reinsurance programs, recruits and develops underwriting staff, and works with internal functions to improve operations and ensure regulatory compliance. The position partners with the Head of Marine and Property on divisional strategy, capital allocation, and cross-line portfolio management.
Requirements
- 15+ years of commercial property underwriting experience; 8+ years in E&S/wholesale is highly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience underwriting primary and ground-up, excess, layered, and shared property business.
- 5+ years in a senior leadership role managing underwriting teams and a P&L.
- Deep knowledge of property coverages, catastrophe exposures, modeling tools such as RMS and AIR/Verisk, and valuation practices.
- Strong understanding of reinsurance structures, including quota share, per-risk, and catastrophe XOL, and their effect on portfolio management.
- Proven track record of profitable growth and strong wholesale broker relationships.
- Bachelor's degree in business, finance, risk management, or a related field.
Nice To Haves
- CPCU, ARM, or other professional designation.
- Experience launching new products or building underwriting platforms.
- Familiarity with analytics-driven underwriting and portfolio management tools.
- MBA or advanced degree.
Responsibilities
- Own underwriting results, growth, and profitability, including premium, loss ratio, and expense targets.
- Develop and execute a multi-year strategy for product, geography, business classes, and wholesale distribution.
- Manage the portfolio mix across primary and ground-up, excess, layered, and shared structures, allocating capacity according to risk-adjusted returns.
- Manage rate adequacy, terms and conditions, and attachment points in response to market cycles.
- Establish underwriting guidelines, authority levels, and referral protocols for each placement structure.
- Oversee pricing, risk selection, and exposure management, including catastrophe-exposed zones such as wind, earthquake, convective storm, wildfire, and flood.
- Set line size and participation strategy for layered and shared programs, including position in the tower, attachment and exhaustion points, and alignment with other markets.
- Evaluate excess and layered exposures, including underlying limits, loss-sensitive terms, and drop-down and follow-form provisions.
- Partner with actuarial, catastrophe modeling, and reinsurance teams to manage aggregates, probable maximum losses, and capital usage.
- Review and approve large or complex accounts and maintain a hands-on technical presence.
- Build and maintain relationships with wholesale brokers and their retail partners; represent the company at industry events and with key trading partners.
- Identify new wholesale distribution opportunities and strategic relationships.
- Collaborate with Ceded Reinsurance on treaty structure, renewals, and reinsurer relationships, and align the portfolio with the reinsurance program.
- Recruit, develop, and retain underwriters, underwriting assistants, and leaders; foster accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Partner with Claims, Operations, Technology, Compliance, and Finance to improve workflow, data quality, and turnaround times.
- Ensure compliance with surplus lines regulations, filing requirements, and internal controls.
- Work with the Head of Marine and Property on divisional strategy, capital allocation, and cross-line portfolio management.
Benefits
- Full suite of medical benefits.
- Long-term financial incentives, including stock.
- 401(k) with 3.5% automatic, fully vested employer contributions.
- Competitive PTO and holiday program.
- Lifestyle spending allowance.
- Professional development assistance.
- Career exploration opportunities.
- Regular company-wide social events.
- Competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual long-term incentive stock grants.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
