Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist - Zurich E&S

Zurich Insurance Group•Chicago, NY

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Zurich is hiring an experienced E&S Excess Casualty Underwriter to join its growing Casualty team in Chicago, New York, Parsippany, or Atlanta. The role is hybrid, with a flexible work schedule set in partnership with the manager. It will be filled at either the Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist level, based on the selected applicant’s experience and skillset. Zurich E&S uses a 100% wholesale distribution model and a product and technology strategy intended to support growth, profitability, and employee satisfaction. The role develops broker and customer relationships across industries, evaluates risk and exposures, prices business, and builds a profitable portfolio of new and renewal business. It also collaborates with teams such as claims, finance, risk engineering, actuarial, and technical underwriting. The position serves as a customer industry advocate, uses risk insights, data, and models to support underwriting decisions, and contributes to market-facing production within Zurich E&S Casualty. It administers underwriting rules and guidelines, insurance laws and regulations, and rating manual rules; handles highly complex assignments within broad limits and authorities; and coaches, develops, and empowers junior team members.

Requirements

For the Underwriter level: High school diploma or equivalent and at least 1 year of experience in insurance or a market-facing area; alternatively, at least 2 years of experience in claims or underwriting support.
For the Underwriting Specialist level: High school diploma or equivalent and at least 3 years of experience in underwriting or a market-facing area; alternatively, at least 6 years of experience in claims or underwriting support.
For the Underwriting Specialist level, a Zurich Certified Insurance Apprentice with an associate degree and at least 1 year of underwriting or market-facing experience is also accepted; alternatively, the apprentice credential and associate degree with at least 4 years of claims or underwriting support experience.
Knowledge of the insurance industry and its legal and regulatory environment.
Knowledge of underwriting philosophy, techniques, and national and local filing regulations and guidelines.
For the Underwriting Specialist level, knowledge of lines of business and legal and regulatory guidelines.
For the Underwriting Specialist level, knowledge of time restraints for quotes on new and renewal business.
For the Underwriting Specialist level, experience with Microsoft Office.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain relationships with broker partners and customers across industries in support of business objectives.
Evaluate risks and exposures and price business to generate and maintain a profitable book of new and renewal business.
Collaborate with claims, finance, risk engineering, actuarial, and technical underwriting teams.
Build relationships with preferred distribution partners in an assigned territory using market-facing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
Advocate for customers by understanding their risks and offering suitable end-to-end insurance solutions.
Use risk insights, data, and models to inform decisions at the point of sale.
Conduct market-facing production within the Zurich E&S Casualty division.
Administer and monitor underwriting rules and guidelines, insurance laws and regulations, and rating manual rules.
Handle highly complex assignments within broad limits and authorities.
Coach, develop, and empower junior team members.