Underwriting Manager

SIAA•Knoxville, TN

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

SIAA Xchange, LLC (“Xchange”) was created to unlock smarter, faster, and more profitable access to over $17 billion in premium controlled by the SIAA network. As the embedded MGA and wholesale platform aligned with SIAA, we are more than just a distribution partner, we are building the infrastructure that transforms how carriers connect to the largest network of independent agencies in the country. Our goal is to provide markets with a direct, trusted, and efficient channel to profitable premium by solving real challenges agents face when placing business. SIAA Xchange is seeking an experienced Underwriting Manager to lead and scale underwriting operations across admitted, E&S, and delegated marketplace products. Reporting to the Chief Underwriting Officer, this role has direct accountability for underwriting performance across assigned product segments, including growth, profitability, hit ratio, retention, pricing adequacy, and loss performance. This is a hands-on leadership role responsible for managing underwriters and underwriting associates while maintaining personal involvement in select underwriting decisions. The Underwriting Manager translates underwriting strategy into disciplined execution, ensuring consistent risk selection, speed to quote, and alignment with carrier expectations. Unlike traditional carrier roles, this position operates at the intersection of underwriting, technology, and distribution, shaping how risks are evaluated, routed, and placed across a multi-carrier marketplace serving thousands of independent agencies.

Requirements

10+ years of commercial underwriting experience; E&S and/or delegated authority experience strongly preferred.
Prior experience managing underwriters or underwriting support staff.
Strong technical underwriting background in commercial property and casualty.
Demonstrated ability to manage underwriting performance at a portfolio level.
Deep knowledge of underwriting guidelines, pricing principles, coverage forms, and regulatory requirements.
Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with wholesale brokers, MGAs, or marketplace/distribution platforms preferred.
Professional designations (CPCU, AU, RPLU) preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead daily underwriting operations across programs, ensuring adherence to authority, guidelines, pricing discipline, and service standards.
Act as escalation point for complex or non-standard risks; provide peer review and final decisions within authority.
Maintain limited personal underwriting responsibilities as a player-coach.
Manage underwriting performance at a portfolio level and drive continuous improvement in decision quality and throughput.
Manage, coach, and develop a team of underwriters, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Own hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, and professional development.
Establish and monitor clear production, quality, and service expectations aligned with Xchange SLAs.
Conduct regular file reviews and audits to ensure underwriting quality, documentation standards, and compliance.
Serve as a primary underwriting contact for carrier partners, MGAs, and delegated authority providers.
Participate in carrier onboarding, audits, portfolio reviews, and product development discussions.
Support agent engagement by reinforcing underwriting appetite, decision rationale, and Xchange’s value proposition.
Monitor market conditions, competitive dynamics, and regulatory developments, sharing insights to inform underwriting strategy.
Partner cross-functionally with Technology, Operations, and Finance to enhance underwriting workflows and platform capabilities.
Contribute to the development and refinement of underwriting guidelines, rules engines, referral logic, and MarketAI decision support.
Support new product launches, market expansions, and pilot programs while maintaining underwriting discipline.