Vice President - E&S Brokerage - Excess

Skyward Specialty

8d•$235,000 - $270,000•Remote

About The Position

The Head of E&S Excess Liability Underwriting is a senior leadership role responsible for the strategy, profitability, and day-to-day management of Skyward's E&S Brokerage Excess Liability book. You will lead a team of 7 underwriters, reporting directly to the President of E&S Property & Casualty and Inland Marine. This is a player-coach role — you will set the underwriting vision and drive profitable growth while remaining hands-on with complex accounts, coverage structure, and broker relationships across a diverse range of challenging commercial risks.

Requirements

10+ years of E&S or specialty casualty/excess liability underwriting experience, with meaningful time in a wholesale/non-admitted environment
Prior leadership experience managing underwriting teams; comfortable operating as both a strategic leader and technical contributor
Demonstrated track record of building or managing a profitable excess liability book across a diverse commercial class mix
Deep knowledge of commercial excess and umbrella underwriting, including attachment point analysis, underlying policy review, and coverage gap identification
Strong command of coverage structure for both occurrence and claims-made underlying policies
Familiarity with ISO and proprietary excess forms across multiple lines
Experience underwriting a diverse class mix including contractors, habitational, amusement, and new ventures
Ability to evaluate underlying carrier quality and program structure for risks with non-standard primary placements
Strong communicator and relationship builder — credible with wholesale brokers and internal executive stakeholders alike
Data-driven decision-maker with the ability to translate portfolio analytics into underwriting strategy
High accountability orientation; comfortable owning results and making difficult calls on appetite and pricing
Collaborative and team-oriented, with genuine investment in developing underwriting talent

Responsibilities

Own the underwriting direction, risk appetite, and portfolio composition of the E&S Excess Liability book, spanning contractors, manufacturers/distributors, industrial and commercial, LRO, mercantile, amusement, entertainment, equipment rental, new ventures, and unique/unusual accounts
Set and enforce underwriting standards, attachment point discipline, coverage structure guidelines, and pricing parameters consistent with the book's profitability objectives
Lead complex and large-account underwriting decisions; serve as the technical authority and escalation point for the team
Maintain clear appetite boundaries — avoid invasive medical, NY Labor Law exposure, and accounts that belong in the standard market
Structure layered excess solutions above both occurrence and claims-made underlying policies with discipline around underlying carrier quality (AM Best B+ VII or better)
Monitor and actively manage loss ratios, combined ratios, and portfolio trends by class and segment; take corrective action when performance deteriorates
Partner with actuarial and finance on pricing adequacy, rate monitoring, and reserving inputs for an excess book
Track submission flow, hit ratios, and renewal retention to identify where the book is healthy and where it needs recalibration
Manage premium concentration by class and ensure the portfolio is not over-indexed to any single segment or industry
Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 7 excess liability underwriters across experience levels
Establish clear performance expectations, accountability frameworks, and a culture of sound underwriting judgment
Recruit and retain underwriting talent; build bench strength as the book grows
Create a team environment that rewards technical rigor, coverage sophistication, and strong broker responsiveness
Cultivate and deepen relationships with key wholesale broker partners; serve as a senior point of contact for strategic accounts
Collaborate with production and distribution leadership to identify appetite expansion opportunities and address gaps
Represent Skyward at industry events, broker meetings, and wholesale market forums
Work closely with claims, actuarial, legal, and product teams to ensure the excess book is supported end-to-end
Provide competitive intelligence and market feedback to inform product and pricing strategy
Partner with technology and operations to improve submission handling, underlying policy verification, and underwriting workflow efficiency