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Underwriting Careers at Industry Leaders

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Divisional AVP - Underwriting

Great American Insurance Group

Great American Insurance Group

Washington, DC, USA
Posted on Wednesday, April 24, 2024

Be Here. Be Great. Working for a leader in the insurance industry means opportunity for you. Great American Insurance Group’s member companies are subsidiaries of American Financial Group. We combine a "small company" culture where your ideas will be heard with "big company" expertise to help you succeed. With over 30 specialty property and casualty operations, there are always opportunities here to learn and grow.

At Great American and Great American Custom, we value the unique perspective each of our employees bring to the workplace. We know that when people with different cultures, backgrounds and experiences work collaboratively, we can exceed our business objectives. We are dedicated to attracting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce that fosters creativity and enables our ongoing success.

Great American Custom, an underwriting division of Great American Insurance Group, dedicates itself to serving client needs and delivering outstanding service. We have made a name for ourselves as a full-service underwriting organization focused on long-term client relationships and customized business solutions. We specialize in providing primary casualty products as well as umbrella and capacity excess products that meet the needs of the commercial market. Our policy holders range from small businesses to complex multi-national corporations and Fortune 1000 accounts.

Excess Casualty Underwriting

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities

  • Responsible for activities and services of the department/area/territory, ensuring an efficient level of administration and that company standards and customer relationships are maintained.
  • Has accountability for the risk selection/rejection, pricing, retention, growth, and profitability (per divisional objectives) decisions made by members of the team/unit.
    • Empowers employees to use independent judgment and initiative to support business goals.
    • Oversees analysis of coverage and limit requests and decisions for what terms to offer.
    • Ensures business is priced in accordance with company guidelines.
    • Assesses risk quality and compliance within company guidelines and initiates appropriate loss prevention actions.
    • Ensures that appropriate reports are available, accessed, and appropriately used for rating and underwriting processes.
  • Oversees the development of productive agency plant(s)/territory(ies).
    • Accountable for the development of marketing plans for assigned territory(ies), taking into consideration the strengths and weaknesses of the agency plant(s) and competitors, divisional objectives, and overall market conditions.
    • Oversees staff in prospecting, appointing, and managing agency relationships and in achieving production and profitability objectives.
    • Oversees the development and execution of agency action plans for achieving individual agency objectives.
    • Ensures timely review and analysis of agents' production and loss results and that appropriate corrective measures, including modification or cancelation of agency appointments, are implemented.
    • Oversees resolution to problems between company and producer.
  • Oversees the responsibility for marketing company products and services to existing and prospect agencies.
    • Serves as a technical expert in and ensures staff is able to interpret and explain products, facilities, practices, and services.
    • Gathers, analyzes, and maintains competitive information. Makes appropriate recommendations based on competitive landscape.
  • Ensures that effective business relationships with internal and external customers/coworkers are developed and maintained in order to attract and retain profitable business.
  • Ensures adequate numbers of visits are conducted with agents, brokers, and producers in order to retain existing accounts, build and maintain business relationships, and develop new opportunities in support of divisional objectives.
    • Serves as a technical expert in interpreting, explaining, and marketing products and services.
    • Identifies opportunities for and may spearhead development of new business and/or programs.
  • Ensures the provision of excellent customer service. Develops and monitors management reports on service levels, activity, and customer experience. Works with other functional units to identify goals and strategies to optimize customer service and satisfaction.
  • Analyzes competitor’s actions, agents' activities, and market conditions and activities for opportunities. Develops and implements marketing plans to increase volume and profitability in support of divisional objectives.
  • Oversees and/or ensures the administration, application, and updates to underwriting rules and guidelines, rating manual rules, and insurance laws and regulations.
  • Analyzes quality and quantity of risks underwritten and prepares reports to communicate this information.
  • Responsible for performance and coaching of staff and decisions regarding talent selection, development, and performance management. Plans and ensures that the team meets budget and performance targets.
  • Ensures that department or functional area meets policies and procedures. Aligns business unit with business objectives.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.

Field of Study: Liberal Arts, Business or a related discipline.

Experience: Excess Casualty or Primary Casualty wholesale experience. Established relationships within the Excess Casualty wholesale space. Generally, ten or more years of related experience, including 4 or more years of leadership experience. Certification in area of expertise may be required; appropriate certifications could include Associate in Underwriting (AU), Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Program in General Insurance (INS) or Associate of Risk Management (ARM).

Company:

GAIC Great American Insurance Company


Salary Range:

$180,000.00 -$220,000.00

Benefits:

We offer competitive healthcare, retirement, and paid time off benefits for full-time and part-time benefit eligible employees.