Director - Underwriting, Personal Lines
About this role
This is a remote role.
The ideal candidate will have:
Demonstrated personal lines underwriting leadership experience, with a strong understanding of underwriting operations, risk selection, portfolio management, agency relationships, and profit-driven decision making.
Proven ability to translate strategy into execution, leading teams through organizational change while driving accountability, engagement, and measurable business results.
Strong people leadership experience, including coaching leaders, building high-performing teams, developing talent, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
Experience building and maintaining strategic relationships with agents, sales partners, and cross-functional stakeholders, with a customer-focused approach to influencing outcomes and enhancing the agent experience.
Demonstrated success leading large initiatives, modernization efforts, organizational design changes, or process improvements, coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to identify opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and drive innovation.
Preferred:
Experience in agency, carrier, broker, or client-facing insurance environments, with the ability to influence partners, navigate complex relationships, and serve as a trusted underwriting consultant.
Experience leading teams through transformation, change management, or underwriting modernization initiatives.
Job Description Summary
Success on our team requires a blend of customer service skill and analytical prowess. Each account we work on is interesting and challenging. Satisfaction comes from finding solutions that provide the best coverage and give our partner agents a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. If you are adaptable, responsive, love customers and really want to make a difference, we want to hear from you!As the Director, we'll count on you to drives profitable underwriting results through leadership, development and engagement for an assigned PL underwriting unit. You'll direct resources to deliver quality, timely underwriting decisions in support of the business, producers and members. You'll be key to proactively identify issues, ideas and make recommendations to profitably grow the business. You will also be responsible for planning, budgeting and reporting.
Job Description
Key Responsibilities:
Establishes research objectives and practice standards for the department. Ensures that methodologies and outcomes meet business and strategic objectives. Identifies research projects and may lead large research initiatives.
Leads identification of organizational needs that require analysis and directs department in completion. Sets expectations and standards of practice for analysis of underwriting rules and other processes. Ensures compliance to legal requirements and ensures alignment with organizational, business and strategic objectives.
Determines priorities and ensures adherence to workflow standards for the unit. Monitors and manages performance measurements to ensure effectiveness of the department's service delivery process. Effectively aligns organizational structure to drive business needs.
Responsible for directing the management of multi-line underwriting teams in support of personal lines products. Directs the alignment of underwriting execution based on underwriting strategy, objectives and goals. Provides recommendations to leadership regarding underwriting strategy and opportunity. Measures and manages underwriting effectiveness and overall quality assessment. Responsible for PL Underwriting decisions related to the agencies portfolio.
Translates strategic plans into organizational direction. Creates business plans, goals, budget and timelines aligned with company standards. Directs associates and provides performance management, salary planning and administration, organizational planning, hiring and placement, and disciplinary actions.
Consults with all levels of internal and external partners regarding underwriting policy and practice. Provides input into strategic and business plans and helps identify operational opportunities and efficiencies.
Communicates strategic direction, operational decisions and underwriting perspective to underwriting unit and internal and external partners.
Develops effective internal and external collaborative partnerships across all related functions, including: Claims, Sales, Product, IT, vendors, DOI, etc. to understand business developments and helps meet business needs.
Responsible for a high level of service to all customers and partners. Responds to escalated issues from internal and external partners. Drives customer service performance to established standards.
Determines and ensures delivery of training and development based on individual and department needs. Coaches, develops and provides feedback to associates. Directs development and delivery of education for internal and external partners and key organizational groups regarding underwriting practice, goals and strategies.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.
Reporting Relationships: Reports to Sr. Underwriting Leadership. Direct reports include multiple PL Underwriting Managers for assigned states.
Typical Skills and Experiences:
Education: Bachelor's degree and pursuit of continued education desired. Masters in business or a related field is preferred.
License/Certification/Designation: Completion of technical insurance coursework such as CPCU preferred.
Experience: Eight years underwriting, customer service or related experience. Significant business management and people leadership experience desired.
Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Detailed knowledge of personal lines insurance products, state regulations, management techniques, underwriting policies, procedures and best practices. Familiarity with other lines of business. Strong knowledge of company operations, financials, trend analysis and competitor data to drive underwriting performance. Ability to set strategic goals and priorities. Demonstrated decision-making ability required in day-to-day operations. Ability to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding customer service, work processing, underwriting selection, and best practices compliance. Ability to reach a solution in situations where there may be multiple options or competing priorities. Strong analytical skills and drive for results. Skilled communicator with strong people leadership, engagement and development skills. Possess the ability to manage matrix relationships with regional, product and service center leadership; and to partner with sales and regional leadership in cooperative efforts to meet business objectives.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.
Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resource Business Partner.
Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates Nationwide Values.
Job Conditions:
Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)
Working Conditions: Normal office environment. Occasional travel may be required to visit agencies or attend meetings. Extended or non-standard work hours as required to meet business need.
ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.
We currently anticipate accepting applications until 09/11/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.Benefits
We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision,life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer,click here.
Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.
This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov)
NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:
We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.
pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.The national salary range for Director, Underwriting - Personal Lines : $122,000.00-$214,000.00The expected starting salary range for Director, Underwriting - Personal Lines : $122,000.00 - $182,000.00Originally posted on Himalayas