National Accounts Casualty Underwriting Manager (AVP or VP)

Zurich North America is currently looking for an experienced National Accounts Casualty Underwriting Manager for our Los Angeles Region. This position will be based in our Los Angeles Office. The National Accounts Casualty Underwriting Manager will be responsible for developing and driving the success of our Large Casualty book of business. This is a critical leadership position, and we are looking for a strong market leader that will manage the LA Region’s financial plan, growth strategy, cultivate client and broker relationships, retention and managing the overall health of our P&L. 
 
Responsibilities Include:  
  

• Establishing key performance targets and financial budgets to optimize business performance in line with underwriting objectives to meet or exceed the financial plan with a focus on rate and retention for Large Casualty National Accounts in the LA Region 

• Managing and mentoring a team of underwriters by acting as a technical resource and shepherding the referral process 

• Helping the team manage the new business pipeline 

• Managing relationships with key internal stakeholders to identify opportunities for service improvement to ensure commercial viability and customer satisfaction 

• Participating in leadership team meetings to provide specialist guidance and enable the implementation of policies, projects and change initiatives to produce profitable results 

• Contributing to the business strategy to align underwriting strategy with wider business goals 

• Overseeing development plans for underwriters to ensure the capability exists to drive business results 

• Recommending and implementing action plans after reviewing broker book of business profit, growth results and trends 

• Developing and maintaining relationships with distributors (agents and brokers) in support of business retention and new business and work with customers and distributors (agents and brokers) to determine their insurance-related needs and provide solutions  

This role will be filled at either the National Accounts Casualty Underwriting Manager (AVP or VP) level. The hiring manager will determine the appropriate level based upon the selected applicant’s experience and skill set relative to the qualifications listed for this position. 

AVP Level Required Qualifications: 

• High School Diploma or Equivalent and 7 or more years of experience in the Underwriting or Market Facing area. 
  OR 

• High School Diploma or Equivalent and 14 or more years of experience in the Claims or Underwriting Support area 
  OR 

• Zurich Certified Insurance Apprentice including an associate degree and 5 or more years of experience in the Underwriting or Market Facing area 
  AND 

• 2 or more years of management experience 

OR 

VP Level Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree and 10 or more years of experience in the Underwriting, Market Facing, Broker, Carrier, or Risk Management area within the Commercial Insurance industry 
  OR 

• Bachelor’s Degree with 20 or more years of experience in Claims or Underwriting Support area within the Commercial Insurance industry 
  AND 

• Experience in Large Casualty Lines of Business 

• 2 or more years of people management experience 

Preferred Qualifications:  
  

• Advanced knowledge and practice of Large Casualty lines of business 

• Advanced knowledge of Loss Sensitive Plans, including SIRs, retros and deductibles 

• Strong managerial, team building, collaboration and organizational skills 

• Established broker relationships in the region 

• Strong relationship, presentation skills, negotiation and leadership skills 

• Ability to interact with the C-Suite 

• Knowledge in risk selection and assessment, along with the ability to manage complex portfolios 

• Technical knowledge of insurance industry operations and processes 

• Knowledge of loss trends, triangles and ratemaking 

• Bachelor's degree