AVP, Underwriting Director - E&S Casualty and Construction
Zurich is currently looking to hire an experienced E&S Construction & Casualty Director to join our growing E&S team in one of the following locations: New York, Rocky Hill, Atlanta, Scottsdale, Chicago, Schaumburg or Dallas! You will have the flexibility to work on a hybrid basis and partner with your manager to set a flexible 3 day in office work schedule that supports you, our customers, and our wholesale brokers. This role will require you to be visible in the marketplace to meet with strategic brokers nationally to drive growth with a focus on profitability.
Zurich E&S is dedicated 100% to a wholesale distribution model and a product and technology strategy designed to make Zurich a market leader in E&S as measured by gross written premium, profitability, and employee satisfaction!
What you can expect in an E&S Construction & Casualty Director Underwriting position at Zurich:
- Strong technical underwriting acumen across risk assessment, exposure evaluation, and pricing to generate and maintain a profitable book of packaged or monoline placements of new and renewal business with an understanding of the following disciplines:
- General Primary Casualty
- General Contractors
- Environmental & Energy Contractors
- Equipment Floaters
- Contractors Professional Liability
- Contractors Pollution Liability
- Supported and Unsupported Excess Liability
- Understanding and knowledge of the intent, scope and purpose of OCP’s, Owners Interest, CCIP, OCIP, and practice policies.
- Collaborate with Specialty Construction team representatives on business-related needs, as appropriate.
- You also will be responsible for portfolio management for E&S General Casualty primary and excess teams, primarily handling complex referrals across all casualty industry segments.
- Develop and maintain relationships with wholesale brokers proactively seeking new business opportunities and maintaining healthy renewal retention.
- Complete detailed opportunity assessment with key wholesale partners to identify growth opportunities.
- Qualify accounts that fit within the risk appetite by using a disciplined approach to evaluate exposures, risk assessment, and pricing for profitability.
- You will work collaboratively across business units including but not limited to; claims, finance, risk engineering, actuary, IT, and technical underwriting.
- You will be empowered to use your market facing, negotiation and interpersonal skills to grow and develop relationships with preferred wholesale distribution partners nationally.
- Administering and monitoring underwriting rules and guidelines, insurance laws, regulations, and rating manual rules, as required.
- Portfolio management to ensure proper distribution of risk and KPIs within core business strategy.
- Working within broad limits and authorities on highly complex assignments.
- Coaching, developing and empowering junior team members as needed.
AVP Underwriting Director 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’s Degree and 5 or more years of experience in the Underwriting or Market Facing area
OR - Zurich Certified Insurance Apprentice including an Associate’s Degree and 12 or more years of experience in the Claims or Underwriting Support area
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent years of E&S Commercial Insurance industry experience
- Technical knowledge of Excess and Primary Casualty Underwriting within the E&S space
- Multi-Line Package Background or Cross-Functional knowledge of other P&C lines
- Liability Portfolio Management
- Established wholesale broker relationships
- Creative problem-solving skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with an emphasis on collaboration in a team-based work environment.
Your pay at Zurich is based on your role, location, skills, and experience. We follow local laws to ensure fair compensation. You may also be eligible for bonuses and merit increases. If your expectations are above the listed range, we still encourage you to apply—your unique background matters to us. The pay range shown is a national average and may vary by location. The proposed salary range for this position is $130,000.00 - $215,000.00, with Global Specialty Incentive Plan bonus eligibility set at 40%.
We offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits for employees and their families. [Learn more about Total Rewards here.]
Why Zurich?
At Zurich, we value your ideas and experience. We offer growth, inclusion, and a supportive environment—so you can help shape the future of insurance. Zurich North America is a leader in risk management, with over 150 years of expertise and coverage across 25+ industries, including 90% of the Fortune 500®.
Join us for a brighter future—for yourself and our customers.
Zurich in North America does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer disability/vets.
Zurich complies with 18 U.S. Code § 1033.
Please note: Zurich does not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies. Preferred vendors should use our Recruiting Agency Portal.
Location(s): AM - Rocky Hill, AM - Addison, AM - Atlanta, AM - Chicago, AM - New York, AM - Schaumburg, AM - Scottsdale
Remote Working: Hybrid
Schedule: Full Time
Employment Sponsorship Offered: No
Linkedin Recruiter Tag: #LI-WL1 #LI-DIRECTOR #LI-HYBRID
Nearest Major Market: Hartford