Senior Underwriter

Vela Insurance Services (A W. R. Berkley Company) - Atlanta, GA

Full-time - Senior

Atlanta, GA

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities

About the position

The Senior Underwriter at Vela Insurance Services plays a crucial role as a senior individual contributor responsible for both underwriting and the mentorship of underwriting analysts. This position is focused on developing new business underwriting skills while ensuring the evaluation, selection, and pricing of risks align with the company's underwriting guidelines and procedures. The primary focus will be on non-admitted General Liability for small business contractors and owners' interest risks. The Senior Underwriter will manage and maintain strong relationships with wholesale brokers, ensuring that production, profitability, and service standards are met and maintained. In this role, the Senior Underwriter will work closely with management to coordinate the training and development of existing underwriting analysts as they transition into full-time new business underwriting roles. This includes educating team members on best practices for risk selection and defensive underwriting strategies. The Senior Underwriter will also be responsible for gathering underwriting information to evaluate commercial risks for acceptability within company guidelines, underwrite for profit, and determine final coverages and pricing for commercial risks. Additionally, the Senior Underwriter will review claims and loss information on individual risks to identify and re-evaluate accounts, developing strategies for managing exposures and frequency issues. Working alongside the Manager, the Senior Underwriter will manage portfolio profitability and identify favorable and unfavorable classes of business. The role requires maintaining quality and time standards as established, staying informed about industry issues through formal educational processes, and identifying and cultivating brokers with new business opportunities. Regular and predictable attendance is essential, and the Senior Underwriter may be assigned other duties as needed.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and maintain risk acceptability and profitability within the company's underwriting guidelines for commercial risks.
• Manage and maintain good relationships with wholesale brokers.
• Meet and maintain production, profitability, and service standards established for the company.
• Coordinate training and development of underwriting analysts transitioning into new business underwriting roles.
• Educate team members on best practices for risk selection and defensive underwriting strategies.
• Transfer knowledge regarding effective relationship building strategies for new broker relationships.
• Gather underwriting information to evaluate commercial risks for acceptability within company guidelines.
• Underwrite for profit and determine final coverages and pricing for commercial risks.
• Review claims and loss information on individual risks to identify and re-evaluate accounts.
• Manage portfolio profitability and identify favorable and unfavorable classes of business.
• Maintain quality and time standards as established.
• Stay informed about industry issues and activities to develop underwriting skills.
• Identify and cultivate brokers with new business opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Four (4) year College Degree or equivalent experience and training.
• CPCU and/or other professional designations preferred.
• Minimum of 5+ years of commercial lines underwriting experience.
• Strong experience in Excess & Surplus Lines and Wholesale Brokerage Distribution.
• Knowledge of writing small business accounts.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation plan
• Robust benefits package for full-time regular employees