Vice President, Operational Excellence - Optimization and Transformation

Specialty Program Group (SPG) is the wholesale & MGA division of HUB International. SPG acts in a holding company capacity acquiring best in class underwriting businesses to operate independently under distinct brands (portfolio companies).

We are building a best-in-class operations and underwriting platform that enables our portfolio companies to scale efficiently while maintaining operational excellence.

Position: Vice President, Operational Excellence - Optimization and Transformation

Position Overview

We are seeking a strategic transformation leader to drive enterprise-wide operational improvements across our portfolio of insurance entities. This is a strategy and design role focused on identifying opportunities, designing solutions, standardizing processes, and building capabilities that scale across the organization.

Responsibilities:

• Develop multi-year operational transformation roadmaps that drive expense reduction through process optimization and automation enablement.
• Conduct cost analysis of service and transaction capabilities to identify cost drivers and quantify optimization opportunities at the transaction and capability level.
• Identify and quantify improvement opportunities across underwriting, sales, claims, operations, and customer service.
• In partnership with divisional leaders design new operating models that optimize organizational structure, service delivery approach, and resource allocation across portfolio companies.
• Develop automation strategies for high-volume transactional work including surplus lines tax filing, E&S compliance processing, and policy administration.
• Design and implement standardized processes for core operations and underwriting functions deployable across business units.
• Lead platform training strategy for operations and underwriting systems—develop curricula, materials, certification programs, and train-the-trainer models.
• Implement Lean Six Sigma methodologies and continuous improvement programs.
• Partner with VP Digital Strategy to align operational and digital transformation initiatives.
• Establish and lead Operations Excellence Council to drive alignment and share best practices.
• Design KPI frameworks and dashboards to measure efficiency, quality, and cost reduction.
• Build and mentor a team of transformation specialists, process improvement experts, and training designers.

Experience

• 12+ years in P&C insurance operations (underwriting, policy administration, claims, customer service)
• 5+ years leading operational transformation or process improvement.
• Proven history delivering expense takeout through optimization and automation.
• Experience conducting cost analysis at transaction and capability level, including activity-based costing, time studies, and cost allocation methodologies.
• Experience transitioning siloed operations to shared services or centralized models while maintaining specialty expertise.
• Experience implementing automation solutions that eliminate manual processing in high-volume transaction environments.
• Experience designing standardized processes and training programs for insurance platforms.
• Background in surplus lines operations, compliance automation, or E&S wholesale operations preferred.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor's degree required, Business Administration
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt highly preferred.
• Change management or training certifications a plus.

Technical Skills

• Expert knowledge of P&C insurance operations, systems, and workflows
• Deep understanding of insurance platforms (Duck Creek, Guidewire, Applied Epic, AIM, ImageRight, etc.) and their training requirements.
• Knowledge of surplus lines regulations, stamping service requirements, and E&S compliance workflows
• Experience with RPA, AI-enabled automation, or intelligent document processing solutions
• Familiarity with AMS systems consolidation and data migration strategies
• Strong proficiency in Lean, Six Sigma, business process management
• Advanced analytical skills: financial modeling, business case development, ROI analysis, cost-benefit analysis
• Experience with cost assessment methodologies including activity-based costing, unit cost analysis, and service delivery cost modeling.
• Experience with instructional design and adult learning principles

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking with ability to identify and quantify cost reduction opportunities.
• Process design expertise for standardized, scalable workflows.
• Ability to balance standardization with business unit autonomy