Manager, Underwriting

BITCO Corporation, a leading provider of specialized insurance solutions is seeking a Manager, Underwriting for our regional office located in Pasadena CA. With a strong national presence and 11 branch offices in 10 states, BITCO delivers tailored insurance services to specialized industries including construction, forest products and oil & gas.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement with required business travel to BITCO office locations and customer offices

Position Summary :

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Underwriting Manager to lead and elevate the performance of our branch underwriting team. In this role, you will oversee day-to-day underwriting operations, ensuring the highest standards of quality, efficiency, and technical excellence while driving profitable growth across an assigned territory. You’ll play a key leadership role, coaching and developing staff, managing agency relationships, and making critical decisions on complex and high-value risks. This position is ideal for a strategic thinker who combines deep underwriting expertise with strong leadership, sales acumen, and a commitment to delivering exceptional service and results.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Directs and supervises underwriting activities of Underwriting staff, including the quality, quantity and timeliness of work
• Maintains current company and department procedures. Assigns work, provides training and feedback to team members, and conducts timely and appropriate evaluations of job performance in the department
• Underwrites or provides assistance in underwriting large or unusual risks which require a high level of technical knowledge and skill in product and industry
• Conducts reviews of underwriting files
• Assists branch manager with various projects as needed
• Decides whether to accept, decline or modify applications or requests to sell an insurance policy and once sold, recognizing and evaluating exposure changes as they occur during a policy period and including an understanding of the company's target programs and coverage
• Evaluates, quotes and negotiates prices on applications from new and renewal customers and requests for changes in policies which requires an understanding of statutory requirements, ISO, company and NCCI coverage forms and endorsements and commercial line reference manuals, including Best’s Underwriting Guide
• Demonstrates consistently above average proficiency in recognizing key underwriting issues and taking appropriate action on developed information
• Manages a group of agencies, including prospecting for new agencies, agency appointment, growth and development, maximization of agency profit sharing opportunities and credit management; evaluating agency factors, including agency personnel, line diversification, loss ratio, agency book of business, volume and profit potential and which agencies to appoint or terminate
• Travel as necessary to perform sales and marketing activities, maintain territory, attend meetings, or for other reasons deemed necessary to fulfill position requirements
• Solicit new business and retain renewal business through effective presentations to agency and customer audiences
• Manages and develops business in an assigned territory, including achieving profitable underwriting results, sales development and customer service functions
• Formulates, plans and achieves sales budgets, with objectives to support business planning, for assigned accounts and territory, including setting and achieving premium and loss ratio goals, agency and prospecting calls and business forecasting
• Working with a structured referral process, maintains, promotes and increases profitable sales from current and prospective customer accounts through, among other activities, regular agency visits, developing agency relationships and agency reviews
• Makes decisions within stated levels of authority and company guidelines, seeks exceptions to guidelines as needed when supported by appropriate data
• Identifies and takes appropriate action on changes in customer operations or financial conditions
• Participate in complex research, analysis or development projects requiring advanced skills as assigned directly from home office underwriting
• Maintains and promotes profitable business relationsh