Financial Lines Technical Underwriting Director

Zurich North America (ZNA) is seeking a Financial Lines Technical Underwriting Director for Zurich E&S, ZNA’s independent business division servicing the excess and surplus lines industry. The Financial Lines Technical Underwriting Director is a new position that will be responsible for the development and implementation of underwriting rules, guidelines and products to support Zurich E&S financial lines offerings: Public and Private Management Liability, Employment Practices Liability Miscellaneous Errors and Omissions, Cyber and supporting lines. This role will monitor market trends for profitability indicators and emerging issues and ensure the financial lines offerings remain current and appropriate to the customer segments served by the E&S unit.

The role will be responsible for recommending and developing underwriting rules and guidelines including identifying opportunities to leverage objective data points as drivers of risk selection, coverage and terms. The role will work with the Head of E&S, Head of Underwriting and Head of E&S Financial Lines in identifying opportunities to define appetite supported by market sizing and profitability assessments, and to identify opportunities for corrective actions to enhance profitability. The position will also work with the Product Development team as an SME in the development of new standard or bespoke coverages. As part of the product development process, the role will collaborate with actuaries to ensure product changes are appropriately reflected in rating plans. The role will also assist in the identification and development of reporting capabilities to support monitoring of portfolio KPI’s and insights and report regularly to the line of business management team. Lastly, the role will provide training to underwriting teams on new products or processes and well as participate in ongoing Quality Assurance reviews. We are looking for a leader with strong influencing and leadership skills and the ability to cultivate portfolio insights and actionable underwriting plans.

The new position reports to the Head of Underwriting E&S and will be located in Chicago, IL, Schaumburg, IL or New York, NY. Flexible work arrangements may be available. Some travel may be required.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree and 8 or more years of experience in the Underwriting area
  OR
• High School Diploma or Equivalent and 10 or more years of experience in the Underwriting area

Preferred Qualifications:

• CPCU
• Advanced knowledge of line/s of business and the legal and regulatory environment
• Strong listening, verbal and written communication skills
• 10 or more years of financial lines underwriting, product or portfolio management experience
• Extensive knowledge of surplus lines markets and products
• Experience across an array of risk segments including large and mid-sized risks, as well as underwriting knowledge of both primary and excess coverage and deal structures.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting underwriting guidelines that align with business unit strategy objectives as well as business unit and corporate risk tolerances
• Demonstrated ability to leverage data and technology to drive underwriting outcomes
• Expertise in product forms, coverage and manuscripting
• Experience in identifying emerging risks and trends
• Excellent communications skills and a demonstrated ability to translate complex underwriting concepts into actionable protocols and processes
• Ability to conduct market research including knowledge of reliable tools and resources
• Strong portfolio management skills and a demonstrated track record of strong underwriting performance in casualty

At Zurich, compensation for roles is influenced by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. In compliance with local laws, Zurich commits to providing a fair and reasonable compensation range for each role. For more information about our Total Rewards, please click here. Additional rewards may encompass short-term incentive bonuses and merit increases. We encourage candidates with salary expectations beyond the provided range to apply as they will be considered based on their experience, skills, and education. 

The compensation indicated represents a nationwide market range and has not been adjusted for geographic differentials pertaining to the location where the position may be filled. The proposed salary range for this position is $130,00