Director - Underwriting Commercial Lines

You spend at least a third of your day at your job. You might as well spend it doing something you really love while working with a team you really enjoy being with, right? That’s the kind of atmosphere we offer at Pekin Insurance—fun, fast-paced, gratifying, supportive, and collaborative.

Of course, it’s not all fun and games. Insurance is a serious business, and we pride ourselves on making people’s lives whole again after a major disaster or even a fender bender. It’s that sense of helping people that makes our team want to do our best every day.

If you want to be excited about starting your workday and are ready to make a real difference in people’s lives, this could be the right spot for you.

See what Pekin Insurance has to offer by viewing a short video here.

Position Overview

The Director of Commercial Lines Operations is responsible for the management of the underwriting support operations of the Commercial Lines department. The Director will provide leadership and direction, manage assigned departmental objectives, oversee assigned staffing and expenses, ensure development and engagement of employees, and direct implementation for long-term strategic needs and objectives.

Essential Job Functions

• Provides management to the Commercial Lines underwriting functions
• Provides daily leadership, coaching, and feedback to direct reports which includes but is not limited to performance management, employee relations, creating development plans, and achievement of profitable growth goals
• Serves as a role model and change champion, developing strong teams to maximize resources and capability to deliver business results
• Supports the department’s mission through development of the team’s standard operating procedures, workflows, and underwriting guidelines
• Provides advice and counsel to the Commercial Lines Underwriting department leadership concerning underwriting results operations
• Oversees the evaluation of the Underwriting appetite for potential opportunities and threats
• Establishes measurable individual and team objectives that are aligned with business and organizational goals
• Oversees the execution of multiple large and complex plans and projects aimed to achieve strategic goals for one or more functional areas
• Actively participates in establishing the agenda for future projects or coverage offerings
• Engages key stakeholders to proactively support strategic initiatives and department objectives
• Contributes to disaster recovery and business continuity plans and procedures for assigned departmental functions
  
  

Required

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in business-related field
• Typically requires 8 years of experience pertaining to departmental functions
• Typically requires 6 years of experience leading and managing teams
  
  

Preferred Or Specialized

• Master’s Degree in business-related field preferred
  
  

Certifications & Licenses

• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation required
• Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Associate in Risk Management-ERM (ARM-E), and Associate in Commercial Underwriting-Management (AU-M) designations preferred
  
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Demonstrated skill in:

• Personnel resources management through motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job
• Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Talking to others to convey information effectively
• Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
  
  

Demonstrated Ability To

• Manage a budget and work within the constraints of that budget
• Persuade and influence others
• Process and handle confidential information with discretion
• Work evenings, nights, and weekends as necessary
• Build client relationships
• Be flexible/adaptable based on corporate strategic plans
• Handle difficult and stressful situations with professional composure
• Maintain effective interpersonal relationships
• Exercise sound judgement in making critical decisions
  
  

Demonstrated Knowledge Of

• Underwriting, IT, and Sales departments to work together to achieve company growth and profit goals
• Project control and cost estimating techniques
• Project planning and implementation
  
  

Salary Range

• $130,000 - $160,000 per year
• This range is based on the expected level of experience and skills for this position. Final compensation will depend on individual qualifications.
• This position is bonus eligible
  

Benefits

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Generous 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off (PTO) with Paid Holidays
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule
• Paid Volunteer Program
  
  

     

For more information about the benefits we offer, please visit our Careers Page.