VP, Underwriter- Casualty

Description

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary owner of assigned programs, maintaining a thorough understanding of program economics, capacity utilization, rate adequacy, contract requirements, operational issues, and key performance drivers.
• Manage an assigned portfolio of casualty insurance programs to ensure alignment with company strategic objectives, profitability expectations, and risk appetite.
• Continuously evaluate portfolio performance by monitoring actual versus expected results and identifying emerging trends, opportunities, and areas of concern.
• Independently analyze large and complex data sets, including bordereaux, premium and claims data, contract terms, and portfolio performance metrics, and translate findings into actionable underwriting and business recommendations.
• Develop and implement corrective action plans to address adverse performance trends and monitor results to ensure effectiveness.
• Independently manage assigned workstreams from identification through resolution, proactively communicating risks, obstacles, and delays, while driving work to completion with minimal supervision.
• Review and evaluate underwriting referrals, ensuring risks remain within approved underwriting authority, contractual guidelines, and reinsurance tolerances.
• Review premium, claims, and operational bordereaux to ensure consistency with contractual requirements and underwriting expectations.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate portfolio risks through ongoing monitoring of:
  • Premium growth and retention
  • Loss ratio and underwriting performance
  • Rate achievement
  • Premium caps
  • Underwriting authority compliance
• Maintain a thorough understanding of assigned lines of business, competitive market conditions, regulatory developments, and industry trends.
• Utilize Power BI, reporting tools, and portfolio analytics to monitor key performance indicators and communicate actionable insights to leadership.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Actuarial, Claims, Ceded Re, Finance, Operations, and other functional areas to support program oversight, performance management, and strategic initiatives.
• Maintain strong relationships with program administrators and other external stakeholders, balancing partnership objectives with disciplined risk management.
• Ensure all assigned programs operate in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, company policies, underwriting guidelines, delegated authority requirements, and contractual obligations.
• Maintain current Program Administration Agreements (PAAs), contract addenda, and related documentation to ensure alignment with reinsurance agreements and business requirements.
• Maintain contract tracking systems and ensure complete, accurate, and audit-ready documentation is retained within designated company repositories.
• Support new business opportunities and strategic initiatives as directed by the Chief Underwriting Officer, including serving as the internal subject matter expert for assigned opportunities.
• Participate in due diligence reviews for prospective programs, including underwriting, actuarial, claims, financial, operational, compliance, legal, and regulatory assessments.
• Prepare reports, presentations, committee materials, and portfolio analyses for senior management and underwriting committees.
• Provide recommendations regarding underwriting processes, portfolio management practices, and operational improvements.
• Mentor and develop junior underwriting staff and provide technical guidance as appropriate.
• Complete special projects and additional duties as assigned.

Skills & Experience

• Advanced financial and actuarial acumen, including an understanding of loss trends, reserving considerations, profitability metrics, and portfolio performance analysis.
• Demonstrated success managing insurance program portfolios and delivering profitable underwriting results.
•  Demonstrated ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgment, identify and analyze issues, draw data-supported conclusions, recommend corrective actions, proactively communicate risks, manage competing priorities, and drive deliverables to successful completion with minimal supervision. 
• Advanced Excel and data analytics skills, including the ability to manipulate, reconcile, summarize, and analyze large data sets using pivot tables, lookup functions, formulas, and other analytical tools to perform portfolio, pricing, profitability, capacity utilization, performance, and bordereaux analyses. 
• Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and consistently delivers high-quality work under competing deadlines
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment, with regular attendance in the New York office (3 days per week).

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Business, Finance, Economics, Risk Management, or a related field.
• CPCU or comparable professional insurance designation preferred.
• 15+ years of commercial casualty insurance experience, with a proven track record of profitable portfolio management; program business experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience independently analyzing portfolio performance, profitability, pricing adequacy, capacity utilization, bordereaux data, underwriting results, and other key business metrics using large data sets, reporting tools, and analytics to drive underwriting decisions and portfolio strategy.
• Experience working collaboratively with actuarial, claims, finance, compliance, legal, and operational teams.