Underwriting Manager

Venture Insurance Programs has been a pioneer in the underwriting, design, administration, and marketing of insurance programs to select niche industries. Since 1993, Venture has developed and maintained the blueprint for successful operations within the Program Administration space.

At Venture, we focus on creating an environment where our employees can thrive, creating professional growth opportunities across all aspects of our business model.

Owns the underwriting discipline that drives the ultimate profitability of the Program. The Underwriting Manager is accountable for ensuring that every risk bound by the Program reflects sound risk selection, defensible pricing, and strict adherence to carrier underwriting guidelines and Venture's delegated authority — and for building an underwriting team capable of sustaining that standard. Provides leadership and day-to-day management of the Program's Underwriting Team, with mentorship, coaching, and structured development of Underwriters as a core responsibility rather than a secondary duty.

Maintains strong relationships, alongside the CEO/CFO, with carriers and other external business partners, and works with the Operations Team to evaluate workflow and processes that support continuous improvement, strong underwriting practices, and a high level of service to the Program's clients.

• Sets and enforces the Program's standards for risk selection, pricing, and file documentation (in accordance with Venture Operational standards), ensuring every bound risk falls within carrier program guidelines and Venture's delegated underwriting authority — or is properly referred to the carrier before binding.
• Maintains referral discipline by ensuring risks outside guidelines, authority, or appetite are identified early and referred to the carrier with complete submissions that support timely carrier decisions.
• Requires thorough, objective underwriting documentation that supports the risk assessment performed, the pricing basis, and applicable guideline provisions, ensuring every file is audit ready.
• Leads or assists in internal underwriting file audits, communicates results to the Underwriting team, and Executive Management, and tracks corrective actions through closure.
• Guards against guideline drift by reinforcing consistent application of eligibility rules, coverage limits, exclusions, and pricing across all Underwriters and all accounts.
• Partners with the Claims Manager, CFO and Business Analytics to identify loss trends, frequency patterns, and large losses, and translate those findings into underwriting action plans — both account-specific and program-wide.
• Monitors rate adequacy, exposure mix, and pricing trends alongside Executive Management, and participate in the ongoing evaluation of underwriting guidelines, coverage forms, and pricing to keep the Program efficient, effective, and profitable.
• Responsible for in-depth review of all aspects of Underwriting and Compliance Audits in compliance with Venture's quality control processes.
• Provides day-to-day management of the Program's Underwriting Team, including performance management, appraisals, and compensation recommendations.
• Mentors each Underwriter through regular file review sessions, side-by-side coaching on complex or borderline risks, and documented development plans with clear technical milestones.
• Builds technical depth across the team through structured training on coverage forms, underwriting guidelines, risk assessment techniques, and carrier expectations, including a defined onboarding path for new Underwriters.
• Uses audit findings and claim outcomes as teaching tools — delivering feedback constructively, addressing both strong performance and shortfalls candidly, and converting recurring findings into team-wide training.
• Develops bench strength by creating a clear progression path from entry-level through senior Underwriter while identifying and developing future underwriting leaders.
• Supports the staffing plan with Executive Management, including new positions and the training and development of current staff in support of annual revenue growth…