Director of Underwriting, Educational Institutions

At Utica National, specialization allows us to better understand the businesses and organizations we protect. Our Educational Institutions Unit brings focused underwriting expertise and insurance solutions to the unique risks facing educational organizations.

We're seeking an experienced Director of Underwriting to lead underwriting for this important specialty business. In this role, you'll combine technical underwriting leadership, portfolio management, people development, and agency partnership to drive profitable growth and strong underwriting results.

You'll work closely with the Educational Institutions business leadership and agency partners to continually refine our underwriting approach, respond to an evolving marketplace, develop underwriting talent, and deliver an exceptional experience to the agents and educational institutions we serve.

As Director of Underwriting for our Educational Institutions Unit, you will:

• Lead underwriting operations for the Educational Institutions business segment.
• Provide technical direction and oversight for risk selection, pricing, coverage, and underwriting decisions.
• Maintain strong underwriting quality through ongoing review and quality control.
• Monitor portfolio and loss performance and take appropriate underwriting actions to improve results.
• Evaluate changes in rates, coverages, rules, regulations, and other market factors and translate them into appropriate underwriting actions.
• Recommend changes to underwriting practices and strategies based on portfolio results and emerging trends.

• Lead, coach, and develop underwriting professionals supporting the Educational Institutions portfolio.
• Establish clear expectations while promoting strong technical underwriting practices and sound decision-making.
• Identify development opportunities and provide training, coaching, and technical guidance.
• Support talent selection, performance management, career development, and succession planning within the team.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with agency partners serving the educational institutions marketplace.
• Partner with Sales and Marketing to support profitable new business opportunities and retention.
• Provide underwriting leadership and expertise during key agency meetings and business reviews.
• Ensure underwriting strategies and service practices support a strong agency experience.
• Partner with Educational Institutions business leadership to continually improve workflows, service, and underwriting effectiveness.
• Analyze loss experience and portfolio trends to identify opportunities and areas requiring action.
• Ensure underwriting practices balance disciplined risk selection with business growth objectives.
• Communicate changes in underwriting appetite, rates, coverages, procedures, and guidelines to agency partners and internal teams.
• Stay informed about trends and developments that may impact educational institution risks and insurance needs.

We're looking for an experienced commercial underwriting leader who combines strong technical expertise with people leadership, business judgment, and relationship-building skills.

You may be a great fit if you have:

• 5+ years of commercial property and casualty underwriting experience.
• Strong technical underwriting and risk-selection expertise.
• Experience leading, coaching, or developing underwriting professionals.
• Strong understanding of commercial insurance coverages, pricing, portfolio management, and profitability.
• Ability to evaluate loss experience and translate insights into underwriting actions.
• Strong communication, decision-making, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience partnering with independent agents or brokers.
• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• CPCU, AU, or similar professional insurance education/designations preferred.

Salary Range:

$170,000 - $225,000

This position is eligible for participation in the Company's Variable Compensation Bonus Plan.

Final compensation will be based on experience, education, certifications, geographic location, scope of responsibilities, and overall qualifications.

We believe strongly that talented people are core to our success and are attracted to companies that provide competitive pay,…