Director of Underwriting

Job Description:
A managed service provider in the property and casualty industry is seeking a Director of Underwriting. As Director of Underwriting, this executive will provide broad-based leadership and oversight of the company's underwriting activities, with responsibility for establishing and managing contract reserves to ensure accurate claim coverage. This highly visible role requires close collaboration with internal business leaders and, at times, external distributors to assess and communicate underwriting performance.

The successful candidate will bring deep underwriting expertise, specifically in the auto service and home contract space, along with strong analytical acumen and the ability to independently build and interpret complex financial models. Equally important, the director will lead cross-functional initiatives, demonstrating hands-on leadership in a lean, performance-driven environment that values innovation, accountability and results. This is a retained search.

Responsibilities:

• Take direct ownership of underwriting outcomes, including accuracy of reserves, earnings curves, rate and reserve policy direction, risk analysis, and overall financial performance across all lines of business.
• Act as a player-coach by conducting detailed reserve adjustments, developing product proformas, performing runoff analysis, producing ad-hoc reports and overseeing quality assurance in all deliverables.
• Create and maintain documented underwriting processes, ensure compliance with all relevant laws, and manage actuarial and vendor partnerships that support underwriting responsibilities.
• Work closely with sales, finance and reinsurance management to address account-specific loss performance, support projections and contribute to client-facing underwriting performance reviews.
• Maintain a deep understanding of all products, risk factors, and production variables, while also developing and delivering training for sales teams and cross-functional managers to strengthen organizational expertise.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in economics, finance, actuarial science, accounting, mathematics or statistics
• MBA or professional certifications (CPCU, RPLU, ASA, FSA, ARM) (preferred)
• 12+ years of experience in risk management and finance within the automotive warranty industry
• Advanced analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex data for executive decision-making
• Advanced proficiency in data and reporting tools, including Excel, Access and Power BI
• Experience collaborating with actuaries and underwriting firms to develop predictive models, risk assessments, and pricing strategies