AVP, Commercial Lines Underwriting

Western National is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Commercial Lines Underwriting to join our team!

Job Type
Full-time

The individual in this role will have the opportunity to provide strategic leadership for commercial underwriting operations across multiple teams or locations. This individual will shape underwriting strategy, develop high-performing teams, and partner across the organization to drive profitable growth while ensuring underwriting excellence, regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer experiences.

This role is based in our Seattle, Washington, office and is not eligible for remote work.

• Leads, coaches, and develops commercial underwriting managers, team leads, and underwriters to achieve individual, team, and company performance goals while fostering engagement, accountability, and strong business performance.
• Develops and implements underwriting strategies that balance risk and reward, strengthen the commercial product portfolio, and drive profitable growth.
• Partners with product development, actuarial, claims, sales, and other cross-functional teams to optimize underwriting performance and improve business results.
• Manages agency and vendor relationships to ensure alignment with company objectives, service expectations, and underwriting standards.
• Monitors underwriting practices to ensure compliance with company guidelines, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices.
• Evaluates market trends, competitive conditions, and emerging industry issues to maintain a strong competitive position.
• Develops and executes regional business plans focused on retention, pricing, exposure management, and profitable new business growth.
• Champions a collaborative "One Team, Better Together" culture across departments and locations.
• Consistently acts according to our customer experience standards, including responding quickly, maintaining a positive attitude, building rapport, demonstrating empathy, managing the customer's expectations, using the proper communication channel for the situation, and taking ownership to ensure the customer's issue is resolved.
• Performs special projects and other duties as assigned.

• Ten-plus years of leadership experience in the property-and-casualty insurance industry, with a strong focus on commercial lines underwriting.
• Demonstrated experience leading underwriting teams and managing diverse commercial books of business.
• Deep knowledge of commercial insurance products, underwriting guidelines, and underwriting best practices.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, negotiation, and decision-making abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with cross-functional teams and solve complex business challenges.
• Experience using underwriting systems, pricing tools, and data analytics platforms.

• Bachelor's degree in business, insurance, finance, or a related field.
• CPCU, CIC, CRM, or other relevant professional insurance designation.

The hiring range for this role is $,000, annually. However, the base pay offered may vary depending on the job-related knowledge, skills, credentials, and experience of each candidate, as well as other factors such as the scope and location of the role. Candidates looking for compensation outside of the posted range are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on their individual qualifications and/or may be considered for other positions.

Western National has long been known as “The Relationship Company®” and caring for our employees is part of that relationship commitment. We value connectiveness, empowerment, and accountability, and we believe that our employees are our biggest asset.

Currently ranked as the 41st largest private company by revenue in Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal), Western National has earned accolades year-over-year as an employer of choice and garnered multiple awards for wellness in the workplace. Western…