AVP - Surety Underwriting

AVP - Contract Surety Underwriting United Fire & Casualty
• Seattle, WA, United States

UFG is currently seeking an AVP - Contract Surety Underwriting who will be responsible for leading the Contract Surety Underwriting function. This highly technical person will work closely with the VP of Surety and underwriting managers to manage authority levels, establish underwriting best practices, and provide opportunities for growth for the underwriting teams across the US.

The ideal candidate should be located in the West Coast territory:
California, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Arizona.

• Responsible for deployment of underwriting strategy. Utilize relationship building and analytical skills to support the strategy and drive growth across the surety portfolio.
• Review of existing credit oversight & authority levels; make changes as required.
• Review status of all open job postings and plans, including recruitment; prioritize and focus efforts.
• Forecast, set, and monitor goals with underwriting managers.
• Oversee underwriting guidelines, proactively revising as needed.
• Develop business plan specific to each of the primary surety segments with VP and surety leadership team.
• Review of agency compensation models for market relevancy and operating performance.
• Ensure adherence to underwriting guidelines, rules, regulations and the UFG Way of underwriting.
• Establish cadence and enhance processes for business planning and marketing strategy.
• Project premium for the surety underwriting at least quarterly.
• Drive expense management across various regions in alignment with goals for the surety unit.
• Stay abreast of industry information regarding competition, pertinent laws and legal occurrences, rates, underwriting trends, etc., and pass this information on to the staff.
• Ensure UFG Surety offers service that is amongst the top in our industry.
• Review and make recommendations on filings for various states, including rates, commissions, rules, and programs.
• Visit agents to update them on products, ensure marketing materials state our intended purpose, resolve problems, solicit new agents, etc.

Education:

• Bachelor's degree. Concentration in Business Administration, Economics, Finance or Accounting is preferred.
• MBA is preferred.

Certifications/Designations:

• Associate in Fidelity & Surety Bonds preferred.

Experience:

• 15+ years of surety underwriting experience.
• Prior management or supervision experience is preferred.

Knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Strong understanding of the construction industry is essential as well as a thorough understanding of financial statements and overall surety practices.
• Strong attention to detail and focused on the delivery of high-quality work.
• Relationship, leadership, negotiation and presentation skills.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, to answer questions and communicate company expectations to agents, co-workers and staff.
• Must be able to assist others in building and maintaining relationships with agency force to produce a growing and profitable book of business.
• Strong creative problem solving and analytical skills, with the ability to manage workloads and meet timelines.
• Promote good image for the Company and provide best in class service.
• Must have good negotiation skills and be able to successfully deal with people in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
• Must be self-starting, organized and able to work autonomously.
• Must be able to switch rapidly from one situation to the next.
• Ability to hire, train, develop, mentor, and grow a professional surety team (underwriters, support staff and others).

Working Conditions:

• General Office Environment.

UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary range for this position is $215,000 - $230,000 annually, which represents the typical range for new hires in this role. Individual pay within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, education, certifications, skills, internal equity, geography and market data.

In addition to base salary, UFG Insurance offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes:

• Annual incentive compensation
• Medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• Accident, critical Illness & short-term disability insurance
• Retirement plans with employer contributions
• Generous time‑off program
• Programs designed to support the employee well‑being and financial security.

This pay range disclosure is provided in accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.