Senior Director, Underwriting Operations

As the Senior Director, Underwriting Operations, you will oversee cross-functional work to deliver innovative solutions and capabilities and streamline operational protocols to drive consistency and process excellence across a Global Risk Solutions (GRS) North America (NA) segment. Work in collaboration with GRS Global (Business Agility, Global Operations, Data, Underwriting Enablement) and North America Operations partners as well as Office of Underwriting and functional Actuarial & Data Science, Legal, Claims, Field Operations, Technology, etc. partners to support operational strategies that will enable segment priorities. Build a team culture of collaboration with all functions to drive overall operational excellence. Drive successful execution of global, segment and profit center priorities in partnership with an efficient underwriting support operation that ensures timely and high-quality policy quoting, issuance, and post-sale/mid-term activities while maintaining a focus on exceptional service

and responsiveness for underwriters and brokers. 

Responsibilities

• Through an operational strategy lens, guide and deliver strong visionary leadership to drive a collaborative, agile and high performing culture and organization that is principled, profitable, innovative, and nimble.
• Maintain strategic focus with a long-term view to the business and the organization.
• Create a vision and strategy outlining goals and objectives within the area of operations and align with functional partners to ensure that this is understood and endorsed by key stakeholders, including the NA segment leadership team, employees, vendors, and customers.
• Leads collaboration across GRS North America functions to create and refine analytics, data reporting and technology solutions that enable NA segment strategy and priorities.
• Partners with underwriting team, actuarial, and claims to develop dashboards and necessary portfolio analysis to support segment leader.
• Effectively prioritizes and executes key operational initiatives across the segment with a strong project management discipline while championing our Liberty Values & Guidelines to drive employee engagement, best-in-class service, productivity, and profitability.
• Accountable for ensuring clarity and execution relative to operational key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Oversees additional initiatives to achieve profit center priorities and provides strategic direction within aligned segment to ensure successful completion.
• Build and grow innovation capabilities across all functional areas and foster a market-leading culture of innovation and execution regardless of seniority, role, or business unit.
• Partners with segment leader to lead operational meetings and prioritize competing profit center needs.
• Drives consistency and alignment of underwriting operations and practices between/among profit centers.
• Oversees team of direct reports to include as applicable: profit center operational leads, GRS Business Ops Directors and/or UW Support Managers. Matrixed dual reporting into North America Operations COO and NA segment leadership to ensure alignment of goal setting, appraisals and respective operational needs of segment.

• High level of experience/understanding of commercial property & casualty products; insurance operations; finance and actuarial concepts; regulatory environment; reinsurance; account management; underwriting; and producer management
• Skills required include analyzing and problem solving; adaptability; decision making, building relationships; working effectively with others
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong presentation skills and an ability to facilitate and build consensus
• Communicating effectively; negotiation; influencing others; applying financial acumen; focusing on service; executing excellence; planning and organizing work; and achieving results
• Advanced degree or equivalent training required, CPCU designation (or equivalent)
• Experience managing and mentoring staff preferred
• Experience working in an “Agile” environment, eg, agile project management
• Excellent time management and delegation skills
• High performing, self-driven team player with a willingness to be flexible and take on additional responsibilities depending on the needs of the business
• Demonstrated ability to foster collaborative relationships and effectively work as part of a broader global / organizational team
• Ability to smoothly and rapidly adapt strategies and enact mid-course changes to achieve favorable business results
• 15+ years of experience in operations, systems, organizational improvement