Small Commercial Underwriting Support Specialist

Provides timely and high-quality customer service to underwriters and agents/brokers by screening, pre-qualifying, rating and processing transactions for Specialty lines of business. Under limited supervision, uses advanced knowledge and skills to handle complex account work, solve problems, and provide technical support, training, and leadership to others. Seeks to grow as a continuous improvement practitioner by consistently reflecting, seeking out waste and eliminating it while simultaneously improving the customer’s experience.

Responsibilities:

• Gathers, reviews, and ensures the accuracy of information to determine proper processing for Inland Marine and Farm segments of business. Performs various pre-underwriting activities for accounts, such as qualifying requests gathering and analyzing data, selecting rates and forms for coverage, and entering info into database for pricing reporting. Will make recommendations to UW based on analysis of accounts.
• Provides timely and professional customer service to brokers and agents to answer questions, resolve problems, and facilitate overall servicing of the accounts and process business transactions. Routinely communicates with team members, agent/broker and other key business partners to research and gather necessary information to review, analyze and complete transactions.
• Utilizes and adheres to internal guidelines, procedures and standard work to ensure that policy transactions are processed in a timely manner, accurately and meet compliance needs while rating and/or entering transactions for commercial lines of business. Regularly makes suggestions for changes and enhancements to guidelines.
• Has a basic knowledge of company insurance products and supports underwriting and distribution activities by explaining new or revised products and processes to agents and brokers. May participate in cross selling activities. Partners with underwriters and distribution to engage key agencies and provide insights.
• May be asked to serve as a secondary contact for Small Commercial business inquiries through phone and chat communication channels to provide timely and high-quality customer service to agents, brokers and underwriters.
• Actively leads and participates in problem solving activities to define problems, assess current state, identify root causes, design and test solutions, implement solutions, and sustain and continuously improve to permanently eliminate problems.
• Collaborates with team members by engaging in and/or leading daily huddles, generating suggestions to meet customer needs and support the work of the team.
• Utilizes continuous improvement methodologies to improve processes and procedures to work more efficiently and effectively. Acts quickly as a resource to others to overcome obstacles in the workload and meet timelines.
• Acts as a mentor while guiding, training and coaching less experienced USS’ in technical professional skills.
• Assists with onboarding of new employees.
• Provides technical support or training to agents/brokers, team members and other key stakeholders in rating and policy processing procedures.
• Acts as a subject matter expert regarding guidelines, procedures and systems.
• Leads and/or participates in special projects and other duties as assigned to ensure efficient operation of the team, customer needs are met, and business results are achieved.

• Competencies typically acquired through a High school diploma or GED and three or more years of related work experience.
• Knowledge of commercial lines underwriting guidelines to perform transactions within authority limit such as renewals, endorsements and cancellations.
• Attention to detail and strong time management skills. Ability to plan work independently.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to provide and accept feedback.
• Intermediate computer and software skills (e.g., MS Excel/Word).
• Ability to focus on service and build relationships with agencies and other departments; must exemplify teamwork.
• Ability to interpret and execute more complicated underwriting instructions and to analyze and solve problems.