Middle Market Underwriting and Sales Region Leader

Job Summary:
The Middle Market Underwriting and Sales Region Leader is accountable for developing and executing the underwriting and sales strategy for an assigned region to achieve profitable growth and targeted financial results. The role leads regional business development, underwriting execution, and portfolio management while partnering with Distribution, Product Management, Marketing, and Underwriting Operations to achieve territory objectives.

The Region Leader provides leadership and direction to the regional team, using market insight, portfolio analytics, and sound underwriting judgment to identify opportunities, address performance issues, and make effective business decisions. The role builds strong agency and broker relationships, drives consistent sales and underwriting practices, and promotes collaboration across field and virtual teams. The Region Leader is also responsible for coaching and developing team members, strengthening underwriting and business development capabilities, and building a high-performing team positioned for sustained success.
 

Job Responsibilities:
·  Leads the Middle Market underwriting and sales organization for the region, establishing business priorities, monitoring performance, and ensuring execution of regional new business, renewal, pricing, and profitability objectives.

·  Leads underwriting managers and underwriting teams to achieve appropriate productivity, service, and portfolio results while maintaining sound underwriting discipline and effective partnership across Underwriting, Underwriting Practices, and Underwriting Operations.

·  Builds a strong culture of collaboration across field, home office, and virtual teams and models effective teamwork, communication, and shared accountability for results.

·  Ensures adherence to underwriting guidelines, authority, policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, and quality assurance standards, including timely implementation of corrective actions and QA recommendations.

·  Leads and develops other leaders, establishing clear expectations for performance, coaching, and accountability while strengthening the team's underwriting expertise and ability to manage larger and more complex accounts.

·  Uses portfolio analytics, market intelligence, and business judgment to identify trends, prioritize opportunities, address performance gaps, allocate resources, and support effective underwriting and business decisions.

·  Establishes and maintains a disciplined, objective process for granting and managing underwriting authority based on demonstrated technical capability, experience, judgment, and performance.

·  Supports significant new business and renewal opportunities through agency and broker engagement, sales presentations, account strategy, and negotiation of coverage, pricing, financial terms, and service solutions.

·  Monitors performance against regional financial and operating objectives, identifies emerging issues and opportunities, and develops action plans to improve new business production, retention, pricing, profitability, and overall portfolio performance.

·  Owns talent management for the region, including hiring and selection, succession planning, performance and compensation management, employee development, career coaching, workload management, and resolution of employee issues that may affect team effectiveness.

·  Manages regional expenses within established plans, monitors spending throughout the year, and provides forecasts and variance explanations as required.

·  Maintains a strong understanding of commercial insurance market conditions, competitor activity, industry trends, and jurisdictional developments through agency engagement, industry participation, and other sources, and translates those insights into regional underwriting and sales strategies.

Job Qualifications:
•    8+ years of Commercial Underwriting experience and 5+ years of direct people management experience.
•    Bachelor's degree in related field and/or commensurate work experience.
•    Master's degree in a related field is preferred.

Location:
•   Remote territories AZ/CO/FL/GA/MN/IA/TN/KY or Headquarters.

Licenses and Certifications (Possesses one or more of the following): 
•    Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) (preferred)
•    Associate in Commercial Underwriting (AU) (preferred)
•    Certified Insurance Counselor
•    Certified Risk Manager

Behavioral Competencies:
•    Collaboration
•    Communicates Effectively
•    Customer Focus
•    Decision Quality 
•    Nimble Learning
•    Builds Effective Teams
•    Business Insight
•    Develops talent
•    Directs Work
•    Ensures Accountability
•    Manages Complexity
•    Drives Vision & Purpose
•    Strategic Mindset

Technical Skills:
•    Commercial Lines Underwriting 
•    Underwriting Strategy
•    Business Development and Sales Management 
•    Data Analysis & Reporting
•    Agency Management
•    Pricing Analytics
•    Contract Management
•    Predictive Modeling
•    Customer Relationship Management
•    Regulatory Compliance
•    Financial Management

This job description describes the general nature and level of work performed in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, skills, responsibilities, knowledge, etc. These may be subject to change and additional functions may be assigned as needed by management.

Founded in 1848, Westfield is a global leader in property and casualty insurance, delivering superior risk insights and innovative solutions to customers through a diverse portfolio of insurance products. Westfield underwrites commercial, personal, surety, and specialty lines of coverage through a network of leading independent agents and brokers in the United States and specialty products through Lloyd’s of London Syndicate 1200. As a mutual insurance company with more than 3,000 employees, Westfield has revenues in excess of $4 billion and more than $10 billion in assets.