Director of Underwriting - Commercial Auto / Livery

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Underwriting – Commercial Auto / Livery

Reports To: Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO)

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Chief Underwriting Officer, the Director of Underwriting is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational oversight, and financial performance of the Company’s Commercial Auto and Livery underwriting portfolio. This role ensures underwriting discipline, product integrity, regulatory compliance, profitability, and scalable growth.

The Director of Underwriting leads underwriting management, drives product and program strategy, and partners with Claims, IT, Risk Management, and Executive Leadership to ensure underwriting practices align with the Company’s business plan and long-term objectives.

Primary Objectives (Top Priorities)

1. Ensure profitable growth and portfolio quality
2. Maintain underwriting discipline, compliance, and risk integrity
3. Develop underwriting leadership and talent
4. Drive product, program, and process strategy
5. Support agency, broker, and client relationships
6. Align underwriting operations with enterprise business goals

Key Responsibilities

1. Underwriting Governance & Risk Oversight

• Exercise oversight for underwriting of new and renewal business in accordance with underwriting guidelines, procedures, and service standards.
• Provide referral underwriting support and final authority within established authority limits.
• Review, direct, and monitor application of underwriting policy, pricing, and risk selection.
• Conduct and oversee periodic underwriting file audits to ensure compliance, accuracy, and quality.
• Maintain policy quality control and underwriting integrity across all products.
• Ensure adherence to state insurance regulations and underwriting guidelines.
• Participate in development and maintenance of underwriting guidelines and manuals.

2. Profitability, Financial Control & Portfolio Performance

• Ensure underwriting profitability, growth, and operational efficiency aligned with organizational goals.
• Establish financial control guidelines, underwriting metrics, tools, and best practices.
• Analyze and report underwriting performance using current and future systems.
• Monitor loss trends, rate adequacy, mix of business, and portfolio concentration.
• Partner with actuarial, finance, and claims to drive corrective action when needed.
• Monitor underwriting workloads and productivity across underwriters and underwriting assistants.

3. Product, Program & Strategy Development

• In coordination with the CUO, develop short- and long-term product and program strategies.
• Establish policies, analyses, and frameworks to support new product development.
• Participate with senior management in underwriting policy, marketing, and business strategy development.
• Support evaluation and launch of new programs, coverages, and underwriting initiatives.
• Participate in policy form development and underwriting rule changes.

4. Leadership, Culture & Talent Development

• Demonstrate leadership by fostering a culture of teamwork, respect, accountability, and inclusion.
• Coach, lead, and develop underwriting managers, underwriters, and underwriting assistants.
• Oversee training programs for new hires and ongoing professional development.
• Ensure underwriting managers are clearly accountable for managing underwriters and underwriting assistants.
• Provide performance evaluations, feedback, and development planning for team members.
• Support succession planning and talent pipeline development.

5. Operational Excellence & Technology

• Evaluate and support implementation and optimization of underwriting technology platforms.
• Partner with IT and operations to improve workflow efficiency, data accuracy, and scalability.
• Ensure underwriting systems support business, regulatory, and reporting needs.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and lead operational enhancements.

6. Claims, Agency & Broker Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with Claims to ensure alignment between underwriting intent and claims outcomes.
• Participate with senior management on claims trends, coverage interpretation, and risk mitigation.
• Support development and maintenance of client, and broker relationships.
• Provide underwriting guidance in support of profitable agency and broker partnerships.
• Participate in agency meetings, audits, and strategic discussions as needed.

7. Leadership Communication & Reporting

• Monitor and report underwriting results against the Company’s business plan.
• Provide clear, accurate, and timely underwriting performance reporting to senior leadership.
• Present underwriting trends, risks, and opportunities to executive leadership.
• Support enterprise risk management and audit activities.

8. Additional Responsibilities

• Participate in cross-functional leadership initiatives.
• Support regulatory exams, audits, and internal reviews.
• Perform other duties as assigned consistent with the role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Insurance, Risk Management, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 10+ years of Commercial Auto underwriting experience, with strong Livery specialization.
• 5+ years of underwriting leadership or management experience.
• Deep knowledge of commercial auto/livery risk selection, pricing, coverage, and regulatory environments.
• Strong financial, analytical, and portfolio management skills.
• Proven leadership, coaching, and organizational development ability.
• Experience working with underwriting systems and technology platforms.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Financial Acumen
• Regulatory Awareness
• Leadership & Talent Development
• Risk Management
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Operational Excellence

Performance Measures

• Portfolio profitability and growth
• Underwriting quality and compliance
• Audit results
• Team development and retention
• Process efficiency
• Product and program performance