Contract Surety Director

UFG is currently hiring for a Contract Surety Director. This role is a senior technical underwriting role responsible for advancing profitable growth, underwriting consistency, and portfolio quality across the contract surety organization. Working in close partnership with the VP - Contract Surety Underwriting, home office leadership, regional leaders, and field underwriting teams, this role evaluates complex and higher-authority risks, supports the deployment of underwriting strategy, strengthens standards and best practices, and develops underwriting talent. This role serves as an enterprise subject matter expert responsible for driving underwriting excellence, portfolio stewardship, and consistent risk management practices across the contract Surety organization. The position serves as a home office resource for difficult credit decisions, emerging risks, agency and contractor strategy, and enterprise-wide underwriting initiatives.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Support deployment of contract surety underwriting strategy and business plans across regions and market segments, with emphasis on profitable growth, disciplined risk selection, and portfolio balance.
• Review and make recommendations on complex new and existing accounts, bond requests, programs, and aggregate exposures that exceed field authority or require home office consultation.
• Exercise assigned underwriting authority responsibly and provide clear, timely, and well-documented decisions consistent with company guidelines and risk appetite.
• Analyze contractor financial condition, work program, ownership and management, banking, continuity, indemnity, bond forms, contract terms, and other relevant risk factors.
• Partner with surety leadership to review authority structures, underwriting practices, credit oversight, and escalation protocols; recommend revisions when warranted.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance, communication, and consistent application of underwriting guidelines, procedures, tools, and best practices.
• Conduct portfolio, account, and file reviews to identify trends, concentrations, emerging risks, documentation gaps, and opportunities for corrective action or growth.
• Provide technical consultation to underwriters and leaders on account strategy, structure, terms and conditions, collateral, indemnity, reinsurance considerations, and risk mitigation.
• Participate in the establishment, monitoring and periodic review of underwriting authority levels and approval structures to ensure appropriate risk governance and decision-making consistency.
• Monitor and influence portfolio profitability, loss performance, capacity utilization, retention, rate adequacy, and growth metrics; recommend actions to improve overall portfolio results.
• Coach, mentor, and train underwriters through account reviews, case studies, joint agency or contractor meetings, and formal learning programs; help strengthen judgment and succession readiness.
• Collaborate with regional and field teams on agency strategies, producer performance, prospect development, and plans for targeted growth and improved profitability.
• Participate in meetings with key agents, brokers, contractors, financial partners, and internal stakeholders to support account development, resolve issues, and communicate underwriting expectations.
• Monitor industry conditions, construction and economic trends, competition, laws, regulations, bond and contract language, and legal developments; translate relevant developments into actionable underwriting guidance.
• Support business planning, premium forecasting, portfolio reporting, and other management information needs for the contract surety organization.
• Assist with special projects and cross-functional initiatives involving claims, legal, reinsurance, finance, operations, product, compliance, and technology.
• Promote responsive, high-quality service and a collaborative culture while protecting underwriting integrity and company interests.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely underwriting records and handle confidential information with appropriate discretion.

Job Specifications:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, economics, finance, accounting, risk management, or a related field preferred.

Certifications / Designations

• Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB) designation preferred, or demonstrated commitment to relevant continuing education.
• Valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record in accordance with company practice when travel is required.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressively responsible contract surety underwriting experience, including demonstrated success with complex accounts and higher-authority decisions.
• Experience providing technical leadership, mentoring underwriters, leading initiatives, or influencing underwriting practices across multiple teams or territories preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of contract surety underwriting, contractor financial analysis, credit assessment, construction operations, work-in-process analysis, indemnity, bond forms, and contract language.
• Ability to think strategically and translate business objectives into underwriting actions, portfolio initiatives, and operational improvements.
• Sound underwriting judgment with the ability to synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative information and explain decisions clearly.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, negotiation, consultation, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and build alignment across home office, regional, and field stakeholders.
• Leadership presence and strong coaching, mentoring, presentation, and facilitation capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate expectations and difficult decisions with tact and professionalism.
• Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with agents, brokers, contractors, financial partners, and internal business partners.
• Self-directed, organized, adaptable, and able to prioritize multiple complex matters while meeting timelines.
• High attention to detail, commitment to documentation quality, and discretion with confidential information.
• Proficiency with underwriting systems, financial analysis tools, and standard Microsoft 365 applications.

Working Conditions

• General home office / remote work environment with regular virtual collaboration across time zones.
• Periodic travel to company offices, agency or broker locations, contractor offices, industry events, and team meetings; overnight travel may be required.
• May occasionally be exposed to active construction environments or weather conditions during contractor or project visits.

Pay Transparency Statement:

UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary range for this position is $160,000 - $180,000 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.