Director, Enterprise Underwriting

Director, Enterprise Underwriting

Hybrid | New Hartford, NY or Charlotte, NC

Lead Underwriting Excellence Across the Enterprise

At Utica National, underwriting discipline is a cornerstone of our success. We're seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as our Director, Enterprise Underwriting, responsible for driving underwriting excellence, consistency, quality, and execution across our commercial insurance operations.

This highly visible leadership role partners closely with underwriting, product, actuarial, claims, and field leadership teams to ensure sound underwriting practices, strong portfolio performance, and profitable growth. You'll help shape underwriting strategy, oversee underwriting governance and authority, develop talent, and create the tools and training that empower underwriters to make exceptional decisions.

If you're passionate about underwriting leadership, operational excellence, and developing high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you.

What You'll Do

As Director, Enterprise Underwriting, you will:

• Provide leadership and oversight for enterprise-wide commercial underwriting practices and execution.
• Manage underwriting authority structures and ensure consistency in underwriting decision-making across the organization.
• Lead the Quality Assurance Underwriting Program, driving accountability, consistency, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee the Strategic Underwriting referral process and support complex underwriting decisions across the field organization.
• Partner with line of business leaders to establish, maintain, and continuously enhance underwriting guidelines, rules, and best practices.
• Champion underwriting education and professional development initiatives, helping build technical expertise across underwriting teams.
• Identify skill gaps and collaborate with underwriting education and field leadership to develop targeted training solutions.
• Analyze financial results, loss trends, and portfolio performance to support underwriting strategy and market responsiveness.
• Support product enhancements, form revisions, book roll initiatives, and other underwriting transformation efforts.
• Lead key underwriting initiatives and serve as a subject matter expert on enterprise projects and cross-functional business initiatives.
• Drive operational efficiencies through process improvements and effective management of underwriting resources.
• Serve as a trusted partner and communication bridge between Enterprise Underwriting and regional underwriting teams.

What Makes You Successful

We're looking for a proven underwriting leader who combines technical expertise with strong business acumen and a passion for developing people and processes.

You may be a great fit if you have:

• 8+ years of commercial property and casualty underwriting experience, including progressive leadership responsibilities.
• 3+ years of leadership experience managing teams, programs, or strategic underwriting initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of commercial underwriting principles, portfolio management, risk assessment, and underwriting operations.
• Experience driving underwriting quality, governance, training, or operational excellence programs.
• Demonstrated ability to influence business outcomes through collaboration and strategic leadership.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret financial and loss performance data.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, or a related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• CPCU, CIC, or other advanced insurance designations strongly preferred.

Why Utica National?

For more than 100 years, Utica National has built a reputation for financial strength, underwriting discipline, and exceptional service. We are committed to creating an environment where talented professionals can grow, lead, and make a meaningful impact.

When you join our team, you'll find:

• A respected and financially stable organization
• Opportunities to influence enterprise-wide underwriting strategy
• A collaborative and supportive leadership culture
• Ongoing professional development opportunities
• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• Performance-based incentive opportunities

Compensation

Director, Enterprise Underwriting
$190,000 - $233,000

This position is eligible for participation in the Company's Variable Compensation Bonus Plan.

Final compensation is based on factors including experience, geographic location, education, professional designations, scope of responsibilities, and overall qualifications.