Director of Underwriting, Dealers Division

Director of Underwriting, Dealers Division

Lead Specialty Underwriting. Develop Talent. Drive Profitable Growth.

At Utica National, specialization allows us to deeply understand the industries we serve and build insurance solutions around their unique risks. Our Dealers Division is dedicated to the specialized insurance needs of automobile dealerships and the complex exposures that come with their operations.

We’re seeking an experienced Director of Underwriting, Dealers Division to lead underwriting strategy, execution, and talent for this specialty business.

In this role, you’ll combine technical underwriting leadership, portfolio management, people development, and agency partnership to drive profitable growth and strong underwriting results. You’ll work closely with business leadership and agency partners to evolve our underwriting approach, respond to changing market conditions, and position the Dealers Division for continued success.

What You’ll Do

Lead Underwriting Strategy & Execution

• Provide leadership and direction for underwriting within the Dealers Division.
• Oversee risk selection, pricing, coverage, underwriting authority, and execution across the portfolio.
• Establish and reinforce underwriting standards that support profitable growth and consistent decision-making.
• Monitor portfolio and loss performance and develop underwriting actions designed to improve results.
• Evaluate changes in rates, coverages, rules, regulations, market conditions, and dealership exposures and translate them into effective underwriting strategies.
• Maintain strong underwriting quality through ongoing portfolio review and quality assurance.

Drive Portfolio Performance & Profitable Growth

• Monitor underwriting results and identify opportunities to improve growth, retention, profitability, and overall portfolio performance.
• Use loss experience, production results, marketplace insights, and other performance data to guide underwriting decisions.
• Balance growth opportunities with appropriate risk selection and underwriting discipline.
• Partner with business and enterprise leaders on strategies that support the long-term success of the Dealers portfolio.

Develop a High-Performing Underwriting Team

• Lead, coach, and develop underwriting professionals supporting the Dealers business.
• Build technical expertise and commercial acumen throughout the underwriting team.
• Establish clear expectations and reinforce accountability for underwriting quality, responsiveness, and results.
• Identify development opportunities and provide coaching, training, and technical guidance.
• Support talent selection, performance management, career development, and succession planning.

Strengthen Agency Partnerships

• Develop strong relationships with agency and distribution partners serving the dealership marketplace.
• Provide underwriting leadership during key agency discussions, account reviews, and business planning conversations.
• Partner with Sales and other business teams to identify and pursue profitable growth opportunities.
• Ensure underwriting strategy and execution support a responsive, solutions-oriented agency experience.
• Clearly communicate underwriting appetite, changes, and expectations to distribution partners.

Bring Specialty Expertise to the Business

• Stay current on trends affecting automobile dealerships and the broader insurance marketplace.
• Help the organization anticipate evolving exposures and translate them into underwriting strategies and practices.
• Partner across Underwriting, Claims, Product, Sales, Risk, and other areas on initiatives impacting the Dealers business.
• Serve as a senior underwriting resource on complex risks and strategic opportunities.

What Makes You Successful

We’re looking for an experienced commercial underwriting leader who combines strong technical expertise with sound business judgment, people leadership, and relationship-building skills.

You may be a great fit if you have:

• Significant commercial property and casualty underwriting experience.
• Strong technical knowledge across commercial lines, particularly Commercial Auto, General Liability, Property, Workers Compensation, and related coverages.
• Experience leading and developing underwriting professionals.
• Demonstrated success managing underwriting profitability and portfolio performance.
• Strong understanding of pricing, risk selection, underwriting authority, and agency distribution.
• Ability to interpret loss and performance data and turn insights into underwriting actions.
• Strong communication, decision-making, and relationship-building capabilities.
• Experience working closely with independent agents or brokers.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• CPCU, AU, CIC, or other relevant insurance education/designations preferred.

Why Join Our Dealers Division?

This is an opportunity to lead underwriting within a specialized commercial insurance business where technical expertise, strong relationships, and industry knowledge make a meaningful difference.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Shape underwriting strategy for a specialized dealership portfolio.
• Influence growth, profitability, and portfolio direction.
• Develop and mentor underwriting talent.
• Work closely with specialized agency partners.
• Help evolve our underwriting approach as dealership risks and the marketplace change.
• Collaborate with business leaders and experts across the organization.
• Bring new ideas and perspectives to an established specialty insurance business.