Agribusiness Underwriting and Sales Manager

Job Summary

The Commercial Lines Agribusiness Underwriting and Sales Manager leads a geographic region for farmowners and commercial agribusiness lines. Their direct reports review and evaluate new business and renewal business based on company underwriting guidelines, target segments, competition, and geographic focus. The role collaborates with key business peer included in the CL integrated operating model to develop and implement strategies designed to achieve and sustained profitable growth. The role drives underwriting excellence, develops, and monitors key underwriting and sales performance metrics. The role performs all necessary travel to agencies and/or customers while leading a team of underwriters to manage a profitable book of farmowners and commercial agribusiness. The role also provides leadership for an underwriting team, including building strong underwriting acumen and trying to inculcate a customer-focused sales culture, and overseeing the agency management and agency/territory business planning.

Job Responsibilities

• Performs analysis, tracking and refinement of underwriting and sales metrics, analyzes performance against benchmarks, sets goals for written premium projections, expenses, profit targets, and staffing needs, and takes corrective action as necessary.
• Monitors profit related KPIs and is responsible for overall Profit and Loss of region and monitors revenue related KPIs.
• Assures development and execution of policies, procedures, and standards to produce profitable underwriting results.
• Serves a valued role on the Commercial lines Leadership Team, assisting to build annual business plans, guide strategic choices, delivers voice to corporate and business unit messaging, and takes on key projects leads.
• Participates in the selection and evaluation of qualified staff for support functions, implements changes to improve productivity and automation efficiency, monitors trends and recommends solutions to senior management.
• Ensures priorities and deadlines are clear and achieved.
• Performs people leadership responsibilities including employee selection, performance management, coaching, and development.
• Determines what accounts are discussed during the renewal strategy meeting, who should participate in the renewal account discussion and actively participates by providing detailed underwriting information during the meeting.
• Manages annual budget process for major or multiple insurance product lines respective of the assigned geographic territory.
• Performs talent management responsibilities, manages priorities and workload distribution, and completes personnel, salary administration, and reports duties, as well as operational responsibilities that drive team performance.
• Analyzes competitive environment, customer needs, economic and legislative conditions, distribution system, and products services needs to develop goals, objectives, and action plans.
• Provides input to Product Management for necessary product enhancements, reductions, and rate and pricing initiatives.
• Collaborates with other leaders to meet customer and agency expectations and builds relationships with business unit partners.
• Provides technical advice and training to lower-level professional lines underwriters, manages development and implementation of travel plans, provides underwriting expertise to claims and technology groups.
• Travels as required to perform responsibilities and cover assigned territory.
• May involve traveling on short notice or other daily driving duties as assigned regardless of location.

Job Qualifications

• 7+ years of Commercial Lines Underwriting experience.
• Bachelor's degree in related field and/or commensurate work experience.
• Valid driver's license and a driving record that conforms to company standards.

Location

• Hybrid - defined as working three or more days per week in the office if the employee's residence is within 50 miles of Westfield Center, OH; OR Remote-if the employee resides more than 50 miles from Westfield Center, OH.

Behavioral Competencies

• Directs work
• Collaborates
• Develops talent
• Customer focus
• Communicates effectively
• Ensures accountability
• Decision quality
• Business insight
• Nimble learning
• Builds effective teams
• Manages complexity
• Drivers License

Technical Skills

• Project Management
• Financial Controls
• Customer Service Management
• Agriculture Industry Knowledge
• Risk Management
• KPI Tracking
• Regulatory Compliance
• Commercial Lines Underwriting
• Data Analysis and Reporting
• Insurance Industry Knowledge

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.