Location Preference: Ideal candidate will be located in Eastern Iowa or Illinois
As an Underwriting Leader, you will oversee a high-performing commercial lines underwriting team with a clear focus on building a profitable, sustainable book of business. In this role, you’ll guide underwriting strategy, make key decisions on complex accounts, and partner closely with agents to drive quality growth. You’ll play a critical leadership role by coaching and developing underwriters, ensuring consistent risk evaluation, and aligning pricing with exposure to achieve strong business outcomes. Through your expertise, you’ll provide direction on challenging accounts, strengthen agency partnerships, and help position the organization as a top carrier of choice. Your impact will be felt in both the results you deliver and the relationships you build—shaping profitable growth, elevating team performance, and enhancing the overall customer and agent experience.
Essential Functions:
Leads underwriting team to drive profitable portfolio growth and strong business results
Makes final decisions on complex accounts and provides guidance on challenging risks
Monitors team workload, performance, and overall book results
Ensures pricing aligns with risk quality across the portfolio
Enforces corporate and regional underwriting guidelines and procedures
Tracks agent performance and guides underwriters/agents to meet annual goals
Implements strategies to improve profitability and addresses performance gaps
Advises on complex accounts, communication strategies, and agency challenges
Builds, manages, and strengthens agency relationships; rehabilitates underperforming partners
Educates agents on products, appetite, and systems to drive quality submissions
Identifies opportunities and barriers within agency relationships; partners with marketing to enhance experience
Leads hiring, coaching, training, and development of underwriting team to ensure consistency and growth
Collaborates with regional leadership to implement underwriting updates and business strategies
Oversees audits, Letter of Authority process, and compliance for new and renewal business
Education & Experience:
Bachelor’s degree, preferably in insurance or business administration or equivalent relevant experience
Six years of commercial lines underwriting experience or related experience
Insurance designations preferred, such as CPCU and CIC
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Excellent knowledge of underwriting and risk analysis
Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to make sound decisions
Strong computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Office and social media
Ability to work on multiple projects while meeting deadlines.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to speak effectively before groups
Strong leadership skills and ability to motivate team
Ability to effectively communicate products, procedures, business planning and system information
Exceptional customer service skills
Occasional travel; a valid driver’s license with an acceptable motor vehicle report per company standards will be required if driving
The hiring salary range for this position will vary based on geographic location, falling within either of the following:
$100,085 - $138,285 or $110,624 - $152,122
A hiring range represents a subset of the full salary range.The actual salary will depend on several factors, includingrelevant education, skills, and experience of an applicant, geographic location, and business needs.
For information relating to the benefits EMC Team Members receive as part of a comprehensive rewards package, please visit www.emcins.com/careers.
