Sr. Underwriter

Sr Underwriter - Excess Casualty 

Alpharetta or Chicago 

AXIS’ U.S. Excess Casualty Practice is seeking a dynamic Excess Casualty Underwriter to join our Excess Casualty team. Reporting to a Team Leader of US Excess Casualty, the individual will act within established guidelines to actively market, analyze, review, evaluate, and monitor new and renewal lead excess and mid-to-high-attaching excess liability accounts with an average premium of $250,000.  

Within a progressive work environment, the individual will be responsible for the development, growth, and profitability of a challenging E&S Excess Casualty book of business. Our Appetite includes a wide range of industries, including Commercial Construction, Manufacturing, and Trucking and Transportation and addresses a range of Casualty Products including Excess General Liability, Professional Liability, Commercial Auto, and Employers Liability. 

Individuals should be recognized for their strength in new business development and client relations, technical analysis, integrity, and work ethic. Successful candidates will drive business results through solid underwriting analysis, highly active sales and marketing efforts, long-term client relationship building, and collaborative engagement with internal business partners. 

Candidate Profile  

Excess Casualty Underwriter will be a “hands-on” technical expert with a history of success within a top-tier Commercial Insurance Carrier focused on building a complex book of Excess Liability business targeting Middle Market & Large Complex Risks with premiums in the range of $75K to $1MM+. Addressing casualty solutions; Excess General Liability, Professional Liability, Commercial Auto, and Employers Liability. 

Candidates will have deep contacts within Wholesale broker channels, exposure to the Commercial Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation verticals, and full life cycle exposure to portfolio management across; solicitation of submissions, underwriting analysis, preparing and issuing indications/quotations/binders, and marketing. 

Additionally, the candidate must have an executive presence, demonstrating success in communicating, influencing, and building solid relationships that add value to the AXIS business book and contribute to longer-term strategic initiatives. 

Work Profile 

This role is ideal for individuals based in the Atlanta (Alpharetta) Metro Area or Chicago (Loop) who are looking for a combination of remote, in office, and face-to-face meetings with internal partners and clients. The job requires three days a week in the office except while traveling to attend sales, industry, and company events.  

Key Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Underwrite a profitable book of complex surplus lines Excess Casualty risks employing the appropriate analytical diagnostics to assess acceptability. 

• Expertise in analyzing General Liability, Auto Liability, Professional liability, and pricing adequacy 

• Ability to negotiate terms and conditions in a highly complex and competitive environment with a broad range of wholesale brokers and facultative reinsurance markets. 

• Advanced analytical and creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks. 

• Underwriting and developing a profitable book of business in support of strategic business plans while retaining diversified mix of business in order to achieve overall growth and profit objectives. 

• Developing a countrywide marketing strategy that recognizes the risk appetite of the Excess unit and the wholesale brokers that produce desirable accounts to meet new business goals. 

• Support changes to long-term and short-term business strategies with the ability to adjust quickly in order to effectively achieve profitability goals. 

• Make recommendations to an SVP and/or the President of Excess Casualty regarding market strategy, product development and departmental efficiencies. 

• Ability to manuscript specialized policy and endorsement language for highly complex lead excess and mid-to-high-attaching excess liability. 

• Stay up-to-date on national, state, and regional issues/regulations, industry activity and trends. 

• Mentor less experienced staff and assist in the development of ongoing underwriting training. 

• Responsible for special underwriting projects and presentations as requested by leadership. 

Required Education/Training & Experience: 

• Bachelor's degree required. CPCU, ARM, and/or ASLI designations are a plus. 

• A minimum of four years E&S Excess, or complex casualty, underwriting experience. 

• Experience with, and in-depth knowledge of, Commercial Construction business will be a significant plus. 

• Strong negotiation and business development abilities. Established wholesale broker relationships are highly desired. 

• Advanced technical expertise, underwriting skills and a high level of knowledge of insurance and underwriting principles, practices and procedures. 

• In-depth knowledge of the Excess Casualty lines of business and legal and regulatory guidelines, to include demonstrated technical knowledge and skills reflective of a progression of positions with increasing responsibility. 

Other desired skills and characteristics: 

• Strong communication, negotiation, influencing and presentation skills. 

• Ability to effectively interact with all levels of internal and external business partners. 

• Strong wholesale broker relationships. 

• Ability to effectively analyze and assess risk and develop creative solutions. 

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Excel and other business-related software. 

Salary Range: