Business Development Underwriter

Company Details:

Berkley Aspire is an excess & surplus lines insurer of commercial risks unable to find a home in the standard markets. We are an operating unit of WR Berkley, a publicly traded (NYSE “WRB”) global insurer founded in 1967. 

We make excess & surplus lines easy – easy for our distribution partners, easy for the businesses they represent, and easy to navigate. The lines of coverage we underwrite include general liability, property, and excess liability. Our model is different than our competitors – we do the premium billing and do not add interest/ finance percentage, we offer enhanced commissions, and we handle the stamping, affidavit filings, and other behind-the-scenes paperwork. 

Our company culture is entrepreneurial, employee centric, and focused on sustainable growth. Aspire teammates work either remotely or on a hybrid schedule from offices in Scottsdale, Cincinnati, and Richmond. If you are looking for a company that offers room for advancement, great benefits, and positive vibes, then Aspire may be the place for you!

www.berkleyaspire.com

In this role, you will manage your assigned underwriting territory in New England (prefer CT, MA or RI), West (prefer NV or UT) or Northeast (prefer ME, NH or VT) to achieve profitable growth, including underwriting new business, renewals, endorsements and other transactions.  Identify new business opportunities and manage agency relationships.

• Develop relationships and educate agents within agency plant to maximize opportunities and achieve profitable growth.
• Initiate outbound calls to agencies to identify sales opportunities and collect agent intelligence.
• Achieve new business premium, renewal premium retention and rate change objectives.
• Within company guidelines and granted underwriting authority, evaluate new and renewal account information to determine risk acceptability, terms / conditions to be quoted, and pricing.
• Make sound risk and pricing decisions that achieve profitable loss ratios.
• Maintain underwriting quality score of 90% or greater. Document underwriting file to support acceptability and pricing in accordance with company guidelines.
• Achieve customer service standards, including established objectives for:
• New business quote turnaround
• Renewal quotes
• Endorsement, cancellation, audits and other transactions
• Policy issuance
• Provide detailed issuance instructions to ensure policy is delivered consistent with quoted terms and conditions and in accordance with established guidelines relative to policy construction.
• Review mid-term endorsement requests for acceptability and provide instructions for processing.
• Evaluate premium audit referrals to determine class acceptability and/or appropriateness of current exposure base. Adjust current term with acceptable changes to ensure company gets timely payment of adequate premium.
• Order and review inspections to confirm accounts written are consistent with preliminary underwriting information and takes action when the inspection reveals unacceptable risk characteristics.
• Assist with training, mentoring and coaching of less experienced team members.
• Determine if facultative reinsurance is needed and if so, factor reinsurance cost in gross pricing, complete cession procedures; documentation file, and follow established workflow procedure to ensure proper reporting / accounting.
• Utilize various underwriting tools to:
• Determine acceptable risk characteristics
• Determine accurate exposure classifications
• Set adequate property limits to accomplish appropriate insurance to value
• Rate and quote business to agents
• Support other underwriters as assigned when the other underwriter is traveling or out on vacation / sick time.

#LI-Remote

• Demonstrated success in commercial lines property casualty insurance businesses.
• 5+ years of commercial lines underwriting experience, E&S experience highly preferred.
• Past experience working with independent agents is preferred. Surplus lines underwriting experience is highly preferred.
• Basic knowledge of computer programs in a Windows environment, including Word, Excel and E-mail is required.
• Prior experience working in a paperless environment, including familiarity with on-line underwriting tools is preferred (e.g. SAGE, Silver Plume, and Reference Connect).
• Ability to travel within your territory up to 50%.