Business Development Underwriter

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Job description

Company Details:

Berkley Aspire is passionate about making excess and surplus lines business easy to transact. We differentiate ourselves by continually innovating to bring market-leading technology and services to our agents and their clients. From direct bill with installments, to not requiring renewal applications for 80% of our small business policies, we focus on making it easy, expeditious, and efficient for agents and consumers.

Berkley Aspire writes from small, minimum premium, policies to accounts over six figures. We offer General Liability, Property, Inland Marine and Umbrella policies through Berkley appointed agenciesin 49 states.

Responsibilities:

Manage an assigned underwriting territory to achieve profitable growth, including underwriting new business, renewals, endorsements and other transactions. Identify new business opportunities and manage agency relationships.

Roles and Responsibilities

• 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.

Qualifications:

• Demonstrated success in commercial lines property casualty insurance businesses.
• 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).
• Bachelor's degree and six plus years related insurance experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced professional insurance coursework (i.e., CPCU, ASLI, and AU) or completion of other-insurance related classes is preferred.

Additional Company Details: The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer. Additional Requirements: COVID-19 vaccine required unless prohibited by law.