Sr Sales Underwriting Specialist, Middle Market

Sr. Sales Underwriter

Our Middle Market department is seeking a Sr. Sales Underwriter to join our growing team for our Southern California territory. This is a Full-time, Exempt role. This is a Hybrid position.

Position Overview/Summary:

• Responsible for identifying, soliciting, underwriting and selling new and renewal Middle Market accounts that drive profitable growth and align with Industry Segments, appetite and mix goals.
• Apply advanced technical, sales and analytical skills to provide insurance solutions that help Hanover's customers manage risk. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of Hanover's strategies and appetites and will use internal and external data to make appropriate individual and portfolio risk decisions.
• Operates within a broad Letter of Authority for all underwriting decisions and with limited direction while managing an assigned book of business, generally with high technical complexity and coordination.

Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

Technical Underwriting

• Knows and applies advanced underwriting concepts including risk selection, exposure and hazard identification and control, coverage implications, and loss analysis.
• Uses all appropriate underwriting tools (e.g. RQI, WC RST, UWWS, and CLAY), disciplines and knowledge of strategies to ensure underwriting guidelines are followed.
• Advanced knowledge of pricing components and rating methodology and correlates pricing to exposure, financial and competitive analysis.
• Completes file documentation according to best practices guidelines and state regulations and can clearly explain account decisions.
• Adheres to CAT guidelines and underwriting discipline to minimize exposure and appropriately price individual risks. Applies increased knowledge of CAT aggregation to decision making.
• Portfolio Management & Financial Acumen:
• Manages assigned portfolio to achieve gross written premium, profitability, rate, retention, industry and LOB mix, new business and portfolio management goals.
• Reviews key metrics and uncovers trends that may lead to new business opportunities with agents while achieving profitable growth in accordance with business strategies.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the market factors and trends that can affect pricing (i.e. distribution channels, competition, organization's growth/ profit strategy, regulation, reinsurance costs and branding).
• Prepares or analyzes information on adverse underwriting decisions, rate appeals, underwriting requirements, status and declinations in order to drive results within the assigned territory.
• Supports the implementation of profit improvement initiatives with key agents.

Sales Acumen & Customer Advocacy:

• Can identify, solicit, pipeline, negotiate, and close accounts aligned with MM branch strategy.
• Ability to profile assigned agency plant and to strategically market our capabilities to agents.
• Operates with a franchise perspective to identify and drive enhanced sell opportunities and create growth within other lines of business and customer segments.
• Utilize our value proposition to enhance agency economics, partner conversion and product specialization in partnership with local management.
• Prioritizes and drives effective relationship management and producer activities to build trust, facilitate negotiation, and secure commitment in order to improve yield and retention ratios.
• Keeps current on state/territory issues, regulations and trends. Utilizes market and competitor information to enhance agent relationships by becoming a trusted advisor.
• Through stewardship process engage at the customer level for the most complex and prominent accounts within their territory.
• Independently implements territory business plans, monitors performance, adjusts plan to ensure a substantial pipeline for future profitable growth.
• Makes sales presentations to agents and customers on a regular basis and participants in more complex accounts:
• Utilize Industry Solutions partners to augment sales process through enhanced knowledge transfer, strategic producer visits/sales calls, and effective training sessions for both agents and customers.
• Effectively utilize Claims, Risk Solutions and Operations to display service and/or technical expertise to build confidence in customers to further secure business opportunities.

Required Skills, Key Competencies and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 3-7+ years Underwriting experience, with a minimum of 3 years of experience underwriting MM accounts.
• 3+ years of experience driving agency relationships resulting in profitable new and renewal business.
• May specialize /certify in one or more Industry Segments.