Underwriting Officer

Argo Group is a leader in specialty insurance with a vibrant culture built on respect, equality, wellness and opportunity. We’re an innovative organization that’s small enough to be agile and big enough to make a difference in our industry. 

Our collaborative workplace is continuously evolving to ensure all employees feel:

• Comfortable bringing their whole selves to work.
• Confident that they will be treated respectfully.
• Recognized for their performance and provided with equal opportunities to succeed.

At Argo, skill meets opportunity. If you’re wired to raise your hand and ask, “Where can I help?”, you’ll thrive with us.

Underwriting Officer, Argo Specialty & Property 

We have an exciting opportunity to join Argo as Underwriting Officer for the Specialty Lines Tower, including Property and other Specialty lines.  This role is responsible for providing technical underwriting expertise, strong underwriting governance, and strategic support.  The scope will uniquely be a hybrid of ‘second line’ (typical CUO responsibilities and governance), along with hands-on underwriting support for new and ongoing transactions.  Multiline experience and aptitude needed across Property, Casualty, and Specialty, with an emphasis on Property.  

Argo’s Specialty Lines Tower consists of Property (Bermuda D&F; Reinsurance), Inland Marine, Garage, Programs, and Fronting, with additional growth anticipated from new and adjacent products, including our recently launched Tax Liability team.   The position will reside in Chicago or New York and report directly to the Head of Specialty Lines.   As subsidiary of Brookfield Wealth Solutions, Argo takes a long-term view towards value creation, prioritizing profitability over topline, and deeply understanding risk/reward trade-offs.      This is a unique opportunity to have diverse exposure to wide variety of businesses, be involved in a turnaround/re-build with high growth aspirations, supported  by the capital and asset base of BWS (Brookfield), one of the leading global asset management companies.  

Underwriting governance – providing strong, independent second line of defense 

• Manage underwriting authority, including the Letter of Authority (LOA) framework
• Handle referrals outside of business unit authority
• Manage the Tower-sponsored quarterly profitability reviews, including the file review process
• Support Facultative purchasing, including referrals outside of business unit authority
• Monitor and manage Natural Catastrophe accumulations, the Cat modeling requirements by business; also lead the Nat CAT event response working with the business to provide loss estimate ranges
• Oversee all underwriting guidelines, maintaining latest best practice and prudent changes as industry risk evolves.   Ensure underwriting compliance with regulatory updates and Argo Group standards, including policy/form updates and other wording changes

Underwriting execution – support new businesses underwriting, as well as ongoing profitability and portfolio optimization initiatives  

• Diligence and large-transaction underwriting for new products and transactions – particularly Programs, as well as Reinsurance (quota share assumed retrocession)
• Support new product development and build-out
• Collaborate and liaise with other functions, including:
• Ceded Re: Support reinsurance placements and design of reinsurance structures
  • Risk:  Work with the CRO to enhance Argo’s CAT Modeling and Exposure Management practices
  • Actuarial: Work with Actuarial team to continually improve Argo’s pricing approaches
  • Data & Analytics:  Define data standards and enhance performance management dashboards
  • Product Management to support form development and filings  

The successful candidate will have passion for profitable underwriting and specialty risk, with proactive, collaborative, roll-up-the-sleeves attitude and working style:

• Hands-on Underwriting experience (10+ years), ideally spanning both front-office and home-office roles
• Depth in Property underwriting with understanding of exposures, valuations, pricing, PMLs/MFLs, gross vs. net economics
• Program Underwriting, Whole Account, and/or Treaty experience.  Breadth and versatility to support other lines across Casualty, Professional, Specialty – including the AL/GL within Garage and the non-Property exposure within Programs
• Quantitative chops, ability to conduct analysis on large data sets, navigate industry-standard files (EDMs), understand limits and ROL profiles, claims distributions, actuarial pricing principles (both deterministic and stochastic); highly proficient in Excel and ability to use Argo’s Cat modeling tools. 
• Intuition and understanding of risk – appreciation for the distribution of outcomes (vs. point estimates), portfolio aggregation, premium-to-limit balance
• Street smarts – appreciating business context; considering personal motivations; not ‘only’ trusting models; challenging face-value plans and projections
• Team builder, someone who understands that success is dependent upon the performance of the team; creates strong morale; “One Argo” mindset, putting the company first; highly collaborative, able to adapt, operate with uncertain data, navigate change, handle different personalities; thrive in a start-up like environment
• Operate as both ‘manager’ and ‘doer’, with willingness and ability to roll-up-the-sleeves to underwrite, analyze, and drive production of deliverables
• Strong communication skills, both market-facing and internally.  Ability to communicate corporate vision, frame decisions, establish common understanding, and gain alignment

PLEASE NOTE:  At this time, Argo Group will not sponsor an applicant for employment authorization for this position.

If you have a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or a similar law and you wish to discuss potential accommodations related to applying for employment at Argo Group, please contact our Benefits Department at 210-321-8400. 

To all recruitment agencies:  Unless you have been requested to work on this position, or other positions with Argo Group, please do not forward any resumes to Argo Group employees.   Argo Group is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Argo Group International Holdings, Inc. (“Argo” or the “Company”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brookfield Wealth Solutions, Ltd. (“BWS”), a New York and Toronto-listed public company. Argo, with over $8 billion of assets on its balance sheet, is a leading underwriter of specialty insurance products in the property and casualty (P&C) market, working with independent agents, wholesale brokers, and retail brokerage partners to deliver collaborative solutions for niche markets.

BWS is a leading wealth solutions provider, focused on securing the financial futures of individuals and institutions through a range of wealth protection and retirement services, and tailored capital solutions. BWS is backed by Brookfield Corporation, a leading global investment firm whose asset management business manages more than $1 trillion in assets as of September 30, 2024.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin or citizenship (including language use restrictions), denial of family and medical care leave, disability (mental and physical) , including HIV and AIDS, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), race, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex (including pregnancy, child birth, breastfeeding, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, child birth or breastfeeding), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other status protected by laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. 

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Our Benefits

Developing our employees professionally and personally strengthens our organization.
Argo Group offers an attractive Total Rewards package that includes:

• A culture that recognizes performance and empowers employees to excel, offering competitive compensation and merit driven profit sharing.
  
  
• Workplace policies that support employee well-being include flex time and floating holidays.
  
  
• Comprehensive health, wellness, and financial planning options that employees can tailor to meet their personal and family needs.  In addition to traditional health and wellness plans, benefits include dental, disability, life insurance, medical, and vision insurance, matching 401(k) retirement savings, generous paid time off (21 days of PTO, 11 paid company holidays, 3 floating holidays and a paid voluntary day), paid caregiver and parental leave, paid bereavement, jury duty/court appearances, and military (up to 14 days) leave, employee assistance program (EAP), and an array of voluntary benefits.  
  
  
• Argo Academy, a digital and instructor-led platform that offers continuous learning and professional development – Training magazine lists Argo among the Training "Top 125" Companies.   Argo encourages career mobility and continuing education to pursue and maintain professional and industry designations, in addition to traditional university and higher education programs.
  
  
• An inclusive culture that develops and sponsors diverse teams, encourages cross-functional engagement and collaboration, builds community through employee resource groups (ERGs), and provides an environment that welcomes ongoing dialogue, creative innovation, professional and personal development.
  
  
• Active community outreach and volunteer programs.
  
  
• A generous Employee Referral program that results in approximately 25% of all new hires annually.