Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Independent insurance brokerage with employee ownership

Property Vertical Director

Insurance Sales & AgencyUpdated on Nov 13

Full-timeWalnut Creek, CA, USA$180k - $240k /yrIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in commercial property insurance, brokerage, underwriting, or wholesale distribution.
Deep expertise in large commercial property placements and market dynamics.
Proven success in developing carrier and broker relationships.
Strong understanding of property underwriting, catastrophe modeling, and coverage structures.
Demonstrated leadership and business development capabilities.

Responsibilities

Own and execute the strategic direction for the Property vertical.
Define the vertical's value proposition, market positioning, and growth roadmap.
Establish underwriting focus, target industries, and property product offerings.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert on commercial property risks, catastrophe exposures, valuation challenges, and market trends.
Develop strategies for large property schedules, shared and layered placements, and specialty property programs.
Drive new business growth through strategic relationships with retail brokers, carriers, and managing general agents.
Partner with brokers to identify, pursue, and close complex property placements.
Support key accounts and large-loss-exposed opportunities.
Manage renewal production to achieve retention and profitability objectives.
Track pipeline performance and vertical growth metrics.
Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with property carriers and reinsurers.
Negotiate capacity, pricing, coverage enhancements, and program structures.
Expand market access for catastrophe-exposed and difficult-to-place risks.
Stay current on catastrophe modeling, capacity shifts, valuation trends, and underwriting appetites.
Train producers on property coverage structures, market conditions, and placement strategies.
Develop property-focused marketing tools and educational resources.
Serve as an escalation point for large and complex submissions.
Support onboarding and development of producers within the Property practice.
Partner with Operations, Marketing, and Leadership to grow the Property vertical.
Develop thought leadership, market updates, and client-facing resources.
Improve submission quality, workflows, and operational efficiency.
Ensure compliance with carrier and regulatory guidelines.
Monitor property market conditions, catastrophe exposure trends, and emerging risks.
Represent the firm at industry conferences, carrier meetings, and client events.
Publish insights related to property insurance market developments.

Desired Qualifications

Experience leading a property practice or business unit.
Wholesale brokerage background.
Established property carrier relationships.
A bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

The Property Vertical Director is responsible for leading, developing, and scaling the firm's Property practice. This role combines strategic leadership, market expertise, broker enablement, and revenue growth within wholesale brokerage operations. Working closely with the executive team, the Property Vertical Director will define the vertical's vision, drive carrier and retail broker engagement, develop differentiated solutions, and position the firm as a market leader in commercial property insurance and catastrophe-exposed risks.

Vertical Strategy & Leadership

Own and execute the strategic direction for the Property vertical.
Define the vertical's value proposition, market positioning, and growth roadmap.
Establish underwriting focus, target industries, and property product offerings.
Serve as the internal subject matter expert on commercial property risks, CAT exposures, valuation challenges, and market trends.
Develop strategies for large property schedules, shared and layered placements, and specialty property programs.

Revenue Growth & Business Development

Drive new business growth through strategic relationships with retail brokers, carriers, and MGAs.
Partner with brokers to identify, pursue, and close complex property placements.
Support key accounts and large-loss exposed opportunities.
Manage renewal production to achieve retention and profitability objectives.
Track pipeline performance and vertical growth metrics.

Carrier & Market Management

Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with property carriers and reinsurers.
Negotiate capacity, pricing, coverage enhancements, and program structures.
Expand market access for catastrophe-exposed and difficult-to-place risks.
Stay current on CAT modeling, capacity shifts, valuation trends, and underwriting appetites.

Producer Enablement & Training

Train producers on property coverage structures, market conditions, and placement strategies.
Develop property-focused marketing tools and educational resources.
Serve as an escalation point for large and complex submissions.
Support onboarding and development of producers within the Property practice.

Operational & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Operations, Marketing, and Leadership to grow the Property vertical.
Develop thought leadership, market updates, and client-facing resources.
Improve submission quality, workflows, and operational efficiency.
Ensure compliance with carrier and regulatory guidelines.

Market Intelligence & Thought Leadership

Monitor property market conditions, CAT exposure trends, and emerging risks.
Represent the firm at industry conferences, carrier meetings, and client events.
Publish insights related to property insurance market developments.

Success Metrics

Property vertical revenue growth and profitability.
Expansion of property carrier relationships and capacity.
Growth in complex property placements.
Producer engagement and adoption.
Retail broker retention and submission growth.

Required

10+ years of experience in commercial property insurance, brokerage, underwriting, or wholesale distribution.
Deep expertise in large commercial property placements and market dynamics.
Proven success in developing carrier and broker relationships.
Strong understanding of property underwriting, catastrophe modeling, and coverage structures.
Demonstrated leadership and business development capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience leading a property practice or business unit.
Wholesale brokerage background.
Established property carrier relationships.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.

About the Company

Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Independent insurance brokerage with employee ownership

Heffernan Insurance Brokers is a large independent U.S. insurance broker headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, offering business and personal insurance, employee benefits, and financial services. Its model centers on employee ownership, with staff having a stake in the firm to align interests and support long-term client relationships. Growth comes from steady organic expansion complemented by acquiring smaller, culturally aligned independent brokerages across the country, expanding geographic reach and deepening expertise in niches such as construction, nonprofits, and technology. By combining local market knowledge with scale and a focus on specific client segments, the goal is to be a leading nationwide independent broker with strong service and sustained, stable growth.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Walnut Creek, CA
Founded: 1988

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