Full-Time
Life Sciences Associate
W.R. Berkley
Commercial insurance underwriting, reinsurance, and investments
Compensation Overview
$70k - $120k/yr
New York, NY, USA
In Person
Bachelor's
 Insurance (1) |
|---|
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- A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
- A minimum of 3 years of associate underwriting experience, including products or property, workers compensation, and automobile.
- Advanced proficiency with the Microsoft suite of products.
- A strong foundation in risk assessment and analytical thinking, with a commitment to developing technical expertise in life science products and markets.
- A proven track record of building and maintaining strong business relationships with insureds, agents, and brokers.
- Produce new business, underwrite renewals, and service business for an assigned group of producers and underwriters.
- Work closely with every department to meet compliance, regulatory, and service guidelines.
- Build relationships with internal and external customers and colleagues to meet or exceed growth, profit, retention, and new business goals.
- Negotiate, strategize, and make sound underwriting decisions within authority.
- Review all new line and endorsement submissions while remaining within applicable binding authority.
- Drive the renewal process by reviewing upcoming renewals, working with producers to obtain and evaluate underwriting information, and preparing renewals for the Life Sciences Specialist.
- Manage the assigned book to achieve budgeted rate, retention, and new business goals.
- Execute proper pricing components and rating methodologies.
- Solicit accounts, select risks, conduct research and analysis, document findings and pricing, and market Berkley Life Sciences products and services for new and existing customers.
- Analyze, assess, and select risks in accordance with Berkley Life Sciences account-rounding goals.
- Respond to coverage inquiries from producers.
- Stay current with compliance, procedural, and workflow changes.
- Work collaboratively with underwriters, operations, legal, home-office underwriting, and claims.
- Claims-made experience.
- Products liability experience.
- Life sciences experience.
W. R. Berkley provides commercial property and casualty insurance and reinsurance worldwide. It underwrites through two segments: Insurance with 53 operating units offering lines like excess and surplus, commercial auto, and workers’ compensation; and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess which writes reinsurance and excess policies for other insurers and self-insured entities. Revenue comes from premiums on insurance and reinsurance contracts and from investment income, supporting risk transfer and market capacity. The goal is to deliver steady underwriting results and financial returns for shareholders by serving a broad client base across many industries.
Company Size
N/A
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Greenwich, Connecticut
Founded
1967
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Q2 2026 gross premiums written hit a record $4.1 billion, up year over year.
- AM Best upgraded W. R. Berkley on June 25, 2026 to 'a' and 'aa'.
- Berkley Meridian launched August 18, 2026, expanding construction, liability, and wholesale E&S distribution.
What critics are saying
- Berkley sued Trisura on June 30, 2026 over additional-insured defense wording.
- Reinsurance gross premiums fell in Q2 2026, exposing Berkley Re to pricing pressure.
- A major catastrophe or reserve shock can erase specialty-margin gains and pressure capital.
What makes W.R. Berkley unique
- 53 operating units underwrite niche commercial risks across 10 regions, preserving local pricing power.
- Berkley specializes in E&S and specialty commercial lines, not commoditized personal insurance.
- Decades of disciplined underwriting produced AM Best upgrades and 18.6% Q2 2026 ROE.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
Wellness Program
Paid Time Off
401(k) Retirement Plan
Profit Sharing
Annual Bonus Potential
Company News
W. R. Berkley Corporation has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share on its common stock. The dividend will be paid on 30 September 2026 to stockholders of record at the close of business on 21 September 2026. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company and one of the largest commercial lines writers in the United States. The company operates two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess.
W. R. Berkley Corporation has formed Berkley Meridian, a new specialty insurance business combining Verus Specialty Insurance and Vela Insurance Services. Marlo M. Morrison will serve as president of the new entity. The business will unite underwriting capabilities and expertise across construction, professional liability, garage, casualty, and other specialty lines, focusing on the excess and surplus wholesale broker market. Integration has begun and is expected to continue into early 2027. Morrison joined Verus Specialty Insurance as president in 2019, bringing nearly 30 years of property and casualty insurance experience. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, said the combination will allow the company to leverage expertise and provide a broader suite of solutions. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States.
Robert R. Coyne, Jr. to succeed Daniel R. Westcott as President of Berkley Re America. 28th July 2026 - Author: Saumya Jain - Insurance holding company W. R. Berkley Corporation has appointed Daniel R. Westcott as Executive Vice President (EVP), as Robert R. Coyne Jr. succeeds him as President of Berkley Re America, while Robert C. Hewitt has been named Chairman of Berkley Re. All appointments are effective immediately. Berkley Re is a global reinsurer comprising Berkley Re America, Berkley Re UK, Berkley Re Solutions, Berkley Re Australia, and Berkley Re Asia. Westcott joined Berkley Re America as president in 2019, and has nearly three decades of experience in the property casualty reinsurance market. Coyne joined Berkley in 2006 and became Senior Vice President of Berkley Re America in 2010. He also has over three decades of experience in the property casualty reinsurance business. Hewitt joined Berkley in 2002 as Senior Vice President for risk management and was named EVP of the firm in 2016. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of W. R. Berkley Corporation, commented on the appointments, "Rob, Dan, and Rob have all provided outstanding leadership within Berkley for many years. Dan's skills and broad experience in the reinsurance market, as well as his extensive knowledge of its organisation, will serve Reinsurance Group well as he takes on oversight of its assumed reinsurance businesses. "With deep expertise in developing reinsurance solutions for customers, Rob Coyne is very well-positioned to lead Berkley Re America forward to build upon its success. Rob Hewitt has made extraordinary contributions to Berkley during his tenure, and we are deeply appreciative of his leadership, judgment, and unwavering commitment to the Company." He continued, "He has been a trusted colleague and valued leader, and we are especially pleased, both personally and professionally, that we will continue to benefit from his extensive experience and expertise." Last week, for its second quarter 2026 results, W. R. Berkley reported a new record for gross written premiums (GWP) of $4.1 billion.
W. R. Berkley Corporation has appointed Christopher L. Moede as president of Berkley Risk, effective immediately. He succeeds John Goodwin, who has been named chairman of the business. Moede brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the commercial insurance market. Most recently, he led a global underwriting segment at a major multinational insurer. Goodwin joined Berkley Risk in 2012, serving as executive vice president before becoming president in 2014. W. Robert Berkley, Jr., chief executive officer of W. R. Berkley Corporation, welcomed Moede's leadership skills and experience in developing risk solutions. He thanked Goodwin for his exceptional service and contributions. Berkley Risk provides at-risk and alternative risk insurance programme management services for public entity pools, professional associations, and self-insured clients.
W. R. Berkley, a property casualty insurer, missed revenue expectations in Q2 CY2026, with sales rising just 1.2% year-on-year to $3.72 billion, falling short of the $3.77 billion analyst estimate. The company's net premiums earned reached $3.19 billion, roughly in line with expectations. However, W. R. Berkley exceeded profit forecasts, reporting non-GAAP earnings of $1.27 per share, beating analyst consensus by 17.3%. The combined ratio of 90% also outperformed estimates of 91.4%. Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley operates through over 50 specialised insurance units globally. The company has demonstrated strong long-term performance, with 11.1% annualised revenue growth over the past five years, though recent growth has moderated to 7.8% over the last two years.