AVP Underwriting

Inland Marine, Midwest Region

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

1,001-5,000 employees

Website

Insurance

Company Overview

Argo Group is a U.S.-focused underwriter of specialty insurance products in the property and casualty market. We offer a full line of products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims-handling needs of businesses. Since 1957, we share a firm commitment to working together with independent agents, wholesale brokers and retail brokerage partners to deliver innovative products for niche markets. Headquartered in Bermuda, we’re a diverse company with multiple offices in the United States. Our belief that the company’s success is linked to our employees drives our commitment to creating an environment and culture of respect where everyone can thrive. We value helping the communities around us, growing alongside our employees through innovation and creating a workplace with work-life balance.

Locations

Remote

Experience Level

Entry

Junior

Mid

Senior

Expert

Desired Skills

Business Strategy

Marketing

CategoriesNew

Business & Strategy

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university and 7+ years' related experience
Experience with core inland marine lines such as construction, transportation and equipment lines
Adept at building relationships with Retail and Wholesale Brokers in the region
Proven leadership capabilities with a sound influence in dealing with challenging situations
Demonstrates strong ability to partner with finance, actuarial, IT and marketing resources
Demonstrates significant contribution to underwriting profit
Independent decision maker - takes full responsibility for making decisions and consequences associated with decisions
Recognized as a leader within the organization that provides advice and guidance to others
Demonstrates knowledge of the Inland Marine external market and contributes to the development of business strategy
Have established relationships with external clients and professional network
Continually seeks opportunities for niche products and potential agent opportunities

Responsibilities

Meet new business and profit goals of the assigned region, individually and as a team
Initially, be the lead underwriter to develop a book of business within the region
Owns portfolio results and distribution management for the territory
Establish and communicate underwriting profit goals and other measurements including loss ratio, new business development, policy count, account retention, etc. once the team expands
Analyze individual risks and book of business results to manage and control underwriting exposure and pricing strategy consistent with company objectives
Provide leadership and acts as a subject matter expert, if called upon
Partner with the SVP of Underwriting to develop strategies and actions to resolve adverse trends or deviations from established underwriting standards identified through producer and account review audits
Participate in the recruitment and selection process to ensure the organization has the necessary talent to accomplish business goals, when it is time to expand
Cultivate and maintain relationships within and outside Argo Group to develop and drive new business opportunities. Work with internal and external business units to develop joint business plans, value propositions and cross-marketing programs
Represent the company at networking functions and other industry-related events that present and promote departmental initiatives to other external constituencies as appropriate
Act as a role model demonstrating belief in, and commitment to, the aspiration values of Argo Group, continuing to build and lead a value-based organization committed to long-term success
Other duties as assigned

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 flexible 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.

We are looking for an exceptional Assistant Vice President of Underwriting to join our team. The AVP of Underwriting will play a key role working with the SVP of Underwriting for Inland Marine lines of business helping coordinate the department’s strategic initiatives associated with growing a profitable book of business in a specified territory. This position will serve as the team lead for the designated region and will be involved in production and profitability of a book of business, strategic actions, manage distribution and ultimately build and lead a team to have the territory reach $30M in GPW.

This role is remote within the Midwestern region or aligned to our office in Chicago, IL.

The AVP Underwriting takes an active role in partnering with the SVP of the business unit to develop and implement underwriting strategy that identifies profitable market opportunities, new product development, positive agent relationships, operational requirements and financial assessments. The AVP Underwriting will serve as the key referral resource for less experienced Underwriters in the region.

Responsibilities:

Meet new business and profit goals of the assigned region, individually and as a team.
Initially, be the lead underwriter to develop a book of business within the region.
Owns portfolio results and distribution management for the territory.
Establish and communicate underwriting profit goals and other measurements including loss ratio, new business development, policy count, account retention, etc. once the team expands
Analyze individual risks and book of business results to manage and control underwriting exposure and pricing strategy consistent with company objectives.
Provide leadership and acts as a subject matter expert, if called upon.
Partner with the SVP of Underwriting to develop strategies and actions to resolve adverse trends or deviations from established underwriting standards identified through producer and account review audits.
Participate in the recruitment and selection process to ensure the organization has the necessary talent to accomplish business goals, when it is time to expand.
Cultivate and maintain relationships within and outside Argo Group to develop and drive new business opportunities. Work with internal and external business units to develop joint business plans, value propositions and cross-marketing programs.
Represent the company at networking functions and other industry-related events that present and promote departmental initiatives to other external constituencies as appropriate.
Act as a role model demonstrating belief in, and commitment to, the aspiration values of Argo Group, continuing to build and lead a value-based organization committed to long-term success.
Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and 7+ years’ related experience.
Experience with core inland marine lines such as construction, transportation and equipment lines.
Adept at building relationships with Retail and Wholesale Brokers in the region
Proven leadership capabilities with a sound influence in dealing with challenging situations.
Demonstrates strong ability to partner with finance, actuarial, IT and marketing resources.
Demonstrates significant contribution to underwriting profit.
Independent decision maker – takes full responsibility for making decisions and consequences associated with decisions.
Recognized as a leader within the organization that provides advice and guidance to others.
Demonstrates knowledge of the Inland Marine external market and contributes to the development of business strategy.
Have established relationships with external clients and professional network.
Continually seeks opportunities for niche products and potential agent opportunities.

The base salary range provided below is for hires in those geographic areas only and will be commensurate with candidate experience. Pay ranges for candidates in other locations may differ based on the cost of labor in that location. In addition to base salary, all employees are eligible for an annual bonus based on company and individual performance as well as a generous benefits package.

Colorado outside of Denver metro, Maryland, Nevada, and Rhode Island Pay Ranges:

$145,300—$172,800 USD

California outside of San Francisco metro area, Connecticut, Denver metro area, Washington State, and New York State (including Westchester County) Pay Ranges:

$159,700—$190,100 USD

New York City and San Francisco metro areas Pay Ranges:

$174,300—$207,400 USD

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, Ltd. (NYSE: ARGO) is a global multiline underwriter of specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty market. We help power the businesses that drive the world economy, offering a comprehensive line of high-quality products and services designed to meet the unique coverage and claims-handling needs of our clients. We foster an inclusive culture that embraces diversity and design thinking, relies on innovation and agility, promotes collaborative service delivery, offers frequent, integrated communication and values authentic recognition of excellence. View our 2022 Environmental, Social & Governance Report to learn more about Argo.   

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.

The collection of your personal information is subject to our HR Privacy Notice

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.
Flexible workplace policies that support employee well-being include compressed hours, flex-time, job-sharing, remote work, sabbatical leave, holiday and summer hours.
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 in addition to matching charitable gifts by 100%.
A generous Employee Referral program that results in approximately 25% of all new hires annually.