Remote in USA+1 moreMore locations: Austin, TX, USA
RemoteRemote in the US; regular travel to partners and industry events (30%–40%).
Insurance
About the job
Requirements
At least 15 years of experience in commercial property and casualty, including at least 8 years focused on program business at an MGA, program administrator, carrier program unit, or wholesale broker.
A track record of launching and scaling multiple programs with premium growth and favorable loss ratios.
Senior-level relationships across insurance carriers, fronting carriers, reinsurers, and program administrators.
Experience managing program or portfolio P&L, including budget oversight and achieving profitability targets.
Deep knowledge of commercial property coverage, risk rating, and underwriting guidelines.
Experience structuring program agreements, capacity commitments, and profit-sharing terms through executive-level negotiations.
Experience recruiting, managing, and leading program, underwriting, or business development teams.
Willingness to travel 30% to 40%.
Employment is contingent upon satisfactory verification of a general and criminal background check.
Responsibilities
Define the program growth strategy, including which classes, states, and partners to pursue or pass on.
Personally source and close major program opportunities through networks of program administrators, MGAs, wholesalers, and industry associations.
Evaluate opportunities based on market size, loss history, distribution reach, and alignment with the company's risk appetite.
Lead executive-level negotiations regarding commissions, profit sharing, underwriting authority, and multi-year contract terms.
Own program business plans, premium projections, and loss-ratio targets presented to carriers and the board.
Establish appetite, guidelines, rating structures, and authority levels in collaboration with underwriting and actuarial teams.
Oversee due diligence, contract execution, regulatory filings, and launch execution across legal, compliance, product, and operations teams.
Manage the program portfolio P&L, including written premium, loss ratio, profit sharing, and expenses.
Conduct executive business reviews with partners and carriers, proactively addressing performance variances.
Drive expansion into new geographic regions, adjacent business classes, and additional coverage offerings.
Recruit, mentor, and lead program managers and business development staff as the portfolio expands.
Represent the company in the program market, including participating in panel discussions and industry events.
Advise the executive team on competitor activity, market capacity, pricing trends, and potential strategic partnerships or M&A opportunities.
Desired Qualifications
An active property and casualty license is preferred.
Background in underwriting leadership before transitioning into program development.
Experience establishing a new MGA or program unit from inception.
Professional designations such as CPCU, CIC, or ARM.
Board or committee participation in TMPAA, AAMGA, or similar industry associations.
Experience in a high-growth environment.
About the business
Etude operates in insurance, commercial real estate, and industrials. Our insurance business covers more than 5,000 properties with billions of dollars in insured value. Our real estate business owns approximately $1B of commercial property alongside the Kinder Family Office. Our industrial business is developing a multibillion-dollar, 40-acre steelworks to secure the domestic supply chain for electrical infrastructure.
About the team
We are roughly a 100-person team. We hire high-agency people and give them autonomy, responsibility, and diverse problems to work on. We operate with the intensity of a small company where every person's work is visible and believe responsiveness is a form of respect. If you're looking for a place to sharpen your craft alongside people who take their work seriously, you'll fit right in.
About the role
The Program Lead is a senior executive who will build and own our specialty program portfolio. You will define the program strategy and establish relationships with program administrators, MGA agents, and other production sources. You will guide each new program from concept to launch and scaling, owning both its growth and profitability.
This is a senior hunter role with P&L accountability. You will personally source and close the largest opportunities across commercial property and casualty lines, representing our E&S carrier across a variety of business areas. As a new carrier, we are open to exploring various classes of business.
You will be supported by a fully AI-enabled platform, a team of engineers, an actuarial and insurance product department, and a fully integrated claims function.
Location: Remote (US), with regular travel to partners and industry events.
What you'll do
Set strategy and win new programs
Define the program growth strategy: determine which classes, states, and partners to pursue or pass on
Personally source and close major program opportunities through your network of program administrators, MGAs, wholesalers, and industry associations
Evaluate opportunities based on market size, loss history, distribution reach, and alignment with our risk appetite
Lead executive-level negotiations regarding commissions, profit sharing, underwriting authority, and multi-year contract terms
Secure capacity and launch
Own program business plans, premium projections, and loss-ratio targets presented to carriers and the board
Establish appetite, guidelines, rating structures, and authority levels in collaboration with underwriting and actuarial teams
Oversee due diligence, contract execution, regulatory filings, and launch execution across legal, compliance, product, and operations teams
Own the P&L and build the team
Manage the program portfolio P&L, including written premium, loss ratio, profit sharing, and expenses
Conduct executive business reviews with partners and carriers, proactively addressing performance variances
Drive expansion into new geographic regions, adjacent business classes, and additional coverage offerings
Recruit, mentor, and lead program managers and business development staff as the portfolio expands
Represent the business in the market
Serve as the public representative for the company in the program market, including participating in panel discussions and industry events
Advise the executive team on competitor activity, market capacity, pricing trends, and potential strategic partnerships or M&A opportunities
What you bring
15+ years of experience in commercial P&C, with at least 8 years focused on program business at an MGA, program administrator, carrier program unit, or wholesale broker
Demonstrated track record of launching and scaling multiple programs with proven premium growth and favorable loss ratios
Established senior-level relationships across insurance carriers, fronting carriers, reinsurers, and program administrators
Proven experience managing P&L for a program or portfolio, including budget oversight and achieving profitability targets
Deep knowledge of commercial property coverage, risk rating, and underwriting guidelines
Executive-level negotiation skills in structuring program agreements, capacity commitments, and profit-sharing terms
Proven experience recruiting, managing, and leading program, underwriting, or business development teams
Proactive hunter mindset with a commitment to personally prospecting and closing deals
Active P&C license preferred
Willingness to travel 30% to 40%
Nice to have
Background in underwriting leadership prior to transitioning into program development
Experience establishing a new MGA or program unit from inception
Professional designations such as CPCU, CIC, or ARM
Board or committee participation in TMPAA, AAMGA, or similar industry associations
Experience in high-growth environment
If you don't have all the qualifications listed, don't worry! We understand everyone's career path is unique and still encourage you to apply if you feel this role is aligned with your career trajectory.
Employment at Etude is contingent upon a satisfactory verification of a general and criminal background check.