Sr. Underwriter

Company Details

As a member company of W. R. Berkley Corporation, Berkley Healthcare has assembled a unique team of multi-disciplinary insurance professionals to take a fresh look at healthcare organization insurance. We pride ourselves on our deep expertise in underwriting, claims and distribution in the healthcare industry insurance market. We understand that the healthcare industry is in a state of rapid evolution; shaped by emerging concepts in technology, law, public welfare and social economics, all with attendant enterprise risk unique to healthcare organizations. We apply cutting-edge insurance concepts to traditional healthcare insurance products.  Concepts that embrace the current complexity of the healthcare industry.  Concepts that give ultimate flexibility in managing enterprise risk.

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company that is among the largest commercial lines writers in the United States and operates worldwide in two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance. Each of the Berkley companies, or operating units within Berkley, participates in a niche market requiring specialized knowledge about a territory or product.

Our competitive advantage lies in our long-term strategy of decentralized operations, allowing each of our Berkley companies to identify and respond quickly and effectively to changing market conditions and local customer needs. This decentralized structure provides financial accountability and incentives to local management and enables us to attract and retain the highest caliber professionals. We have the expertise and resources to utilize our strengths in the present environment, and the flexibility to anticipate, innovate and respond to whatever opportunities and challenges the future may hold.

Responsibilities

As a member company of W. R. Berkley Corporation, Berkley Healthcare has assembled a unique team of multi-disciplinary insurance professionals to take a fresh look at healthcare organization insurance. We pride ourselves on our deep expertise in underwriting, claims and distribution in the healthcare industry insurance market. We understand that the healthcare industry is in a state of rapid evolution; shaped by emerging concepts in technology, law, public welfare and social economics, all with attendant enterprise risk unique to healthcare organizations. We apply cutting-edge insurance concepts to traditional healthcare insurance products.  Concepts that embrace the current complexity of the healthcare industry.  Concepts that give ultimate flexibility in managing enterprise risk.

The Senior Underwriter is responsible for submission generation, underwriting and policy issuance of Directors and Officers Liability, Employment Practices Liability, Fiduciary Liability, Fidelity/Crime for large private commercial and not-for-profit healthcare organizations. The underwriting position will be part of the Berkley Healthcare Financial Lines division of Berkley Healthcare. S/he will be responsible for handling new and renewal, primary and excess business throughout the placement process from underwriting submission receipt to policy issuance.While we seek candidates for our Chicago office, we will consider candidates near our main office in West Hartford, CT and other major metropolitan areas.

Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Determine risk acceptability in accordance with underwriting risk appetite and guidelines 
• Prepare thorough underwriting analyses with detailed exposure analysis and independent underwriter assessment 
• Make pricing, coverage, terms and conditions determinations and recommendations within defined limits/authority and underwriting guidelines and authority parameters 
• Develop, grow and maintain a profitable, diversified book of business aligned with company goals 
• Ensure production and loss ratio goals are achieved for assigned book by reviewing, analyzing and evaluating information and taking appropriate action as necessary 
• Develop positive broker relationships while maintaining a good rapport through responsive levels of service 
• Coordinate travel-related underwriting and marketing activities in consultation with Segment Manager and Distribution and Marketing Manager 
• Attend industry seminars and conferences, as approved, for education and marketing purposes 
• Foster growth of less experienced staff in a positive and growth-oriented environment 
• Actively self-educate as to line of business, industry and insurance trends including exposures, claims, legal, legislative, healthcare, current events, self-improvement and innovation

At BHC, we expect employees not only to have the Required Technical Skills to perform their jobs, but also to exhibit Berkley Core Company Behaviors to Innovation, specifically:

• Managing self (You know how to manage your emotions and apply critical thinking skills instead) 
• Courage (You aren’t afraid to speak up and have your opinion and voice heard; you do what is right)  
• Reflective Listening (You seek to understand before being understood) 
• Challenging status quo (You ask “why” or “why not”; you don’t accept, “just because”) 
• Evidenced-based decision making (You seek out the facts to make informed decisions) 
• Effective collaboration (You work well with others to accomplished team goals; you understand that individuals win when the team wins) 
• Resilience (you don’t let failures or mistakes set you back; you see mistakes as learning opportunities)

Additionally, to succeed in this role the following skills are essential:

• Customer focus (You excel at relationship building and customer responsiveness) 
• Strong written and oral communication (Your communication style is flexible and adapts to the situation)
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work on a daily basis in response to a dynamic work environment
• Adept at shifting between tasks while managing a variety of responsibilities
• Strong sense of accountability (You can work independently and manage to multiple deadlines)

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree from an accredited university or college
• 5 years of current financial lines underwriting experience
• Healthcare financial lines underwriting experience with hospitals and health systems highly preferred
• Knowledge of financial lines products, coverages and policy forms
• Strong organizational skills required to successfully manage underwriting files and workflow process
• Customer focused (You excel at relationship building and customer responsiveness)
• Strong written and oral communication skills (Your communication style is flexible and adapts to the situation)
• Strong existing broker relationships desired
• Ability to prioritize tasks and work on a daily basis in response to a dynamic work environment
• Strong sense of accountability (You can work independently and manage to multiple deadlines)
• Takes intelligent risks and exercises solid business judgment
• Solid understanding of business objectives to drive bottom-line results
• Ability to travel on occasion <15% of the time in the performance of duties