Role Description
Are you a strategic underwriting leader who thrives on developing talent and shaping portfolio performance? MEM Insurance is seeking an experienced Underwriting Manager to lead and elevate our underwriting team. In this role, you will guide the team toward an appetite-led, portfolio-driven approach to decision-making—ensuring that every underwriting decision supports profitable growth and long-term success. You will serve as the critical bridge between leadership strategy and day-to-day execution, translating organizational direction into clear, actionable guidance for your team. This is a highly visible leadership opportunity for someone who enjoys building underwriting excellence, engaging with market and portfolio data, and helping others grow their judgment and confidence.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
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Underwriting Leadership and Strategy
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Translate MEM’s underwriting appetite and strategic direction into clear guidance that drives consistent, portfolio-aligned decision-making.
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Lead the team to think beyond individual transactions, ensuring underwriting decisions reflect broader portfolio outcomes.
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Monitor book-of-business composition, identifying trends, concentrations, and opportunities for proactive strategic adjustments.
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Contribute to underwriting strategy discussions using insights from market conditions, loss trends, and portfolio performance.
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Coach underwriters to strengthen judgment and decision-making aligned to performance and profitability goals.
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Operational Leadership
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Oversee daily underwriting operations to ensure alignment with department objectives and broader business goals.
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Manage risk selection, pricing, and reinsurance decisions within authority to maintain quality and profitability.
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Balance workload across the team to deliver strong service levels and consistent results.
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Partner with underwriting leadership to ensure consistent execution of best practices across the organization.
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Underwriting Quality and Governance
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Ensure underwriting decisions align with company guidelines, authority levels, and compliance expectations.
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Analyze historical loss data and financial trends to inform risk selection and portfolio strategy.
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Support the development and evolution of underwriting guidelines based on market and business needs.
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Lead quality assurance efforts by reviewing underwriting work, identifying improvement opportunities, and driving corrective actions.
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Maintain strong documentation standards and audit readiness.
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People Leadership and Talent Development
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Develop underwriting judgment within the team, empowering individuals to make confident, independent decisions.
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Create tailored development plans that support growth at every stage of an underwriter’s career.
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Lead meaningful performance conversations focused on decision quality, consistency, and alignment with strategy.
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Identify hiring, promotion, and role alignment opportunities that strengthen overall team capability.
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Cross-Functional Collaboration
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Build strong relationships with agency partners and Sales Executives to grow in-appetite business.
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Collaborate across departments—including Safety, Claims, Finance, and Sales—to drive aligned outcomes.
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Lead coordination on complex accounts through account reviews and cross-functional engagement.
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Represent underwriting with professionalism and clarity to internal and external stakeholders.
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Analytical and Strategic Contribution
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Provide insights and recommendations on profitability, premium planning, and portfolio performance.
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Support strategic initiatives that enhance underwriting operations and competitiveness.
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Contribute to improvements in underwriting tools, systems, and processes.
Qualifications
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Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Insurance, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
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CPCU or AU designation preferred.
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Valid driver’s license required.
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6+ years of underwriting experience, with property and casualty experience preferred.
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Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team.
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Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into clear direction.
Benefits
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Health Plans: Medical, Dental, and Vision, including fertility benefits, fully paid preventative care, and adult orthodontia.
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Employer-Paid Life and Disability Benefits: Life Insurance (3x base salary), AD&D, Short and Long-term Disability.
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Wellness and Recognition Program: Employer-paid incentives for employees and spouses.
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Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care options.
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Health Savings Account: Generous employer contribution.
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Time Away from Work: Generous PTO, 11 Holidays + 4 Early Releases, 16 Hours Volunteer Time Off, 20 Days Paid Parental Leave, Marriage, Bereavement, and Jury Duty leave.
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Employee Assistance Programs.
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401k Retirement Plan: Employer match and profit sharing.
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Adoption Assistance and Tuition Assistance.