Excess Casualty Wholesale Account Manager

Account Manager

We're determined to make a difference and are proud to be an insurance company that goes well beyond coverages and policies. Working here means having every opportunity to achieve your goals – and to help others accomplish theirs, too. Join our team as we help shape the future. This role will have a hybrid work schedule, with the expectation of working in an office three days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) in locations including Chicago, IL, Scottsdale, AZ, Frisco, TX, Greenwood Village, CO, Morristown, NJ, and New York, NY.

The Account Manager, as part of Global Specialty Operations, will serve as a critical partner to the Primary Casualty and Excess Casualty Wholesale underwriting teams. The individual focuses on service experience and book of business management, while also acting as a key contact for brokers and underwriters. This is an individual contributor role without supervisory responsibilities, also mentors and trains less experienced staff members and serves as the technical go-to person for the team and other functional/business partners. Individuals solve problems and make decisions while working independently and prioritizing a high volume of workload. Complexity of work varies from standard, routine tasks to more complex problem solving and analytical assignments. This role assists in developing/clarifying procedural guidelines, as appropriate, due to the comprehensive knowledge of the commercial lines business, products, and coverages possessed. Some project work may be assigned as needed. Strong communications skills are crucial. This position works in a team environment which can span multiple offices; however, the individual is expected to be able to exercise decision making skills and problem solving while working independently and prioritizing a high volume of workload. Complexity of work varies from standard, routine tasks to more complex problem solving and analytical assignments. Some project work may be assigned as needed.

Responsibilities:

• Renewal analysis/loss analysis and prepping entire account for renewal quotes
• Prepare and issue binders, policies, endorsements and follow up for missing subjectivities
• Some rating analysis is required for renewal prep work and underwriting thought process
• Review and analyze endorsement requests, escalate issues as required, process endorsements
• Complete underlying policy analysis on each excess policy and send for UW review (terms and conditions, exposures, general information, aggregates, etc.)
• Serve as a point of contact for brokers and provide optimal customer service experience on behalf of the company
• Careful adherence to compliance standards and excellent maintenance of account files, underwriting documentation
• Participation in projects, as needed
• Agency Management & Client Relations:
• Serve as a critical partner to the underwriting teams within the middle market commercial organization. The individual focuses on service experience and book of business management with primary metrics of retention, profitability, and growth, and acts as a key contact for agents and brokers within the assigned territory.
• The individual maintains and utilizes a strong level of P&C commercial lines industry and market knowledge to contribute to the overall success and profitability of the commercial organization. Routine, structured, and high complexity of caseload and assignment work.
• Accountable for the overall and entire service experience, facilitating functional experts and delivering a differentiated experience. Penetrates the agency CSR relationship.
• Builds and maintains relationships with key agency contacts and decision makers through regular interaction regarding new account marketing, renewal retention, quoting, and delivery of excellent agency service. Effective at rebuilding "damaged" customer relationships.
• Accompanies underwriters and sales staff on marketing visits in order to establish a working relationship (target: three per year).
• Prepares submissions for rating and acts as the gatekeeper between the agent, underwriter, and the operations service center
• Underwriting Support:
• Performs initial prequalification on all new account submissions, generates a summary of all findings, and makes a recommendation to pursue or decline.
• Leads pre-qualification meetings with underwriter and provides recommendations on new and renewal accounts.
• Works independently to proactively maintain timeliness of information in the underwriting files.
• Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups. Can win concessions without damaging relationships; focus is on win/win proposition for agents and company when reviewing new or renewal accounts.
• Supports sales efforts through an understanding of middle market strategies and industry programs, as well as makeup of assigned book of business and agency territory; clear understanding of sales and business goals, top partner performance, and book mix.
• Uses strong information gathering and diagnostic skills to solve problems.
• Workflow distribution:
• Coordinate activities for all supporting tasks (rating, agent/broker information, risk engineering, etc.) on new business submissions and renewal accounts.
• Prioritizes territory workload based upon varying service requirements and customer needs of different activities/transactions.
• Monitors work performance to ensure quality objectives and service commitments are achieved.
• Facilitates routing of tasks and work between agents, underwriters, service team, and home office team.
• Project/Backup Support:
• Backs up other account managers as needed. Routes information to and from underwriting teams in the absence of local underwriter.
• May support various projects as determined by operations and/or underwriting staff.

Qualifications:

• Experience as a commercial insurance account manager (or related) at a carrier or brokerage required
• Comfortable level of knowledge of the following insurance coverages: commercial excess liability, commercial primary general liability, workers compensation, & auto
• Excess & surplus experience a plus
• College degree preferred
• Strong customer service orientation and relationship building skills required
• Effective communication skills/written and verbal
• Strong technical ability
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and high volume work environment
• Professional demeanor
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint software. Knowledge of ImageRight, other insurance platforms also desired