Director of Regional Underwriting, Eastern Region

Director of Regional Underwriting, Eastern Region

Hybrid | Home Office, New Hartford, NY

Lead Our Largest Region. Shape Underwriting Strategy. Drive Profitable Growth.

At Utica National, underwriting excellence and strong agency partnerships have been at the heart of our success for more than a century. We’re seeking an experienced Director of Regional Underwriting to lead Commercial Lines underwriting for our Eastern Regional Office, our largest region, based at our Home Office in New Hartford, New York.

In this highly visible leadership role, you’ll have responsibility for Commercial Lines business throughout New York State, excluding the Greater New York City Metro area. You’ll lead and develop a team of underwriting professionals, influence the strategic direction of the regional portfolio, and partner closely with Sales and agency partners to drive profitable growth.

This is an opportunity to lead an established and significant book of business while helping shape both its near-term performance and long-term direction.

What You’ll Do

Lead Regional Underwriting Strategy & Performance

• Provide leadership and strategic direction for Commercial Lines underwriting across the Eastern Region.
• Own underwriting execution and help drive top-line growth and bottom-line profitability for the regional portfolio.
• Establish strategies and priorities for new and renewal business that support growth, retention, and profitability objectives.
• Monitor loss experience, underwriting results, and portfolio trends and take appropriate action to improve performance.
• Evaluate changes in rates, coverages, rules, regulations, statutes, and market conditions and determine their potential impact on the region.
• Translate business and marketplace insights into actionable underwriting strategies.

Develop a High-Performing Underwriting Team

• Lead, coach, and develop underwriting professionals responsible for new and renewal Commercial Lines business.
• Build a culture of sound decision-making, accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.
• Provide technical underwriting guidance and oversight, including quality assurance and risk-selection reviews.
• Identify development needs and strengthen underwriting capabilities through coaching, training, and ongoing feedback.
• Support hiring, performance management, talent development, and succession planning for the regional underwriting team.

Strengthen Agency Partnerships & Drive Growth

• Partner closely with Sales to identify, develop, and strengthen agency relationships throughout the region.
• Support strategies to expand profitable production within existing agencies while identifying opportunities to build the agency network.
• Develop relationships with key agency partners and participate in strategic agency visits and business reviews.
• Ensure underwriting appetite, priorities, and expectations are clearly communicated to agency partners.
• Balance disciplined underwriting with a responsive and solutions-oriented approach to the marketplace.

Drive Underwriting Quality & Operational Excellence

• Maintain strong underwriting standards and consistency across the regional portfolio.
• Partner with service and operational teams to improve workflows and deliver an effective experience for agency partners.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, and underwriting execution.
• Ensure changes in underwriting policies, procedures, rates, and guidelines are effectively communicated and implemented throughout the region.

Collaborate Across the Organization

• Partner with Enterprise Underwriting, Sales, Product, Claims, Actuarial, and other business areas to achieve regional and company objectives.
• Represent the Eastern Region in strategic discussions involving underwriting performance, market opportunities, and business priorities.
• Bring regional market intelligence and agency feedback into broader underwriting and business decisions.
• Help create alignment between enterprise strategy and execution within the region.

What Makes You Successful

We’re looking for an experienced Commercial Lines underwriting leader who combines strong technical expertise with business acumen, people leadership, and a passion for developing talent.

You may be a great fit if you have:

• 5+ years of Middle Market Commercial Lines underwriting experience.
• 3+ years of Commercial Lines underwriting leadership experience preferred.
• Strong technical knowledge of Commercial Lines underwriting, risk selection, pricing, and portfolio management.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop underwriting professionals.
• Experience managing underwriting results and balancing growth with profitability.
• Strong understanding of independent agency distribution and agency relationship management.
• Ability to analyze loss experience, portfolio trends, and market conditions and translate insights into action.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and decision-making skills.
• Four-year college degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• CPCU, AU, CIC, or other relevant insurance education or professional designations are a plus.

Why This Opportunity?

This role offers the chance to lead underwriting for Utica National’s largest regional operation from our Home Office in New Hartford.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Influence the performance and direction of a significant Commercial Lines portfolio.
• Lead and develop an experienced underwriting team.
• Help shape regional growth and profitability strategy.
• Partner with some of our most important agency relationships.
• Collaborate directly with leaders across Sales, Enterprise Underwriting, Product, Claims, and other areas.
• Play an important role in the continued evolution of our Commercial Lines business.

Location

Home Office | New Hartford, NY
Hybrid