About the position
The USRM Underwriting Execution Strategy team is hiring an Assistant Director to support Small Commercial Underwriting. This individual will work collaboratively with underwriting, field leaders, product strategy and technology to lead projects of varying size and scope that drive quality, profitability and improve operational efficiency. We seek an individual with the desire to work in a collaborative, high-performance, and high-visibility culture, capable of working cross-functionally throughout the organization. This role will require broad strategic thinking, project management experience, the ability to enable strategic discussions with USRM leadership and preparing and presenting deliverables to executive leadership. If this person lives within 50 miles of a USRM Hub Office (Boston, Columbus, Seattle, Plano, Portsmouth) they will be required to be in the office twice a week.
Responsibilities
- Leads complex analysis and prioritization of field-driven underwriting concerns related to automation and process efficiencies under minimal direction.
- Acts as a subject matter expert for underwriting standards, digital workflow, and cross-line initiatives, independently managing the deployment and adoption of countrywide programs to enhance underwriting efficiency and effectiveness.
- Collaborates with Small Commercial leadership, Underwriting Operations Consultants, UES, Product, and Compliance teams to review and refine underwriting appetite, guidelines, and system functionality, providing strategic recommendations that influence company-wide underwriting policies and practices.
- Develops and leads deployment plans for new underwriting strategies and digital automation initiatives, ensuring clear ownership of communication, training, and system support tasks, and monitoring implementation effectiveness through quality assurance collaboration.
- Conducts high-level analyses of underwriting performance, field feedback, and system impacts to support continuous improvement initiatives, making thoughtful recommendations that drive profitability and operational excellence across assigned lines of business.
- Consults on complex underwriting and business process issues, educating IT and business partners on the vision, impacts of changes, and necessary adaptations to support scalable and cost-effective underwriting operations.
- Creates, updates, and leads training materials and sessions related to underwriting standards, workflows, and system changes, actively sharing expertise with internal teams and mentoring less experienced colleagues.
- Manages multiple projects of moderate to high complexity, leading work streams and coordinating cross-functional efforts to meet strategic goals and respond promptly to field escalations and emerging business needs.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business, economics, or other quantitative field
- Minimum 6 years, typically 8 years or more of relevant work experience
- Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint
- Must have good planning, organizational, analytical, decision making and communication skills
- Experience managing projects preferred
Nice-to-haves
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent is highly desirable.
- Strong understanding of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.) and tools (e.g., JIRA, Microsoft Project).
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a focus on delivering results.
- Experience with change management and stakeholder engagement strategies.
- Master's degree beneficial
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits and continuous learning opportunities
- Environment where employees can succeed, both professionally and personally
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for fostering an inclusive environment
