Middle Market Sr Sales Underwriting Specialist (Remote)

For more than 170 years, The Hanover has been committed to delivering on our promises and being there when it matters the most. We live our values every day, demonstrating we CARE through our values, ESG initiatives and IDE journey.
Our Middle Market department is seeking a Senior Sales Underwriting Specialist to join our growing team in the CA territory.
This is a full-time exempt role with the ability for remote or hybrid work within CA.
Position Overview/Summary:
Responsible for identifying, soliciting, underwriting and selling new and renewal Middle Market accounts that drive profitable growth and align with Industry Segments, appetite and mix goals. Apply advanced technical, sales and analytical skills to provide insurance solutions that help Hanover’s customers manage risk. Demonstrates a thorough understanding of Hanover’s strategies and appetites and will use internal and external data to make appropriate individual and portfolio risk decisions. Operates within a broad Letter of Authority for all underwriting decisions and with limited direction while managing an assigned book of business, generally with high technical complexity and coordination.
Responsibilities/Essential Functions:
Technical Underwriting

• Adheres to CAT guidelines and underwriting discipline to minimize exposure and appropriately price individual risks. Applies increased knowledge of CAT aggregation to decision making.
• Knows and applies advanced underwriting concepts including risk selection, exposure and hazard identification and control, coverage implications, and loss analysis.
• Uses all appropriate underwriting tools, disciplines and knowledge of strategies to ensure underwriting guidelines are followed.
• Advanced knowledge of pricing components and rating methodology and correlates pricing to exposure, financial and competitive analysis.
• Completes file documentation according to best practices guidelines and state regulations and can clearly explain account decisions.

Portfolio Management & Financial Acumen

• Reviews key metrics and uncovers trends that may lead to new business opportunities with agents while achieving profitable growth in accordance with business strategies.
• Supports the implementation of profit improvement initiatives with key agents.
• Prepares or analyzes information on adverse underwriting decisions, rate appeals, underwriting requirements, status and declinations in order to drive results within the assigned territory.
• Manages assigned portfolio to achieve gross written premium, profitability, rate, retention, industry and LOB mix, new business and portfolio management goals.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the market factors and trends that can affect pricing (i.e. distribution channels, competition, organization’s growth/ profit strategy, regulation, reinsurance costs and branding).

Sales Acumen & Customer Advocacy

• Through stewardship process engage at the customer level for the most complex and prominent accounts within their territory.
• Prioritizes and drives effective relationship management and producer activities to build trust, facilitate negotiation, and secure commitment in order to improve yield and retention ratios.
• Operates with a franchise perspective to identify and drive enhanced sell opportunities and create growth within other lines of business and customer segments. Utilize our value proposition to enhance agency economics, partner conversion and product specialization in partnership with local management.
• Keeps current on state/territory issues, regulations and trends. Utilizes market and competitor information to enhance agent relationships by becoming a trusted advisor.
• Utilize Industry Solutions partners to augment sales process through enhanced knowledge transfer, strategic producer visits/sales calls, and effective training sessions for both agents and customers.
• Can identify, solicit, pipeline, negotiate, and close accounts aligned with MM branch strategy. Ability to profile assigned agency plant and to strategically market our capabilities to agents.
• Independently implements territory business plans, monitors performance, adjusts plan to ensure a substantial pipeline for future profitable growth.
• Effectively utilize Claims, Risk Solutions and Operations to display service and/or technical expertise to build confidence in customers to further secure business opportunities.
• Makes sales presentations to agents and customers on a regular basis and participants in more complex accounts:

Required Skills, Key Competencies and Experience:

• Communication (verbal and written) - Interacts and communicates with confidence with all levels of external and/or internal business partners within scope of responsibility, team and/or matrix environment. Can judge appropriate means and method to communicate based on the nature of the communication. Able to influence desired outcomes to drive actions and results. Adept at influencing even when holding a position contrary to the majority opinion.
• Judgement and Decision Making - Ability to exercise judgment, negotiate and make sound business decisions based on level of authority. Applies judgment and expertise to determine when escalation is needed. Demonstrates confidence in one’s ability to apply decision making to UW assessment.
• 5-7+ years Underwriting experience, with a minimum of 3 years of experience underwriting MM accounts.
• May specialize /certify in one or more Industry Segments.
• Agile and Adaptive - Strong ability to identify, analyze and solve problems as well as the ability to learn rapidly, adapt quickly to change, exercise influence, and manage and prioritize multiple concurrent projects.
• Acts as a change advocate, and is open to new and different ways of thinking.
• Experienced in working with a wide range of teams and readily shares lessons learned.
• 5+ years of experience driving agency relationships resulting in profitable new and renewal business.
• Team work and Collaboration – Consistently fosters collaboration and respect among team members. Easily adapts to the diverse interests, styles and perspective of key players. Is able to engage multiple members of a group to share information and to consider other points of view to reach objectives, consensus and/or deadlines.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

CAREER DEVELOPMENT:
It’s not just a job, it’s a career, and we are here to support you every step of the way. We want you to be successful and fulfilled. Through on-the-job experiences, personalized coaching and our robust learning and development programs, we encourage you – at every level – to grow and develop.
BENEFITS:
We offer comprehensive benefits to help you be healthy, build financial security, and balance work and home life. At The Hanover, you’ll enjoy what you do and have the support you need to succeed.
Benefits include:

• Tuition reimbursement
• PTO
• Cultural Awareness Day in support of IDE
• Click here for the full list of Benefits
• Company paid holidays
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
• 401K with a company match
• On-site medical/wellness center (Worcester only)
• Flexible work arrangements

EEO statement:
The Hanover values diversity in the workplace and among our customers. The company provides equal opportunity for employment and promotion to all qualified employees and applicants on the basis of experience, training, education, and ability to do the available work without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex/gender, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, ancestry or any other status protected by law.
Furthermore, The Hanover Insurance Group is committed to providing an equal opportunity workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment based on national origin, race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information or any other status protected by law.”
As an equal opportunity employer, Hanover does not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities who wish to request a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, or to perform essential job functions, should contact us at: [email protected] and include the link of the job posting in which you are interested.
Privacy Policy:
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