Job OverviewAs the gatekeepers for new business, ensuring that all issued policies comply with Governmental laws and Company underwriting guidelines and the caretakers of our current “in force” policies, ensuring prompt updates and renewals for our policyholders, our admitted lines underwriting team provides continual, direct and essential support to fostering a strong and thriving book of business for our Company. Our Underwriter I’s are our entry-level team members who come in on the ground floor to learn how we go about underwriting at Cabrillo Coastal and to initially assist our admitted lines underwriting team in a variety of important and time-sensitive tasks.
While continually learning about our wide spectrum of products and underwriting in the states in which we do business, our underwriter I’s initially focus their attention on providing constant, top-quality and highly- responsive service to our customers in order to successfully handle routine underwriting inquiries and/or issues from policyholders, agents and other Company team members. Concurrently, our Underwriter I’s provide other administrative and technical assistance, such as reviewing inspection reports, to expose them to the “nuts and bolts” of how we underwrite as well as to ensure that all of our policies are correctly, carefully and expeditiously underwritten.
Eventually, as their knowledge base expands, our Underwriter I’s are tasked with underwriting a certain product/s in a certain territory/ies and then receive increased exposure to more products in an assigned state/s or territory/ies as he/she demonstrates mastery and ability. Our underwriter I’s have varied backgrounds, but all come to the job ready, willing and able to quickly and thoroughly learn the “ins and outs” of Cabrillo underwriting from their team mentors, leaders and specialists.
Job ResponsibilitiesIn accordance with Company mission, values and goals, establishes and maintains exceptional, service-oriented customer relationships; serves as a positive, professional and knowledgeable Company representative in all types of business-related interactions; provides exceptional customer service to agents, policyholders and other external business contacts, as applicable.
Within designated authority levels, with ongoing oversight, per Governmental regulations and per Company underwriting guidelines, quality and service expectations and clearly delineated timeframes, reviews, underwrites, endorses, reinstates and/or cancels product and/or territory-specific residential property insurance policies.
Actively contributes as a member of the Cabrillo Coastal team by providing assistance and support to assigned underwriting, customer support, sales, premium accounting and/or other team members, as directed.
Performs specialized administrative duties to support thorough and proper underwriting of Company policies; may review and enter detailed information in order to maintain specialized and proprietary product databases; may review inspection reports; may assist in updating underwriting manuals.
Dynamically enhances Company’s success by taking advantage of learning and development opportunities and personally integrating positive actions to improve individual performance.
Participates in, assists with and/or carries out responsibilities for “special” Company projects, as directed.
Job Family OverviewMost of our employees on our admitted lines team, including our underwriter I’s, are in positions that are included in our underwriting progressive job series, comprised of underwriter I, II and III. By utilizing a progressive job series, our underwriters are able to learn and consequently earn advancement on the underwriting team and in the Company. We provide clear criteria that defines what represents demonstrated mastery at each level. Once an incumbent has mastered that position in the progressive job series, he/she, with his/her underwriting team leader’s active input and agreement, is eligible to advance to the next level in the series, increasing his/her responsibility, authority and pay levels as a result.
The other positions on our admitted lines underwriting team include our underwriting team leaders and team specialists. These positions, respectively, are the supervisory and expert level positions on the team. Our admitted lines underwriting team leaders serve a vital role in our Company’s success by utilizing their demonstrated and dynamic leadership strengths to focus their efforts on front-line day-to-day coaching, mentoring & leading our underwriters, while also continuing to carry out their respective day-to-day duties as a member of the team. Our underwriting team specialists demonstrate exceptional knowledge about our Company and its unique and specialized culture and history, along with detailed work principles, practices, expectations and standards and are also extraordinarily well-versed within - and passionate about -- their chosen profession of Underwriting. Our team specialists are expected to train team members on a recurring basis by teaching new hires how to do things “our way” (aka, the right way the first time) or teaching our entire team on a large-scale basis about a discipline in which the incumbent demonstrates proven expertise and knowledge, while also continuing to carry out their respective day-to-day duties as a member of the team. Additionally, both our team leaders and specialists spearhead a myriad of special projects producing important results and positive impact for the Company.
Skills and ExpertiseQualities: quality- oriented; detail-oriented; self-starter; team player; multi-tasker; adaptability; flexibility; strong work ethic; positive “can do” attitude; collaborator; financially-oriented; service-oriented; instruction follower; coachable; dependable.
Strong skill sets in the following areas: time management/working under tight deadlines; information and financial review and analyses; organization; problem analyses/solving; active listening; asking good questions to learn about underwriting; oral and written communication; interpersonal communication; keyboard entry speed of 45 WPM or more.
Strong knowledge of: business writing, grammar and punctuation rules; telephone and email business etiquette rules; desktop computer operations; standard business software and web-based engine operations (e.g., Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook and Internet Explorer). MS Access and MS PowerPoint a plus.
Licenses, Education and/or Experience
Education and ExperienceBachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience. Insurance-related degree, residential property underwriting experience or residential property customer service is highly desirable.
