Job Opening: Vice President of Underwriting

TITLE: Vice President of Underwriting

REPORTS TO: CEO

SUPERVISES: AVPs of Underwriting, Underwriting Operations, UW Staff and Product Staff

DATE: December 2025

CLASSIFICATION: Exempt

Please note that all resumes must be submitted to uevpuw@spencerstuart.com.

ABOUT UNITED EDUCATORS

United Educators (UE) is a member-owned liability insurer serving K-12 schools, colleges and universities across the United States, with a focus on long-term partnerships. Guided by our mission to support education, we provide exceptional claims support, customized coverage and relevant risk management resources. At UE, you will join a collaborative, mission-driven team committed to delivering flexible insurance solutions, exceptional service and measurable value to our members. 

POSITION SUMMARY

The Vice President of Underwriting provides strategic leadership for casualty underwriting at United Educators, including underwriting philosophy, appetite, authority, portfolio management, and underwriting performance. This role is responsible for aligning underwriting and product strategy with profitability, member service, and long-term portfolio health, and for partnering closely with Actuarial, Resolutions, Risk Management, Finance, and Business Development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Strategic Leadership and Risk Management

• Define UE’s underwriting philosophy, appetite, and authority framework.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of underwriting initiatives to achieve profitability, growth, and member satisfaction goals.
• Provide thought leadership in risk assessment, pricing strategy, and emerging market exposures relevant to education.
• Serve as executive sponsor for key underwriting initiatives and cross-functional projects.
• Champion change management across the underwriting function by guiding teams through process, technology, and strategy transitions, ensuring successful adoption and alignment with organizational goals.

B. Product and Program Oversight

• Collaborate with the VP for Strategic Market Engagement and other senior leaders to design and refine insurance products, endorsements, and policy language that respond to member needs and market opportunities.
• Conduct policy coverage comparisons and technical reviews of competitor forms and marketing materials.
• Ensure underwriting priorities are reflected in and maintain the integrity of UE’s policy forms, underwriting manuals, and applications.
• Partner with the Chief Actuary to translate pricing strategy into underwriting execution, including portfolio actions, renewal strategy, referral decisions, and exception governance.
• Partner with the Chief Risk Officer and senior leadership on reinsurance strategy, underwriting implications of treaty structure, and portfolio actions needed to support sustainable risk transfer.
• Own portfolio management across segments, including appetite calibration, mix management, authority design, renewal and new business tradeoffs, and performance monitoring by product, segment, and broker.

C. Underwriting Operations and Performance

• Set underwriting service standards, authority frameworks, quality expectations, and operational priorities.
• Oversee underwriting quality and adherence to guidelines.
• Review complex or high-value account submissions and approve exceptions as necessary.
• Design and implement workflow processes, tools, and systems to enhance measured efficiency and accuracy.
• Establish data informed metrics and reporting for performance.
• Use pricing, claims, and exposure insights to drive disciplined underwriting decisions while partnering with Actuarial on methodology, performance monitoring, and emerging risk response.

D. Team and Organizational Leadership

• Lead and develop a team of data driven underwriters and underwriting leaders through coaching, mentoring, and performance management.
• Lead major change initiatives within the underwriting function, ensuring teams adopt new processes, technologies, and risk strategies through structured communication, training, and continuous feedback loops.
• Set clear goals, expectations, and development plans to support employee growth and organizational success.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, accountability, and innovation.
• Manage departmental budgets and resource allocation to align with UE’s strategic goals.
• Lead underwriting through process, technology, and operating model change by setting priorities, aligning stakeholders, and ensuring adoption of improvements that enhance underwriting effectiveness, service, and control.

E. Collaboration and Influence

• Partner with internal stakeholders including Business Development, Resolutions, Risk Management, and Finance to ensure alignment between underwriting strategy and overall business objectives.
• Engage externally with brokers, members, and partners to strengthen relationships, gather market insights, and enhance UE’s reputation as the leading insurer for education.
• Serve as the executive voice of underwriting with brokers, members, and internal partners by clearly articulating underwriting strategy, pricing rationale, coverage positioning, and portfolio priorities.
• Strengthen broker and member confidence with transparency, thoughtful stewardship, and disciplined but relationship-oriented underwriting leadership.

EXPERIENCE and EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, JD, or equivalent) preferred.
• Typically requires at least fifteen (15) years insurance leadership experience in property and casualty underwriting, ideally including complex management liability, professional liability, or specialty casualty lines.
• Demonstrated success building, developing, and managing high-performing teams, including setting clear operational goals, monitoring performance, coaching leaders, and driving accountability across functions.
• Proven success managing people, driving efficiency, profitability, growth, and customer service in a complex environment.
• Demonstrated experience partnering across underwriting, product, actuarial, claims, operations, loss control, risk management, and technology.

SKILLS and COMPETENCIES

• Excellent analytical, interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Strong strategic and operational leadership abilities.
• Skilled in financial acumen and data-driven decision making to support sound business decisions.
• Ability to multitask, negotiate diplomatically, and lead through influence.
• Commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
• Comfortable in a dynamic environment that requires adaptability and collaboration.
• Applies agile thinking and change management strategies to drive continuous improvement and support organizational transformation

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This position requires regular travel to meet with members, brokers, and partners and to participate in industry events. The role is in person with the ability for a hybrid schedule and requires regular collaboration with colleagues across the organization.

SALARY RANGE

$250,000-$350,000

The listed salary range is a general guideline. Multiple factors are taken into consideration to arrive at the final annual salary to be offered to the selected candidate. Factors include, but are not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the role, the selected candidate’s work experience, education and training, the work location as well as market and business considerations.

The above-referenced position summary is a guideline designed to present an overview of job duties and is not intended to be a comprehensive list of responsibilities and requirements.