AVP, Group Underwriting

This position is an Assistant Vice President (AVP) level role that will support our Combined U.S. division. The AVP role will be responsible for both strategic and tactical initiatives – helping to develop strategy, building strategic capabilities consistent with growth targets, balancing growth and profitability targets, building effective teams and expertise, and leading the daily activities of the Combined U.S. underwriting team.

• Build, develop and lead a high-performing underwriting team to effectively manage the volume and complexity of business needed to achieve the division’s growth and profit objectives while providing consultative support to a 1099-focused sales organization
• Develop, execute, and manage underwriting risk management strategies to optimize the oversight of in-force business, including the assessment of performance at both the account and block levels
• Collaborate with business and sales leaders to develop strategies and guidelines that ensure alignment and consistency between Worksite and Signature Solution product and underwriting offerings
• Reinforce the strategic direction and help cultivate a profitable book of business according to the business plan; ensure team objectives are aligned to the organization’s goals
• Ensure underwriters are compliant with company practices and standards
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, business partners, and colleagues
• Engage with product development teams to keep abreast of market dynamics and market cycle awareness in support of business plan objectives
• Oversee underwriting activities in accordance with all legal and regulatory requirements
• Maintain subject matter expertise and technical knowledge through continuous learning and development
• Build understanding of full customer experience, through their eyes, to highlight opportunities to improve our offering – this includes understanding products, actuarial, enrollment, admin, and claim methodologies/processes
• Manage, mentor, and coach UW teams on technical and professional skills
• Lead and motivate teams to cultivate an environment of continuous improvement; recommend and implement changes to optimize efficiency as needed
• Support, advocate, and provide guidance to our distribution teams to maximize company’s objectives
• Lead other strategic initiatives as assigned

• 15+ years of progressive industry experience plus 7 years management experience with insurance operations and administration, preferably in both a Worksite/Voluntary Benefits and Group environment
• Proven history of managing and leading underwriting and administrative staff
• Proven ability to lead and/or support business development initiatives and manage third-party customer/broker relationships
• Collaborates well and influence others at all levels of employees
• Professional maturity with excellent technical, verbal and written communication skills
• Proven history of establishing and maintaining effective relationships
• Manages and prioritizes multiple projects concurrently
• Ability to manage conflict/resolution and problem solving
• Knows how to align people and resources with strategic priorities
• Experience in developing and executing underwriting strategy including guidelines, process and automation
• Ability to structure and manage work across multiple functions & locations
• Strength in skills needed in identifying issues, remediation tactics and escalation paths
• Comfortable multi-tasking in an extremely fast paced environment

• Health insurance
• Tuition reimbursement
• A company-match 401(k) plan
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Employee referral bonuses

Combined Insurance Company of America is a Chubb company and a leading provider of supplemental accident, health, disability, and life insurance products in North America. Headquartered in Chicago, with satellite office in Columbia, SC, Combined is celebrating over 100 years in business. We are committed to making the world of supplemental insurance easy to access and understand. The company has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau and an A + (Superior) financial strength rating by A.M. Best. We are ranked by VIQTORY as the number one Military Friendly Employer in 2023 (over $1 billion revenue category), marking Combined's twelfth consecutive year on the Top 10 list. We pride ourselves on approaching all situations with a Positive Mental Attitude (PMA) and encouraging collaboration.