Berkley One exists to insure and protect the lifestyles of a modern generation of affluence. We seek clients that are sophisticated individuals and families who require world-class risk and claims management customized to their needs, a team of select expert independent agents and innovative digital tools to keep it simple and easy. We’ll blend our partners, products and capabilities with all that is Berkley, generating a modern solution for the customers we serve.

 

Our culture is one of innovation, creativity and teamwork. Our team is highly motivated, passionate about our business, and deeply experienced in developing and delivering product and service solutions in the personal insurance marketplace.

 

The company is an equal opportunity employer.

We have an opportunity for a VP, Excess Umbrella & Specialty Product Manager to join our Berkley One team! You will be responsible for the overall strategic direction and management to drive underwriting excellence, profit and growth of the Berkley One personal excess and other specialty lines of business in accordance with the company’s strategic plans.  You will be responsible for setting strategy for all admitted and non-admitted excess liability products and specialty products, for monitoring and driving attainment of profit and growth objectives across the portfolio, for the creation and maintenance of underwriting guidelines and forms, and for participating in development of rates for these lines. 

 

This position will be based in our Morristown, NJ office  

 

We have a welcoming culture valuing our employees – we trademarked the phrase Everything Counts, Everyone Matters® to describe the Berkley commitment to our people and how we do business. We believe that every person in the organization is important and every accomplishment makes a difference in our results. Come join us!   

 

Key functions include but are not limited to:

• Proactively conduct ongoing assessments of portfolio performance and publish reports to critical stakeholders. Deeply understand profit and expense dynamics for all lines you manage. Recommend and implement strategic changes and adjustments. Proactively and regularly engage senior leaders in decision-making and portfolio management.
• Conduct product development, market research and analysis, and product maintenance, delivery, and compliance activities designed to optimize portfolio.
• Work collaboratively with various internal stakeholders including senior leadership, underwriting, claims, actuarial, state filings, compliance, IT and corporate stakeholders while interacting with external entities including vendors and state insurance departments.
• Establish consistent processes to review pricing and coverage strategies, eligibility, and product underwriting rules. Share outcomes and recommendations resulting from these regular reviews. Implement changes.
• Manage the product lifecycle from initial product development to implementation to on-going product performance, ensuring products are within optimal price margins, compliant and competitive in the marketplace.
• Ensure your strategic recommendations for the excess and specialty lines are based upon up-to-date knowledge of market conditions including competitors, regulatory and legal environment, claims trends, distribution relationships and customer segment results.
• Gather and analyze feedback from internal and external sources to inform product roadmaps. Create business cases and return on investment analyses for new and existing product features and changes. Present business cases to leadership and facilitate discussions that leads to decision-making.
• Provide subject matter expertise in the interpretation of policy wording intent, underwriting, claims considerations and regulatory requirements and/or constraints.
• Develop and deliver training for underwriting staff to deliver on underwriting appetite, guidelines and strategy.
• Contribute to establishment of underwriting audit criteria, monitor audit results, and support action planning.
• Work collaboratively with Product Analysts on product requirements to ensure policy administration systems are programmed according to established requirements.
• Lead special projects, research/studies and other projects as assigned.
   

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
• 10+ years’ experience in personal lines product management roles, including both admitted and non-admitted; High net worth experience is highly preferred
• Solid understanding of product pricing and the dynamics of admitted and non-admitted lines of business
• Demonstrated ability to create and deliver strategic work that positions the excess umbrella and specialty lines portfolios to grow and deliver a return to the company
• Able to quickly and proactively synthesize data and current market conditions and recommend portfolio pivots to protect profitability
• Exceptional communication skills; your communication style is flexible to the situation from communicating updates to the team, to discussing metrics with key stakeholders, or presenting to leadership; you communicate clearly and with a purpose across all levels of the organization
• Incredible empathy and understanding of the needs of our insureds and their agents; you will be an excellent advocate for all Berkley One customers and are passionate about their experience
• Calm under pressure; you have exceptional organizational skills, integrity, and great follow-through; you are comfortable challenging norms while working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels of the organization
• Natural curiosity; you love learning how things work and you are always looking for innovative improvements; you enjoy testing different underwriting strategies, tracking results, and making improvements
• Demonstrated strong analytical ability and business judgement
• Ability to juggle multiple projects at various stages of completion
• Proficient with technology

We do not accept any unsolicited resumes from external recruiting firms.

The company offers a competitive compensation plan and robust benefits package for full time regular employees.

The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment.

Sponsorship not Offered for this Role