The Underwriting AVP, Franchise Programs will serve as the enterprise leader responsible for building, scaling, and refining Intrepid Direct’s national franchise programs. This role requires a natural leader who works with a fast pace and offers strategic, consultative, and innovative mindset to grow our non-restaurant franchises and add new franchise verticals. Collaborating with other departments to ensure the portfolio balances long-term profitability, growth, and a modern customer experience.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Vertical Ownership
- Lead the strategic development and long‑term vision for all franchise verticals excluding restaurants. ensuring alignment with Intrepid Direct’s growth, profitability, and modern customer experience objectives.
- Parter with the President and other leaders on identifying, exploring, experimenting and launching new franchise and brands
- Lead a team of underwriters; assigning workloads, measuring KPIs, training, recruiting, and offering professional development to the team.
- Selection of the needed product and rates while balancing the needs of customers, identified claims trends and industry losses.
- Serve as the primary underwriting subject‑matter expert, continuously developing expertise in franchise operations, risk management, and market trends.
Underwriting Leadership & Discipline
- Partner with the other Underwriting leaders to finalize underwriting guidelines, product structures, and required filings for your franchise programs.
- Establish best practices, training frameworks, and quality standards for the program, responsible for training and mentoring underwriting and Service and Sales teams on standards.
- Create and approve letter of authority levels of direct reports and set KPIs for best practices.
Analytics, Innovation & Continuous Improvement
- Leverage data and analytical insights to guide underwriting strategy, pricing decisions, and portfolio management.
- Identify third‑party data sources and technology tools that enhance risk assessment, operational efficiency, and vertical competitiveness.
- Lead projects from concept through execution, ensuring timely delivery and measurable outcomes.
- Drive continuous improvement in all processes, including submission intake, underwriting workflow, communications, and claims engagement.
Operational Excellence
- Maintain strong working knowledge of Salesforce CRM, ensuring documentation accuracy and adherence to enterprise processes.
- Meet deadlines, manage multiple concurrent initiatives, and operate effectively in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.
Key functions include but are not limited to:
- Develop and implement appropriate strategy in conjunction with the President and CUO to profitability grow the assigned franchise programs.
- Lead your team to excel in positive outcomes and grow professionally
- Provide vision and leadership to the entire organizations in accordance with the established strategy.
- Cultivate a culture that excels in collaboration and accountability.
- Lead the development, implementation and continuous learning of the assigned industries.
- Collaborate with Underwriting, Service, Sales, Marketing and other stakeholders to ensure knowledge sharing on market trends, brand changes and risk management developments
- Leverage resources, technology, and processes to drive sales effectiveness
- Assist the President and CUO in creating the annual operational goals, objectives and budget as it relates to the assigned franchise programs.
- Ability to have analytical communications internally and externally. Discussing loss trends and premium implications for a book of business or for individual large insureds.
- Perform other duties and/or projects as assigned by the President and CUO