Director, Casualty - Underwriting Strategy

UFG is currently seeking a Director, Casualty - Underwriting Strategy to serve as both a deep technical expert and a strategic leader, helping define the future of casualty underwriting across our organization.

This role is designed for a forward-thinking underwriting leader who thrives in complexity, exercises strong judgment in high-impact decisions, and is passionate about developing both products and people. Operating at the intersection of strategy, technical excellence, and execution, this leader will partner with senior leadership to shape underwriting philosophy, guide complex deal-making, and influence portfolio performance across multiple business units.

You will:

• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to casualty leadership
• Serve as a key liaison between the Casualty Line of Business and other business units, ensuring alignment in underwriting strategies, priorities, and execution
• Help underwriters craft coverage with precision, clarity, and intent
• Influence the next generation of casualty products and capabilities
• Strengthen underwriting discipline while enabling smart growth in evolving markets
• Engage directly with underwriting teams through in-person collaboration, field travel, and hands-on development

This is a highly visible leadership role with enterprise-wide impact and a clear connection to succession planning and long-term leadership development.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and execute casualty product strategy initiatives aligned to profitability, growth, and long-term portfolio objectives
• Partner with Product, Actuarial, Claims, and Business Units to design, evolve, and implement casualty product offerings and strategic roadmaps
• Translate market trends, emerging risks, and legal/regulatory shifts into actionable underwriting, product, and distribution strategies
• Champion innovation in underwriting approach, product design, and participation in alternative distribution models
• Partner with the Casualty Line of Business Leader to evaluate complex risks, emerging opportunities, and non-traditional structures, providing strategic insight and decision support
• Reinforce underwriting frameworks and governance standards that drive consistent, disciplined decision-making across all business units
• Ensure alignment between Casualty LOB leadership, Business Enablement, and field execution through clear communication, collaboration, and shared accountability
• Collaborate with corporate underwriting leadership to refine underwriting guidance, best practices, and authority frameworks, including administration of underwriting authority levels
• Serve as a senior technical expert, advising underwriters and business leaders on the most complex accounts, exposures, and coverage structures, while providing subject matter expertise on individual account transactions including appetite, exposure analysis, and coverage consultation
• Provide subject matter expertise on individual account transactions, including appetite, exposure analysis, and coverage consultation
• Apply advanced problem-solving skills to research, evaluate, and resolve complex underwriting and portfolio challenges in ambiguous environments
• Analyze and monitor profitability, production, and portfolio trends alongside broader market dynamics to identify risks, opportunities, and strategic actions that optimize performance
• Define performance indicators, segmentation strategies, and key portfolio characteristics that drive underwriting success
• Build and lead underwriting capability through a comprehensive training and development approach, including:
  • Identifying skill gaps and designing targeted capability-building initiatives
  • Delivering in-person training, workshops, and technical sessions across regional offices
  • Partnering with Learning & Development to develop and continuously enhance underwriting curriculum and content
  • Mentoring underwriters and leaders to elevate technical expertise, judgment, and decision quality
  • Developing future leaders by providing enterprise-wide exposure and cross-functional perspective
• Strengthen relationships with regional underwriting teams, distribution partners, and emerging access points to ensure alignment with underwriting strategy and product capabilities
• Serve as a representative of the organization through participation in committees, enterprise initiatives, and industry forums

Qualifications:

• • Identifying skill gaps and designing targeted capability-building initiatives
  • Delivering in-person training, workshops, and technical sessions across regional offices
  • Partnering with Learning & Development to develop and continuously enhance underwriting curriculum and content
  • Mentoring underwriters and leaders to elevate technical expertise, judgment, and decision quality
  • Developing future leaders by providing enterprise-wide exposure and cross-functional perspective
• Strengthen relationships with regional underwriting teams, distribution partners, and emerging access points to ensure alignment with underwriting strategy and product capabilities
• Serve as a representative of the organization through participation in committees, enterprise initiatives, and industry forums
• Strong leadership capability with experience guiding cross-functional teams, committees, and strategic initiatives
• Advanced technical knowledge of underwriting, product design, coverage structures, and industry trends
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, decision-making, and execution capability in complex and ambiguous environments
• Ability to influence senior leadership and communicate effectively across all levels of the organization
• Proven ability to drive results, align stakeholders, and execute against strategic objectives
• Strong balance of technical expertise and business acumen, with the ability to translate strategy into practical execution

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required, Business Administration, Finance, Risk Management, Economics, Insurance or related field.

Certifications/Designations:

• CPCU, ARM, or similar underwriting and insurance-related certifications preferred.

Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive underwriting experience with increasing responsibility
• Proven success in shaping and executing underwriting and product strategies aligned to organizational objectives
• Strong experience within the Property & Casualty industry, including deep knowledge of ISO products, underwriting practices, and insurance operations
• Proven ability to collaborate across functions including underwriting, actuarial, claims, compliance, and risk management to drive business outcomes

Working Conditions:

• General Office Environment

Pay Transparency Statement

UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary range for this position is $155,000 – $205,000 annually, which represents the typical range for new hires in this role. Individual pay within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, education, certifications, skills, internal equity, geography and market data. 

In addition to base salary, UFG Insurance offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes: 

• Annual incentive compensation
• Medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• Accident, critical Illness & short-term disability insurance
• Retirement plans with employer contributions
• Generous time-off program
• Programs designed to support the employee well-being and financial security.

This pay range disclosure is provided in accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws.