Commercial Field Underwriter- Bay Area, CA

Job Description

Join a team of diverse professionals at Farmers to acquire skills on the job and apply your learned knowledge to future roles at Farmers. Farmers Insurance also offers extensive training opportunities through the award winning University of Farmers named by Training magazine amongst top 10 corporate training units in the world.

• Territory - Bay Area
• Virtual office – must reside in the Bay Area
• Company car will be provided

Want to learn more about our culture & opportunities? Check out farmers.com/careers and be sure to follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn!

• Responsible for the overall profit and growth of assigned agents within a defined geographic territory.
• Develops on-going relationships with agents, monitors agency growth, profitability and quality of submissions, while keeping agents up-to-date with underwriting and/or product changes in conjunction with the Business Insurance Centers.
• Evaluates commercial submissions relative to underwriting guidelines, physical hazards, underwriting precedent, and experience.
• Checks information received concerning risks, inspection reports, producer's advises, etc. Reviews all correspondence, daily reports, endorsements, inspection, and publications pertaining to responsibility.
• Serves as a consultant to product, underwriting, Distribution, and claims adjusting personnel, as required.
• Maintains frequent visitation schedule with all assigned agents.
• Identifies training needs of agents and agency personnel within their territory.

Essential Job Functions

• Provides field underwriting and loss control support including risk selection, coverage evaluation, pricing, valuation, and hazard identification for our clients and customers within the assigned territory.
• Clients and customers include underwriting personnel, financial reps, policyholders, and prospective clients.
• Requires field travel, scheduled meetings with agents, evaluating new business submissions, providing technical expertise regarding underwriting acceptability and philosophy, procedures, coverage interpretations, and policy and endorsement provisions for all Commercial Lines of business.
• In addition, supports the agents in assigned territory in achieving New Business, cross sell and retention objectives by reviewing the current book of business, identifying current and prospective customers.
• Discusses specific commercial risks, underwriting guidelines, and decisions with agents, their staff, and company personnel.
• Utilizes effective persuasion and negotiation techniques to facilitate the acceptance of underwriting decisions.
• Conducts formal and informal training to agents and agency managers on various aspects of the Property and Casualty with an emphasis on Commercial Lines.
• Meets with agents and managers and help identify, develop and implement programs to take advantage of specific marketing opportunities, particularly with commercial and related risks.
• Underwrites Commercial business through the acceptance, modification or rejection of risks based on a review of Commercial business in terms of loss experience, inspection reports, file information, web resources, policyholder tenure, related policies and nature of risk in accordance with company guidelines and standards, state laws equivalent to the Sr. Underwriting authority level or above.
• Computes rates and premiums based on findings and applies discretionary modification within authority.
• Partners with Executive Underwriters for any business that is unique or rare to the Commercial environment. Provides documentation for any exceptions to established guidelines and critical account information relating to the final underwriting decision to key stakeholders in order to identify key trends. Partners with Center Leaders, Geo-Product and State Owner Underwriting as well as agency managers within an assigned territory to promote profitable commercial growth, through establishing shared commercial goals, commercial training expectations and planned commercial promotion within their agency. This may entail leading product and pricing calls, define yield rate objectives, and developing effective business plans to achieve profitability, growth and retention objectives, improving agent product knowledge and overall awareness of all available Business Insurance products.
• Establish methods to gain knowledge and understanding of market conditions, product innovations and competitor’s pricing/product str ategy by analyzing coverage options from other carriers in the market and make recommendations for product offerings/modifications based on findings. Performs other duties as assigned.

Education Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree preferred. Insurance industry designation or completion of three sections from CPCU courses 500/510, 520 or 551, 552 required.

Experience Requirements

3-5 years or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.

Special Skill Requirement

Possess strong technical aptitude. Strong technical expertise in commercial risk selection and pricing. Possess strong product knowledge. Knowledge of agency operations and field agency support needs. Demonstrated analytical skills. Ability to make timely, appropriate decisions and recommendations after reviewing all relevant information. Ability to successfully interact with the agency force to grow business while maintaining underwriting discipline. Strong depth of coverage knowledge and the ability to read and interpret policy contract language. Working broad-based knowledge of relevant insurance laws/statues and insurance contract language, computer systems, competitor’s products, and marketing practices. Ability to build strong relationships. Effective negotiation skills. Strong communication and presentation skills. Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents