Renewal Underwriter I

You spend at least a third of your day at your job. You might as well spend it doing something you really love while working with a team you really enjoy being with, right? That's the kind of atmosphere we offer at Pekin Insurance-fun, fast-paced, gratifying, supportive, and collaborative.

Of course, it's not all fun and games. Insurance is a serious business, and we pride ourselves on making people's lives whole again after a major disaster or even a fender bender. It's that sense of helping people that makes our team want to do our best every day.

If you want to be excited about starting your workday and are ready to make a real difference in people's lives, this could be the right spot for you.

See what Pekin Insurance has to offer by viewing a short video here.

Position Overview

The Renewal Underwriter I is responsible for working in a Commercial Lines team environment to meet established company profit and growth goals within a designated geographic territory. This position underwrites renewals and endorsements and completes other underwriting related transactions.

Essential Job Functions

• Accepts, rejects, and prices risks to achieve profitability goals within a territory and to minimize financial peril to the company
• Manages an individual territory within stated underwriting and acceptability guidelines to achieve or exceed retention goals
• Provides consultation to agents and sales personnel on coverage forms, rate endorsements, and enhancements to promote company products and resolve applicant and insured's insurance needs
• Reviews and evaluates insured and third party contract language to determine compliance within the company guidelines along with offering appropriate endorsements or coverages
• Accepts, declines, modifies, and negotiates requests for coverage when evaluating renewal business or change requests
• Utilizes underwriting knowledge to educate and train agents and new team members on our underwriting appetite, commercial lines products, coverages, and computer systems
• Uses independent judgement to propose deviation to management from established underwriting guidelines as required to meet growth and profit objectives
• Participates on departmental and enterprise committees to consult on various topics related to Commercial Lines underwriting and operations, as directed
• Acquires, evaluates, and analyzes internal and external information in order to make selection and pricing decisions that are consistent with underwriting philosophy and in accordance with departmental and company initiatives
• Underwrites renewal business, loss control reports, reinstatements, cancellations, endorsements, and other miscellaneous transactions
• Underwrites small, mono-line quotes and new business submissions
• Communicates underwriting decisions via written verbal correspondence
• Organizes and leads interdepartmental meetings on larger, more complex renewals
• Works in a cross functional team with Personal Lines Underwriting, Life Underwriting, Sales, and other departments to achieve company profit and growth goals
• Assists with the mentoring of Commercial Lines Underwriting staff
• Performs other duties as assigned

Education & Experience

Required

• Bachelor's degree in business-related field or equivalent experience
• Typically requires 3+ years of industry experience

Preferred or Specialized

• Prior experience with commercial insurance rating, customer service, or underwriting

Certifications & LIcenses

• Willingness to actively pursue continuing education and work toward professional insurance designations

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Basic ability to:

• Communicate effectively in both oral and written form
• Analyze, organize and prioritize work while meeting multiple deadlines
• Adapt to changes in responsibilities, work processes, timeframes, performance expectations, organizational culture, or work environment
• Work comfortably in a fast-paced work environment
• Define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions

Basic skill in:

• Customer service

What We Offer

We get it-- You're looking for a career with a company that invests in you. Our desire to enhance the employee experience through our benefits, work perks, and team-oriented environment made us one of 2019's and 2020's "Best Places to Work in Illinois."