Manager, Commercial Underwriting

Definity is the parent company to some of Canada’s most long-standing and innovative insurance brands, including Economical Insurance, Sonnet Insurance, Family Insurance Solutions, and Petline Insurance. Our ambition is to be one of Canada’s leading and most innovative property and casualty insurers. We can’t do that without our people, so we embrace and encourage a culture that’s collaborative, ambitious, rewarding, and empowering.

We offer a flexible, hybrid work experience where employees work from the office and virtually depending on the type of work they are doing and who they are working with. Bring your true self and be a part of our journey. It’s better here.

Reporting to the Director, Regional Commercial Underwriting, the Manager, Commercial Underwriting manages a team of Underwriters and guides them in day-to-day operations (incl. risk selection, underwriting solution design, negotiation, and underwriting servicing) as well as works with them to further develop their technical and professional skills and career paths. The leader is accountable for the team’s proper rating and pricing of all Commercial Insurance transaction types and ensures that the team implements Underwriting processes in accordance with Underwriting guidelines, standard operating procedures, and Commercial Lines of Business and segmentation strategies. The incumbent contributes to shaping Commercial Insurance regional broker relationships and underwriting strategies and action plans, and works with their team to gather market intelligence through their network to inform underwriting decisions.

What to expect

People Management and Development:

• Demonstrates leadership behaviour to engage and motivate staff and develops, coaches/mentors and manages the performance of Direct Reports
• Works with Direct Reports to set individual performance and development goals which align to Economical’s Line of Business and segmentation strategies, Underwriting guidelines, productivity targets, and KPIs
• Manages a remote/virtual team effectively by proactively engaging frontline resources on a regular basis and applying techniques to build engagement, commitment, and collaboration among team members
• Actively review Quality Review results to proactively identify technical knowledge gaps and engages the Technical Specialist(s) for the region to support in developing technical capabilities

Underwriting Operational and Technical Expertise:

• Leads and works with a team of mid-market auto and property underwriters to drive the profitable growth of Economical’s commercial auto and property insurance business in the region through the way business is selected, quoted, renewed, and services
• Leverages CI reporting and market knowledge to maintain a profitable mid-market commercial insurance portfolio – engaging team members and peers to understand opportunities to improve profitability
• Develops solutions to achieve profitable growth targets, and coaches others as appropriate

Customer Experience:

• Oversees the management of relationships of his/her team with Brokers as relates to Commercial Insurance and ensures service excellence in Broker interactions 
• Identifies opportunities for improvement in customer service experience, and regularly provides formal feedback to his/her team on their performance
• Seeks to add value in every Broker interaction, and coaches the team on how to do so

Sales Management:

• Fosters a culture of high performance and sustained profitable growth in which all Underwriters are encouraged to proactively and continuously identify profitable opportunities that align to Economical’s strategies
• Guides and supports Direct Reports in building and managing relationships with assigned Brokers and the broader Broker network within the Region

What you bring 

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business Administration, Insurance) or a two-year diploma from a recognized community college, or equivalent experience. Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) or Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation is a strong asset
• Minimum 5-7 years of underwriting experience, with at least 2-4 years in a leadership role, demonstrating progressive responsibility and a track record of success in managing teams and achieving operational goals. Experience in a multi-line insurance organization is highly preferred
• Extensive experience working with the Microsoft Office products, including PowerPoint and Excel 
• Demonstrate an ability to lead and manage a team in a busy and changing environment while fostering positive performance and engagement. 
• Models solid leadership skills with the ability to coach, develop, motivate and retain staff. Proactively communicates information in a clear and positive manner. 
• Layering excellent decision-making skills with a natural aptitude for observation. 
• Strong preference will be given to candidates with prior people leadership experience.

High degree of proficiency with English and French are required to service customers, both internal to the company and external, across Canada. 

Salary Range: $87,400 - $161,000

Interested in this role, but don't meet every requirement? We encourage you to apply! We know from experience that a candidate doesn't need 100% of the qualifications listed to bring incredible value to our team. We're actively seeking diverse backgrounds and perspectives to help us make insurance better. At Definity, inclusion, diversity, and equity aren't just "nice to have" — they're essential to our success.

What's in it for you?

• Hybrid work schedule for most roles
• Company share ownership program
• Pension and savings programs, with company-matched RRSP contributions
• Paid volunteer days and company matching on charitable donations
• Educational resources, tuition assistance, and paid time off to study for exams
• Focus on inclusion with employee groups, support for gender affirmation surgery, access to BIPOC counsellors, access to programs for working parents
• Wellness and recognition programs
• Discounts on products and services

Actual salary for the role may vary depending on work location of the successful candidate and other factors including but not limited to, skills, education, experience, working conditions and the local labour market.  In addition to base pay, eligible employees may participate in various incentive plans which are paid out at the discretion of the company and subject to individual and company performance.

Go ahead and expect a lot — you deserve it.
It's better here — but don't take our word for it. Definity was named by Great Place to Work® as one of the Best Workplaces™ in Canada for women, for youth, and for inclusion.

Our inclusive work environment welcomes diversity and supports accessibility. If you require accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know by contacting [email protected].

Background checks
This role requires successful clearance of background checks (including criminal checks and leadership references).

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