Manager, AB & BC Underwriting (Personal Lines)

Do you value integrity and innovation? How about passion and caring? Great! Us too, and that's why you'll fit right in. Our intentional culture promotes trust and participation, encouraging you to bring your heart and mind to work every day.

Out of Scope, Full Time, Permanent

100% In Office

Location: Regina Head Office

Pay Range - $97,211.00 - $129,595.00

Closes – March 11, 2025

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the underwriting (UW) function for personal lines (auto and property) for SGI CANADA’s Alberta and B.C. regional operations. Together with the UW team, you will establish and maintain relationships with brokers and manage growth and profitability with an emphasis on excellent service standards. In this role you will build a team of underwriters that understands and delivers one view of personal lines auto and property underwriting that combines product, technology and services for our broker partners while attracting quality business to SGI CANADA. You will lead by example by making good decisions on time, being comfortable with data and portfolio management concepts and effectively explaining our underwriting and workflow approach to brokers.

Key Accountabilities

Note: This section is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities – other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

Underwriting Activity

• Manages the regional underwriting of policies on new business, renewals, revisions and cancellations including conducting risk assessments and approvals.

• Makes decisions in underwriting difficult accounts that escalate beyond the front-line staff, including communicating those decisions to brokers and customers.

• Ensures that appropriate UW policies and procedures are in place.

• Ensures the attraction of quality business by monitoring portfolios and flow of business. Works closely with the Director and Corporate UW/product/pricing and analytics teams; recommends corrective action as necessary.

• Manages the UW team with a focus on risk appetite, policy retention, growth and profitability.

• Represents the company in legal proceedings, where required.

• In collaboration with Corporate UW, provides training, advice, guidance and direction to underwriting employees on UW guidelines, processes and procedures and risk appetite in accordance with growth, retention and profitability goals.

• Identifies and recommends improvements to insurance products, guidelines and/or systems.

• Participates in the review and development of new products and procedures.

• Tracks performance of brokers with underwriters to ensure risk quality and mix of business is consistent with expectations and takes appropriate action.

• Reviews and approves requests that fall outside the authority levels of staff in less senior positions.

• Participates in underwriting audits of the department or brokers.

• Works with underwriting management and employees to foster effective teamwork and collaboration between the underwriting teams, ensuring consistent messaging to our brokers.

Broker Relationship Management

• Works with the Director to build a culture and approach that delivers one view of personal lines that combines product, technology and service for our broker partners.

• Works with underwriters to develop and maintain effective working relationships with brokers to generate a flow of profitable business and provides assistance in resolving any service matters.

• Receives and responds to escalated customer/broker inquiries, concerns or complaints related to UW.

• Explains complicated and challenging UW criteria and decisions to brokers (verbally and/or in writing). Mentors underwriters on how to build and maintain relationships with brokers.

• Provides training to brokers on products, guidelines, procedures and technology including conducting formal presentations. Trains underwriters to do the same.

• Ensures team members are well trained and capable in delivering outstanding service to brokers; ensures the team leads the market in ease of doing business.

• Ensures our underwriters are able to help train brokers on the use of SGI technology, emerging digital applications, billing and workflow.

• Develops broker contact plans and follows up to ensure underwriters are in regular contact with all brokers in the region to attract quality business and working towards being the ‘go to’ underwriter for our brokers.

• Works with underwriters and Business Development to ensure we deliver regular portfolio performance updates to our brokers.

Production and Service

• Works with the team to meet growth targets as outlined in the annual plan while meeting underwriting quality of risk requirements.

• Ensures the team meets target service levels for brokers with respect to transactions, returning phone calls and responding to emails.

• Promotes a culture of sales and service with an emphasis on meeting customer needs.

• Identifies opportunities for improving workflows and processes to improve the customer and broker experience; participates in initiatives to deliver improvements as required.

• Gathers, assesses and communicates market intelligence to internal stakeholders.

• Supports opportunities for book roll-overs with our brokers in addition to our regular flow.

People Leadership

• Builds a high performing workforce by actively leading human resource activities.

• Ensures development of divisional succession plans.

• Builds a culture of leadership and accountability to effectively deliver on strategic and corporate strategies, ensuring integration with employee performance development and career development plans.

• Drives performance through team members and is committed to leadership development across the company, supporting employees and workforce readiness through mentoring, training and developmental opportunities.

Corporate Management

• Ensures programs and policies are in alignment with corporate, strategic and divisional strategies.

• Manages risk in area of authority.

• Prepares, reviews, manages and/or approves departmental/divisional budgets.

• Prepares decision requests, decision and/or information items and/or SGI board items.

• Ensures that the Health, Safety and Emergency Management Policy is applied in area of responsibility, including development, implementation and managing of program components specific to departmental health and safety requirements.

• Makes decisions for departmental operations that are efficient, effective and in alignment with strategic direction and priorities.

• Ensures department and program policies, procedures and guidelines are in compliance with applicable federal and provincial legislation and regulations; implements and evaluates changes to legislation and regulations in area of authority.

• Establishes and maintains an effective system of internal controls to support reliable financial reporting and compliance in accordance with applicable laws and regulations within the span of control and communicates the importance of internal controls to staff.

Education and Experience

• A four-year degree from an accredited post-secondary education institution in a relevant field of study such as Business.

• Eight years’ experience comprised of four years leadership experience with increasing responsibility and four years’ experience in underwriting.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of insurance, UW policies and procedures, and applicable insurance products.

• Knowledge of premiums, coverages and deductibles for applicable insurance products.

• Knowledge of market conditions and industry participants (competitor’s activities, broker relationships, legislation and regulatory environment).

• Knowledge of operating systems, workflow and processes with the ability to apply and train underwriting staff.

• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners.

• Knowledge of systems and technology commonly use to support applicable products.

• Knowledge of organizational units and how they interact to support the corporation’s operations.

Behavioural Competencies

Leader Level 3 – Applies (Team/Dept)

• Accountability - Provides Direction and Sets Expectations

• Business Acumen - Applies Broader Business Metrics and Understands the Internal and External Environment

• Change Agility - Makes Change Real for Others

• Leadership - Leads the Team

Posting Close Date: March 11, 2025

As you prepare to submit your application, and cover letter if applicable, please highlight the achievements that demonstrate why you're a great candidate for this role.