Manager, Associate Underwriting Assistants (Programs)

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

This is a newly created leadership role with an opportunity to help shape the future of the Assistant Underwriter function within Programs. The Manager will lead a team of 9-10 Assistant Underwriters who support Nationwide Program Managers in day-to-day underwriting support activities and operational execution in a unique delegated authority model that spans across multiple lines of business and products - Casualty, Property, Specialty, Professional  and Workers Compensation.

This role is expected to provide direct people leadership, including coaching, performance management, workload oversight, and team development, while also driving consistency across the function. A key part of the position will be establishing and enhancing standards of work, identifying opportunities to improve processes, and partnering with leaders to create a more scalable and effective operating model for Assistant Underwriting support.

In addition to team leadership, this individual will take on project-based work focused on defining best practices, improving workflows, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and supporting operational excellence across the team. The ideal candidate will be comfortable leading through ambiguity, building structure in a new area, and balancing day-to-day team leadership with longer-term process and organizational improvement efforts.

Strong communication skills will be essential in this role, including the ability to provide clear direction to the team, build effective relationships with underwriting partners and leadership, and communicate changes, expectations, and process improvements in a thoughtful and consistent way.

This is an exciting opportunity for a leader who enjoys building, influencing, and creating clarity in a newly formed role.

Position can be office-based or remote.

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Job Description Summary

Do you excel at managing people, projects and workflow? If you are leader who can handle multiple processes and work with a team to ensure customer satisfaction and achieve business goals, we want to hear from you!

The Insurance Services Manager leads a multi-function commercial and/or agribusiness division, including customer service and/or underwriting. The professional in this role is responsible for both the quality and quantity of risks underwritten and processed. You provide quality service and underwriting processes to agents and customers, while providing management and development, team building skills and training to associates. You have opportunities to develop and execute strategies to promote customer satisfaction, control expenses, and learn and share industry and enterprise best practices. In addition, the Director/AVP will need your expertise to assist with planning, budgeting and reporting.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities:

• Leads all levels of service center associates; including direct supervision of services, direct sales and/or support. Oversees a multi-line or multi-product division in support of commercial lines and/or agribusiness projects. Oversees service levels to ensure a positive member experience.

• Manages the servicing, policy analysis and underwriting in accordance with established guidelines and processes, state/regional objectives. May have personal approval level for risks and write-offs.

• Supports target sales objectives, customer needs, and agent support and interaction.

• Responsible for strengthening relationships with agents and customers. Assists in providing service support to underwriting, sales, claims or other service center operations.

• Provides a high level of customer service to all customers. Handles the resolution of complex problems. Responds to issues from agents, policyholders, insurance department and other regulatory agencies.

• Ensures appropriate staffing levels. Evaluates call forecasts and interval staffing adequacy and makes staffing adjustments as necessary. Assists in planning for changes in staffing and makes recommendations to commence new training classes.

• Implements corporate initiatives and execution of state/region profitability programs.

• Monitors and ensures compliance with department and center budget.

• Is responsible for associate management including performance management, salary planning and administration, quality, training and development, workflow and organization planning, day-to-day management, hiring and placement, engagement, retention and disciplinary actions.

• Facilitates and implements LEAN management system.

• Collaborates, builds work products, and coaches others towards greater common goals that align to strategic goals.

• Leads and participates in strategic projects to achieve desired business objectives; coordinate, and prioritize projects, including planning, communication, execution, and completion. Participates in special projects as assigned. May assist in leading support functions such as office services or systems.

• Coaches supervisors to aide with developing maturity and skills progression.

May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to service center Director /AVP; responsible for direct management of 4+ Supervisors and support associates, and indirect management of 60-80 associates.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in business management or related field.

License/Certification/Designation: Prefer degree and/or technical insurance coursework such as AIC or CPCU.

Experience: Prefer eight years related experience in commercial and/or agribusiness operations, product support including underwriting, customer service, direct sales and/or processing. Prior management experience required.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills: Detailed knowledge of commercial and/or agribusiness lines insurance products, state regulations, management techniques, direct sales, underwriting policies and procedures, and best practices. Ability to lead, coach and develop associates in all aspects of commercial lines product support. Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in written form for interaction with associates, staff management, agents and customers and center leadership. Ability to understand and execute LEAN concepts. Demonstrated decision making skills including the ability to recognize, analyze, and improve performance situations such as customer satisfaction, associate development, engagement, and change management.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions:

Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)

Working Conditions: Service center environment; must be willing and available to work non-standard hours (shifts, weekends, and holidays). Occasional travel.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 04/20/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.

Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.

For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.

The national salary range for Manager, Insurance Services - Commercial Lines : $87,000.00-$162,000.00

The expected starting salary range for Manager, Insurance Services - Commercial Lines : $87,000.00 - $131,000.00