Underwriting Assistant: E&S Commercial Property - ARU

Dallas, TX

About the Job

COMPANY INTRO

Agribusiness Risk Underwriters (ARU), founded in 2016, has quickly risen to become the U.S. leader in specialty Farm / Ag product development, underwriting, loss control, and technology.

In 2021, ARU was acquired by international carrier group Accelerant Holdings.
Additional notable developments include the creation of an internal unit that provides white-labeled product development / underwriting / technology services to carriers and the creation of a claims-handling subsidiary Agribusiness Risk Services (ARS).
In 2023, ARU has grown > 130%, and this is the 5th consecutive year of > 40% growth. In addition, unlike other well-publicized insurtech startups, ARU actually generates a healthy and sustainable underwriting profit.
ARU is a company on the rise.

UNDERWRITING ASSISTANT POSITION INTRO

ARU is experiencing rapid growth, and we are seeking a fast-learning, thorough, and detail-oriented insurance professional with at least 2 years of P&C experience to join our team.

This position has an excellent outlook for insurance professionals seeking to advance their career on an underwriting track. ARU prioritizes individual professional growth and prefers to hire / promote from within.

A few words from ARU's CEO Will Johnson:

"I started ARU in 2016 at ground zero, with zero customers, zero revenue, and one big foundational idea: other market participants were operating fundamentally flawed models that were not sustainable. A completely new approach was needed -- an approach that looked ahead instead of backward and was based on the best available science, data, and technology. Fast forward to today, and the evidence suggests my original assessments were right on point. Not only is the overall farm / ag property insurance market reeling due to years of under-pricing and insufficient risk assessment practices, but many of ARU’s competitors' unsustainable practices have caught up to them, and they have been forced to leave the space outright. Meanwhile, ARU is strong, thriving, and growing.

Our success is not based on AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, or any other buzword. ARU is a company built on PEOPLE - people committed to being subject matter experts and operating with disciplined precision. If being a team member at the best specialty farm / ag underwriting organization in the U.S. is an intriguing professional opportunity, I invite you to reach out to us."

WHAT WE’RE OFFERING TO YOU:

You will work in a supportive, team-driven environment, as part of a team dedicated to being the "best in the world."
You will receive a competitive compensation package, with base annual salary, annual bonus, and company-provided benefits. You will have 100% employer-paid health insurance, generous PTO, and a 100% vested retirement plan with company match.
You will be working in a 100% remote position, for an employer that proactively supports its employees’ comfort and safety.
You will have a position in a fast-growing, modern, technology-based company, where your contribution will be critical to the company’s success, and where your performance will earn your opportunities for recognition and promotion.

PRIMARY DUTIES:

Help ARU be the best in the world at what we do, and do not ever settle for mediocrity. Actively participate in ARU’s culture of collaborative problem-solving.
Treat every assignment as an opportunity to: 1) learn and grow as an insurance professional, and 2) prepare for increased responsibilities in the company.
Perform with a high level of polish and professionalism, in all spoken and written communications. Address internal and external business challenges in a graceful and tactful manner. Complete all duties with a high degree of urgency, thoroughness, and accuracy.
Receive submissions from brokers. Assess submissions for completeness, and followup with brokers to obtain missing information. Transform submissions to be in conformance with policy admin system ingestion templates. Set up submissions in the policy admin system and prepare for underwriting review. Provide world-class service to brokers and other internal and external stakeholders. Notify brokers of underwriting decisions, underwriting requirements, status, and declinations.
Collaborate with the department Underwriting Manager on overall portfolio management. Maintain thorough underwriting files and follow audit and quality control protocols. Facilitate regular communication and collaboration among ARU underwriting, loss control, and claims departments, ensuring that all three are in alignment and are assessing risk in the best possible manner.
Coordinate and communicate with the company accounting department in regards to billing issues with underwriting implications.
Master the use of ARU standardized hardware, software programs, third party software, and processing procedures.
Other, as assigned.

WHAT WE MINIMALLY REQUIRE - YOUR EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLSET:

2+ years of Property and Casualty insurance experience.
Commercial Property experience is a plus (but is not required).
Proficient with spreadsheet and other modern technology; able to learn new systems quickly.
Exceptional thoroughness, accuracy, personal organization, time management, and record-keeping skills.
Excellent critical thinker and problem-solver under pressure. High intellectual curiosity, with an enjoyment of learning and self-improvement.
Excellent customer service skills, with the strong ability to resolve challenging situations with a patient and calm demeanor.
Proven ability to take ownership of assigned responsibilities and accompanying results.
Excellent professional presentation and polish, in the spoken word and written form.

REMOTE POSITION / HOME OFFICE / TIME ZONE REQUIREMENTS:

This is a 100% remote position. As such, adherence to remote-work best practices is required, which includes (but is not limited to) having an appropriate professional home-office set-up, with reliable high speed internet. The space used for the office must be a separate enclosed room with a door that closes and that has professional decor appropriate for video conferencing.
As this is a remote position, candidates may live anywhere in the United States. However, working either EASTERN or CENTRAL time business hours is required.

ABOUT ARU’S CULTURE:

We demand excellence from ourselves and those around us; we work accurately and thoroughly, but also with a great sense of urgency; we are excellent critical thinkers and creative problem solvers; we contribute cheerfully to ARU’s environment of collaborative brainstorming and respectful debate; we love to explore and experiment, and we are comfortable occasionally blazing a trail that ends up actually being a “bridge to nowhere” -- just as long as we fail fast, pivot appropriately, and become tougher and smarter as a result; we love to learn, read, and grow as human beings; we believe in science-based truths, and we know there is no such thing as an alternative fact.

MORE ABOUT ARU:

ARU was founded on principles of creativity and innovation, with a goal to use expertise, engineering, and technology to disrupt the legacy marketplace. Our core mission is to deliver a superior experience to our policyholders, while also maintaining sustainability and consistency writing historically-challenging classes of business. To do so, we build and deploy 100% proprietary insurance products, we invest heavily in property loss prevention engineering and research, and we develop home-grown software and other technology. We also focus on collaborative broker and policyholder relationships, which allow us to deliver shared victories for all stakeholders. ARU is part of the Accelerant Insurance family: https://accelins.com/

Source : ARU