Commercial Property Underwriting Leader (Director)

The role

The Commercial Property Underwriting Leader will build and shape a new Retail Commercial Property vertical. This person will define production strategy, underwrite property risks, and lead a team of underwriters.

What you will do

• Define the production strategy for retail commercial property
• Support writing underwriting guidelines, authority framework, referral rules, and rating approach
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Data to design workflows and tools
• Underwrite new and renewal primary and excess property
• Own premium, profit, loss-ratio, retention, and expense results
• Use retail broker relationships to drive submission flow
• Hire, coach, and grow a team of property underwriters and support staff
• Work with Corporate Underwriting to set authority and run audits
• Work with Claims, Actuarial, Customer Experience and Finance

Required qualifications

• 10+ years of commercial property underwriting
• Deep expertise in retail middle market and large accounts across real estate, retail, hospitality, manufacturing, and technology
• Proven record of profitable growth managing loss-ratio and combined-ratio targets
• Strong technical command of risk selection, COPE analysis, valuation, pricing, coverage, primary and excess layering, and manuscript forms
• Hands-on CAT modeling experience (RMS / AIR / Verisk)
• Disciplined aggregate and exposure management
• Established retail broker relationships at the regional and national level
• People leadership experience leading, mentoring, or managing underwriters
• Executive presence to present strategy and results
• Comfort with ambiguity
• Willingness to travel about 25%
• A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Benefits

• 100% contribution to top-tier health, dental, and vision
• Fertility Benefits & Family Building Support
• Unlimited PTO
• Daily Lunches, Dinners & Snacks
• Access to premium coaching, including leadership development
• Competitive 401(k) Plan
• Dog-Friendly Office

About the company

Shepherd rebuilds commercial insurance with software, data, AI, and deep underwriting expertise. The company develops insurance products and partners with established insurers to back coverage.