Director, Underwriting Operations & Analytics

Who We Are: 

At PEMCO, we’re all about people – our customers, our employees, and the community.  We’re a mutual insurance company owned by our Northwest policyholders.  We provide auto, home, renters, and boat coverage. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Insurance Companies in both Auto and Home for 2025, based on customer survey feedback, and by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces 2025. We are consistently recognized for our outstanding customer service, employee expertise, community partnerships, and social impact programs. All of which makes PEMCO a great place to work!

Our social impact programs motivate high achievement by youth in education; build stronger and greener communities; and increase safety at home, on the road, and at play. We’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and to fostering an inspiring and inclusive workplace. These efforts create and cultivate an environment that builds fairness and understanding, encourages collaboration and flexibility, and celebrates all the ways in which we’re different and the same – enabling all individuals to achieve their full potential.

Why We Need You:

PEMCO is at the forefront of setting a new standard for the customer journey and customer experience in personal lines insurance. With a mission to help our communities worry less and live more, PEMCO is a company that cares more and intends to create an experience that feels effortless – for our customers and our employees. 

This position is responsible for providing strategic leadership that drives sustained profitable growth through risk evaluation and selection and catastrophe risk management, while promoting excellent customer experience.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Define underwriting strategy and execute with precision by establishing effective teams and leading others in analyzing and solving complex problems.
• Oversee underwriting operations, ensuring a quality book of business, and optimizing distribution channels to achieve profitable growth goals through effective selection processes.
• Manage a team of direct [and indirect] reports, with performance management and development responsibilities.
• Reduce enterprise risk by ensuring that operational processes, systems, and controls are compliant with state and federal regulations, and by ensuring sound business continuity plans are in place.

• Lead change efforts at the organization and department level.

• Connect the department, employees, and strategic partners to corporate vision, mission, and strategic direction, and influence business results through employee engagement.

• Manage department budget and resources responsibly.

• Stay current and responsive to industry and risk management developments in order to develop and sustain underwriting philosophies, selection criteria, and operational effectiveness.

• Build cooperative and supporting relationships and organizational capabilities (talent management, training, process improvement, technology adoption, etc.) to achieve expected business results.

• Manage, develop, and coach the Underwriting management team and other staff for continuous improvement.

• Demonstrate behaviors consistent with PEMCO's policies, values, code of ethics, and business conduct. 

• Authentically support the PEMCO Brand and are constantly on the lookout for top talent to join us to achieve our Mission to Worry Less and Live More. 
• Other duties as assigned.

What You'll Bring:

• B.A. or B.S. degree or equivalent work experience is required.
• 8 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry (personal lines) with increasing levels of responsibility, preferably in underwriting, product management or claims is required.
• 5 years of experience in managing an underwriting department.
• Ability to plan, implement, and manage projects.
• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, Insurance industry certifications.
• MS Office: Skilled proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook is required.
• Leadership & Managing Others: Establishes and communicates a compelling and inspiring vision, creates winning strategies and plans, ensures team goals are aligned with company goals; develops both self and others is required.
• Composure: Remains calm, maintains perspective, and responds in a professional timely manner, when faced with tough situations. Demonstrates patience and resilience, is deliberate, leads through ambiguity with compassion during difficult times, is required.
• Business Environment: Has a thorough understanding of our industry, the relevant business landscape, trends in insurance environments; the ability to spot early indicators of change and apply strategies to adapt quickly is required.
• Analytical and Data-Driven: Thinks analytically; a structured thinker who can put complex ideas into clear frameworks; uses data to conduct root cause analysis and develops high quality, consumable, and consistent metrics that drive strategic objectives and priorities is required.

What We Value:

In fostering a culture where everyone thrives, PEMCO embodies a set of core traits that guide our collective efforts. These traits include:

• Make Agile Decisions: Define desired outcomes. Use a consistent, inclusive approach. Drive decisions with a sense of urgency. Pivot decisions quickly, as supported by data.
• Build Trust: Listen to understand and use direct and open communication. Engage in healthy debate with mutual respect. Find solutions and move forward together.
• Own Results: Commit to desired outcomes. Define and achieve success metrics. Anticipate and mitigate risks, and always have a plan B. Take accountability for and learn from outcomes. 
• Empower Execution: Take action to drive desired outcomes. Act with initiative, mastery, and purpose.
• Explore Fearlessly: Make swift, iterative progress through testing and learning, create a safe place to fail fast and learn from mistakes, and continuously improve.
• Value People: Appreciate and care about unique experiences and perspectives. Respect the dignity of others and have empathy for people. Authentically and meaningfully support and recognize people in real time.

These traits form the bedrock of our commitment to caring deeply for each other, our customers, and our community. As you become a part of PEMCO, your contribution will further enrich our success story, where the power of these shared values propels us forward.

Compensation:

The pay range for this role is shown below. Compensation decisions are determined based on an individual’s qualifications, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

• Greater Seattle area target pay range: $$227,919-$278,567.  The full pay range is $189,932-$316,554.
• Outside greater Seattle area target pay range: $201,143-$245,841.  The full pay range is $167,619-$279,365.

Greater Seattle Area is defined as working within approximately 100 miles of Seattle.

Outside Greater Seattle is defined as working approximately 100 miles or more from Seattle.

Benefits:

Regular part-time PEMCO employees working at least 24 hours per week and regular full-time PEMCO employees are eligible to elect coverage under medical, dental, and vision plans for themselves and their eligible family members with generous employer premium cost shares. In addition, as a benefits-eligible employee, you are:

• covered by employer-paid basic life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance policies as well as long- and short-term disability benefit coverages.
• eligible to participate in PEMCO’s 401(k) plan, which includes a generous employer match (2 for 1 on the first 6% employee pre-tax and/or Roth deferral, up to federal maximums). 

PEMCO provides the following paid leave programs for benefits-eligible employees in their first year of PEMCO employment:

• Vacation accrues at a rate of 10 days for new hires, and increases based on a schedule to a maximum annual accrual of 25 days based on tenure.
• Granted four (4) personal days immediately upon hire.
• Paid holidays for the eight (8) holidays observed by PEMCO throughout the calendar year.
• Granted up to ten (10) days of sick leave immediately upon hire (pro-rated based on hire date and full-time/part-time status), which is approximately 28 hours more per year than the Washington state-required accrual.
• In addition, PEMCO provides paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, and employee volunteering in the community.

Other miscellaneous benefit programs offered by PEMCO include:

• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Education Assistance Program after one year of service
• Scholarship program for children of PEMCO employees after one year of service
• Employee Assistance Program
• Well-being program
• Discretionary taxable gifts and gift cards
• And other Perks & Benefits, including discounts on computer software and hardware, cell phone plans, and rental cars

Other compensation, depending on role, contributions, and performance, may include:

• Discretionary bonuses
• Tiered sales commissions and/or incentives (from 5-25% of employees’ monthly sales)
• Employee referral bonuses
• Shift differential pay

Equal Employment Opportunity:

At PEMCO, we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our products, and our community to flourish. PEMCO is honored to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) 
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)