Senior Director - Portfolio Risk & Underwriting Strategy

Protective Life · Work From Home

  • Senior
  • Full-time
  • $137,000 – $210,000
  • Posted 2026-11-04
  • Confirmed live on 10 November 2026

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Job description

The work we do has an impact on millions of lives, and you can be a part of it.
We help protect our customers against life’s uncertainties. Regardless of where you work within the company, you’ll be helping provide protection and peace of mind when our customers need it most.

Help shape the profitability and risk strategy of a growing, multi-product Asset Protection portfolio. Protective is seeking a senior insurance leader who can connect underwriting judgment with actuarial analysis, pricing, forecasting, and portfolio performance management. This high-visibility role will influence decisions across vehicle protection plans, GAP coverage, limited warranties, and ancillary products serving automotive, marine, powersports, and recreational vehicle markets. 
You will lead underwriting strategy and governance, turn complex portfolio data into clear actions, and advise executive leaders on growth, profitability, and risk. This opportunity is well suited to a P&C actuarial or underwriting leader who enjoys moving beyond analysis to shape products, risk appetite, operating practices, and business outcomes. You will also build organizational capability by developing talent and strengthening the tools and processes used to manage the portfolio. 

Key Responsibilities
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Lead portfolio risk management and performance oversight across products, programs, distribution channels, and geographies, with accountability for profitable growth and disciplined risk selection.

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Analyze loss, exposure, pricing, frequency, severity, mix-of-business, and market trends to identify emerging risks and recommend timely portfolio actions.

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Direct underwriting strategy and governance, including pricing, eligibility, authority, referral, and exception frameworks; ensure decisions align with business objectives and risk appetite.

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Partner with Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, and Operations to evaluate product changes, pricing actions, reserving implications, and opportunities to improve portfolio returns.

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Guide the development and use of forecasts, predictive models, simulations, dashboards, and scenario analyses, translating technical results into practical business decisions.

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Establish portfolio monitoring routines, performance thresholds, and executive reporting that make profitability drivers and risk concentrations visible and actionable.

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Influence product design and program strategy by assessing financial, actuarial, underwriting, operational, and customer impacts.

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Lead complex decisions in ambiguous, high-impact situations and communicate recommendations, trade-offs, and financial implications to senior leadership.

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Improve underwriting processes, data, tools, controls, and governance to increase consistency, scalability, speed, and decision quality.

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Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team while strengthening collaboration and analytical capability across the organization.

Core Competencies (skills, knowledge and abilities):
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Deep knowledge of underwriting, portfolio management, risk selection, and insurance profitability drivers.

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Strong actuarial and quantitative orientation, including pricing, forecasting, trend analysis, scenario modeling, and performance measurement.

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Ability to connect technical findings to underwriting actions, product strategy, financial outcomes, and risk appetite.

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Understanding of loss cost, frequency, severity, exposure, mix, concentration, and rate adequacy concepts relevant to P&C or specialty insurance portfolios.

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Executive-level communication skills, including the ability to explain complex analyses to technical and nontechnical audiences.

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Strategic judgment and the ability to balance growth, customer, profitability, compliance, and risk considerations.

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Cross-functional leadership and influence across Actuarial, Product, Finance, Sales, Operations, and Technology.

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People leadership, coaching, talent development, and organizational change capability.

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Comfort navigating incomplete information, challenging assumptions, and making sound decisions in rapidly evolving markets.

Required Qualifications:
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Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Finance, Risk Management, Business, or a related field.

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7+ years of progressive experience in underwriting, actuarial, portfolio management, product management, risk management, or a related insurance discipline.

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4+ years of relevant leadership experience, including direct people management.

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Experience managing portfolio performance and profitability across multiple products, programs, markets, or distribution channels.

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Experience using analytics, performance metrics, and financial insights to support strategic decisions and portfolio actions.

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Demonstrated success partnering across functions to shape business strategy and execute complex initiatives.

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Ability to present recommendations and influence deci

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