The VP - Operations provides enterprise‑level leadership and strategic direction
across Underwriting Support, Premium Audit, and Billing, with accountability for
the end‑to‑end operating model. This role ensures the people, processes,
technology, and controls required to achieve production, profitability, premium
integrity, and customer experience objectives.
The position leads a large, multi‑functional, geographically dispersed
organization supporting record premium volume, complex multi‑state operations,
and enterprise system transformation. The VP partners with executive leadership
and stakeholders across Underwriting, Finance, Technology, Claims and others to
shape operating strategy, prioritize enterprise investments, and deliver
sustainable financial and operational results.
The VP is accountable for operational performance, expense management, workforce
strategy, risk and control oversight, training strategy, and change leadership,
with a critical role in delivering quality and accurate service to agents and
insureds, ensuring premium accuracy and collection, and enabling enterprise
growth and transformation initiatives.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategy:
In collaboration with executive leadership, establish long -term strategic
vision for business operations to enable UFG’s underwriting, financial, and
customer experience goals.
Direct department goals, holding others accountable and ensuring alignment
with underwriting to achieve targets and deliver excellent service. When
necessary, develop business cases to create a case for change and obtain
buy-in from key stakeholders.
Lead and prioritize cross‑functional enterprise initiatives across Business
operations, UW Enablement, Technology, Finance, and Underwriting that
positively impact the policy lifecycle and/or accuracy and customer
experience.
Provide executive leadership across Underwriting Support, Premium Audit, and
Billing, aligning operational strategy with underwriting, financial, and
enterprise objectives.
Serve as a key advisor to senior leadership on operational capacity, expense
tradeoffs, premium risk, and transformation readiness.
Establish enterprise operating standards, policies, and performance
frameworks that balance growth, profitability, compliance, service levels,
and customer experience across all supported functions.
Operational Excellence:
Oversee operational performance across multiple enterprise functions,
including Underwriting Support, Premium Audit, and Billing, ensuring
productivity, quality, compliance, premium accuracy, audit effectiveness,
billing timeliness, and service‑level commitments are consistently achieved.
Own enterprise workforce and capacity strategy across domestic and offshore
operations, aligning resources to premium volume, service demands, and
financial targets.
Resolve complex, high-visibility escalations from underwriters, RVPs, agents,
and internal business partners.
Develop and enforce enterprise standards, best practices, and continuous
improvement frameworks across all units.
Ensure strong operational controls that mitigate underwriting processing
errors, premium leakage, billing errors, audit disputes, and regulatory risk.
Partner with Finance, Underwriting, and Compliance to ensure internal
practices and procedures support accurate premium recognition and financial
reporting.
Financial & Risk Stewardship:
Own expense management and workforce investment decisions across all
functions, aligning capacity with business objectives.
Establish and monitor controls related to accuracy, policy/billing integrity,
and downstream financial impacts.
Ensure audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and strong governance
practices across all operational areas.
Use data, KPIs, and trend analysis to identify risk, inform executive
decision‑making, and drive continuous improvement.
People Leadership & Workforce Development:
Lead and develop a multi‑disciplinary leadership team capable of executing
enterprise transformation and scaling operations.
Set enterprise training, capability development, and succession strategies
that support operational readiness, leadership depth, and long‑term
scalability.
Champion efforts to reduce attrition, strengthen engagement, and improve team
stability.
Establish performance management, coaching, and accountability frameworks
that enable leaders to drive results, develop talent, and meet enterprise
standards.
Oversee all offshore partnerships, contract oversight, onboarding, training,
and leadership structure.
Requirements:
Education:
College degree required, degree in business administration, or related field
preferred
CPCU designation is preferred
Experience:
15+ years management experience preferred.
15+ years of underwriting/underwriting operations experience required.
Knowledge, skills & abilities:
Executive leadership experience overseeing large, multi-functional,
geographically dispersed teams.
Strong financial acumen with the ability to connect operations to premium
growth, profitability, and expense management.
Advanced knowledge of the underwriting support functions, including insights
into changing
Expertise in workflow optimization, change management, and operational
excellence methodologies.
Proven record of reducing cycle time, enhancing quality, and improving
service metrics.
Solutions-oriented leader with the ability to identify, analyze and resolve
problems, motivate and develop staff, recognize and meet customer needs, and
to effectively plan and execute a business strategy.
Executive‑level written and verbal communication skills, including the
ability to influence senior leaders and external stakeholders.
Accountable for setting the standard for customer experience and representing
the organization with credibility and professionalism to internal and
external stakeholders.
Ability to synthesize complex operational and financial data into clear
executive‑level insights and recommendations.
Excellent negotiation skills and ability to successfully collaborate with
internal and external partners in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
Familiarity with all related Commercial Lines functions (i.e., corporate
underwriting, underwriting, risk control, premium audit, and marketing)
preferred.
Leads enterprise‑level relationships and ensures operational strategies align
with customer, agent, and underwriting expectations.
Working Conditions:
Remote optional; General office environment with some overnight travel
required.
Pay Transparency Statement:
UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The
base salary range for this position is $240,000 - $320,000 annually, which
represents the typical range for new hires in this role. Individual pay within
this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant
experience, education, certifications, skills, internal equity, geography and
market data.
In addition to base salary, UFG Insurance offers a comprehensive total rewards
package that includes:
Annual incentive compensation
Medical, dental, vision & life insurance
Accident, critical Illness & short-term disability insurance
Retirement plans with employer contributions
Generous time-off program
Programs designed to support the employee well-being and financial security.
This pay range disclosure is provided in accordance with applicable state and
local pay transparency laws.