AVP, Underwriting Practices - Small Commercial Lines

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care.

Job Description Summary

The AVP of Underwriting Practices for Small CL, will serve as a strategic and inspiring leader, driving a nimble, data-centric, solution oriented culture across the organization. They will lead a high-performing team responsible for assessing product performance, extracting actionable insights, and deploying advanced analytics solutions to improve underwriting, pricing, and overall business outcomes.
This role is pivotal in transforming data into strategic assets, enabling faster, smarter decision-making across all Small Commercial, integrating data from CLESS (Claims, COE, Actuary) stakeholders. They will collaborate directly with senior leaders within Small CL, CLESS, and Claims, delivering high-impact analytics that support enterprise strategy and execution.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities: 

Strategic Partnership & Portfolio Alignment

• Partner with senior leaders across Small CL (Underwriting, Portfolio, Sales & Distribution, and Operations) to anticipate evolving business strategies and data needs. Serve as a trusted advisor, influencing innovative, data-driven solutions and ensuring alignment with enterprise and planning unit goals. Guide solution design, execution, change management, and cultural transformation initiatives. Engage actively with leaders in Analytics, Pricing, IT, Claims, and other CLESS partners to ensure alignment of priorities, integration of insights, and cohesive execution across the enterprise.

Performance Monitoring and Third-Party Data

• Own the integration and ownership of rules-based data science to further simplify quote rules and improve the quality of risk selection. Lead efforts to transform our data into strategic assets to enable faster, smarter decision-making across Small CL. Support the Technical Underwriting Organization and Portfolio and Underwriting through analytics and insights. Enable quoting and binding business with more accuracy and create speed to scale to become a $3B organization. Ensure consistency in team delivery, partner satisfaction, and project outcomes. Lead efforts to monitor external sources, integrate third-party data, and verify accuracy to support strategic growth, risk management, and portfolio profitability.

Product (PMUW), Sales & Underwriting Analytics

• Leads the deployment of predictive models, advanced analytics, and AI solutions that simplify underwriting practices/decision-making and enhance business performance. Ensure seamless integration across PMUW, Sales, TUO and IT while leading organizational adoption of analytics-driven practices. Collaborate with Enterprise and Advanced Analytics partners to ensure alignment on methodology, data sources, and model development.

Global Sourcing & Capability Build

• Leverage global sourcing strategies to expand data engineering, science, and visualization capacity. Lead and expand our offshore data science capabilities which increases cost-efficiency and speed to insight and delivery. Build scalable, cost-effective capabilities that support a future-ready analytics organization

May perform other responsibilities as assigned. 

Reporting Relationships: Reports to SVP, Commercial Lines – Small Market

Typical Skills and Experiences: 

Education: College degree required, and advanced degree preferable

Licenses/Certifications/Designations: Actuarial and/or data, analytics licenses/certifications preferred

Experience: Minimum 10 years’ experience in related roles

Knowledge, Abilities and Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of Commercial Lines (CL) products, product management, underwriting methodology, pricing principles, and the interdependencies among these functions.

• Deep expertise in business analytics, including the implementation of predictive models and technology-enabled solutions to forecast outcomes and enhance business performance.

• Proven ability to lead and coach others in building strong business partnerships, influencing stakeholders, and delivering timely, relevant insights for decision-making.

• Strong leadership capabilities with a demonstrated ability to mentor teams, drive transformation, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to translate complex findings into impactful, actionable communications tailored to diverse audiences.

• Strategic agility and critical thinking, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and align analytics initiatives with broader P&C business objectives.

• Expert knowledge of industry standards, best practices, methodologies, and frameworks within insurance and financial services, including business process management.

• Advanced proficiency in financial and operational measurement, analysis, and solution design, with a strong understanding of emerging technologies in third party data, analytics, and data science.

• Extensive knowledge of project management principles, organizational design, performance management, and change leadership.

• Ability to lead change, plan business transformation initiatives, and champion data-driven strategies that deliver measurable impact.

• Executive presence and organizational agility, with the ability to clearly articulate a vision and influence across all levels of the organization.

• Must be an active learner with a natural inclination to identify opportunities to simplify, automate, and improve business practices.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and Human Resource Business Partner.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values.

Job Conditions: 

Overtime Eligibility: Not Eligible (Exempt)

Working Conditions: Normal office environment.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job.  Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties. 

We currently anticipate accepting applications until 08/06/2026. However, we encourage early submissions, as the posting may close sooner if a strong candidate slate is identified before the deadline.

Benefits

We have an array of benefits to fit your needs, including: medical/dental/vision, life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date, nine paid holidays, 8 hours of Lifetime paid time off, 8 hours of Unity Day paid time off, 401(k) with company match, company-paid pension plan, business casual attire, and more. To learn more about the benefits we offer, click here.

Nationwide is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone feels challenged, appreciated, respected and engaged. Nationwide prohibits discrimination and harassment and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to any characteristic (or classification) protected by applicable law.

This position could be filled within any of the lower 48 U.S. states.

Smoke-Free Iowa Statement: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, its affiliates and subsidiaries comply with the Iowa Smokefree Air Act. Smoking is prohibited in all enclosed areas on or around company premises as well as company issued vehicles. The company offers designated smoking areas in which smoking is permitted at each individual location. The Act prohibits retaliation for reporting complaints or violations. For more information on the Iowa Smokefree Air Act, individuals may contact the Smokefree Air Act Helpline at 888-944-2247.

For NY residents please review the following state law information: Notice of Employee Rights, Protections, and Obligations LS740 (ny.gov) https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/02/ls740_1.pdf

NOTE TO EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES:

We value the partnerships we have built with our preferred vendors. Nationwide does not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies. All resumes submitted by employment agencies directly to any Nationwide employee or hiring manager in any form without a signed Nationwide Client Services Agreement on file and search engagement for that position will be deemed unsolicited in nature. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is subsequently hired as a result of the referral or through other means.

Nationwide pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement within the actual starting salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity and location of the role as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. If a Sales job, Sales Incentives, based on performance goals are possible in addition to this range. Note on Compensation for Part-Time Roles: Please be aware that the salary ranges listed below reflect full-time compensation. Actual compensation may be prorated based on the number of hours worked relative to a full-time schedule.

The national salary range for AVP, Underwriting Practices - Small Commercial Lines : $154,000.00-$290,000.00

The expected starting salary range for AVP, Underwriting Practices - Small Commercial Lines : $154,000.00 - $258,000.00