Role: National Sales Director – Commercial Lines

Location: Austin, TX / Palo Alto, CA / Bedminster, NJ 

Reports To: VP of Commercial Lines

Hippo is modernizing home insurance by putting customers at the center of everything we do.  Using innovative technology and a data-driven approach, we strive to provide nothing less than the best policies, best value and best customer service in the industry. And this is just the beginning. Hippo’s true ambition lies in helping prevent people from having problems with their homes to begin with.  Because, at the end of the day, the best home insurance policy is the one you never have to use.

About This Role

We are seeking a National Sales Director to develop and drive sophisticated distribution strategies supporting new commercial products and advance Hippo’s growth and profit objectives. In this role you will be accountable for identifying key partners, create acquisition and compensation strategies that align those partners to Hippo’s long-term, vertically focused commercial insurance roadmap. As the primary responsible relationship manager for commercial insurance initiatives, you will work closely with insurance product and technology teams to acquire and share feedback, develop the key performance metrics that promote an active feedback loop prioritizing responsible growth, profitability, and operating costs.

About You:

• Wear many hats and will need to roll up their sleeves and be able to be strategic and perform hands-on tasks at the same time. Ultimately, this is an opportunity to play an instrumental role in establishing day-one strategies and processes that will sustain the commercial sales organization
• Develop and execute dual-model distribution approaches that match distribution partner incentives to Hippo’s core objectives
• Management and development of the Commercial practice area and the respective sales teams
• Evaluate agency qualifications for appointment and make appropriate recommendations for appointment
• Negotiate compensation plans
• Responsible for agency production and quality of business
• Assists with agency communications
• Completes quarterly agency evaluations to include production levels, progress toward any contingent commission, quality of submissions, audit and loss results
• Reviews results of quarterly results with agency principal, establish corrective action plans to address area(s) of concern
• Serves as coach and partner for each team member to support their role to achieve targets and other key performance metrics
• Support the insurance practice SME’s by acquiring customer feedback at all levels of the customer acquisition process, to ensure product relevancy and competitiveness
• Stay actively engaged in the sales process for each distribution channel created
• Collaborates with underwriting, operations, claims and marketing as needed

Must Haves:

• Minimum ten (10) years of relevant experience with technical expertise in one of the following: agency ownership, professional services industry, commercial insurance sales, risk management
• Minimum of four (4) years of experience managing sales teams
• Commercial insurance (property, general liability) experience required
• Previous contact center leadership experience
• Active P & C License (preferred)
• Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to present, influence, and sell effectively
• Demonstrates poise and grit and thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Ability and desire to invest the long hours required to accomplish goals, as needed

Compensation and Perks

• Healthy Hippos Benefits- 100% Employer paid medical, dental & vision plan options for our team members AND their families (yes, you read that correctly). 
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Hippo Meals & Snacks- We cater lunch in our office 3 times a week and we provide all the snacks & drinks our Hippos can handle daily. 
• Hippo Habitat - Fast-paced, close-knit, office located in Bedminster, NJ; Beautiful, historic offices in downtown Austin at the corner of 6th & Congress; Fun offices located in downtown Palo Alto, less than a 5 minute walk from Caltrain. We also offer commuter benefits including free parking pass. Stocked kitchen and BBQ Friday’s for all!

Hippo is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.

Hippo’s applicants are considered solely based on their qualifications, without regard to an applicant’s disability or need for accommodation. Any Hippo applicant who requires reasonable accommodations during the application process should contact the Hippo’s People Team to make the need for an accommodation known.