Sr. Manager, Underwriting

Root was founded on the belief that car insurance is broken, and we set out to change it. We’re harnessing the power of technology to revolutionize this archaic, complicated industry. Using machine learning and mobile telematic platforms, we’ve built one of the most innovative insurtech companies in the world.

The Opportunity

At Root, we are on a mission to improve the lives of our customers by offering better insurance solutions. We challenge ourselves to think differently in order to reimagine insurance to make it smarter, more equitable, and a better experience for all.

We strive to “unbreak” the archaic insurance industry by using data and technology in innovative new ways. We believe we must be steadfast in our commitment to research, experimentation, and disciplined data-driven decision making in order to build products our customers love.

Consumer auto insurance is a competitive and highly regulated industry, so the ability to translate state strategy into timely, accurate, and compliant filing execution is essential to delivering an industry-leading product. Root’s State Management Operations team works alongside actuarial, regulatory, legal, product, underwriting, and market leadership teams to determine how Root should compete in each state and how those decisions should be submitted, approved, implemented, and maintained.

As Senior Manager of State Management Operations, you will lead the team responsible for Root’s market-level rating rules, underwriting guidelines, forms submissions, and filing execution discipline. This role is designed for a leader who can combine insurance regulatory expertise, strong operating rigor, and people leadership to keep complex, cross-functional filing work moving from initial strategy through submission, objection response, approval, and implementation.

You will be expected to build a high-performing team that drafts and maintains state-specific rule and underwriting documentation, manages filings through online submission systems, establishes informed timelines for filings and revisions, and drives cross-functional alignment when work depends on State Management, Actuarial, Product, Legal, Compliance, or other teams. Over time, your team will develop deep state-specific filing expertise that helps inform regulatory strategy and improves Root’s ability to plan, sequence, and execute work in each market.

Salary Range:  $121,000 - $151,300 (Bonus & Equity Eligible)
Root is a “work where it works best” company. Meaning we will support you working in whatever location that works best for you across the US. We will continue to have our headquarters in Columbus, Ohio.

How You Will Make an Impact

• Lead state filing operations- build, manage, and develop the team responsible for drafting, maintaining, and submitting Root’s rating rules, underwriting guidelines, forms, and related state-specific filing materials; set clear expectations for quality, timeliness, documentation, and market ownership.
• Drive operational excellence- establish disciplined operating rhythms, milestone plans, dependency tracking, and status visibility for filing revisions and implementations from intake through approval and launch; identify risks early and keep critical workstreams unblocked.
• Own filing submission execution- oversee the team responsible for preparation and submission of filings through online filing submission systems, ensuring filing packages are complete, internally aligned, accurately documented, and supported by appropriate state-specific context.
• Coordinate cross-functional delivery- manage across State Management, Actuarial, Product, Legal, Compliance, Underwriting, and other partner teams to ensure the right resources are engaged at the right time and accountable to shared execution timelines.
• Lead objection response operations- lead the team owning intake, triage, routing, tracking, and follow-up when Departments of Insurance issue objections; ensure responses are assigned to the appropriate subject matter experts, reviewed, and submitted within expected timeframes.
• Build state-specific filing expertise- develop and maintain the team’s practical knowledge of assigned states’ filing norms, regulatory expectations, objection patterns, implementation constraints, and approval timelines; use that expertise to inform filing strategy, sequencing, and stakeholder expectations.
• Improve documentation and controls- create frameworks, templates, quality checks, and durable documentation that improve consistency across filings, make market-specific decisions easier to audit, and allow the team to scale without losing accuracy or context.
• Develop and coach a high-performing team- hire, coach, prioritize, and provide feedback to team members; identify skill gaps, create development plans, and build the team’s capability in insurance documentation, regulatory process, operational rigor, and cross-functional communication.
• Communicate with clarity- translate complex filing status, risks, dependencies, and regulatory issues into concise updates for senior leaders and cross-functional partners, enabling timely decisions and effective tradeoffs across competing priorities.

What You Will Need to Succeed

• 7+ years of experience in personal lines insurance, product management, underwriting, regulatory filings, compliance operations, insurance operations, or a closely related field; prior people leadership experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional operational work with multiple dependencies, time-sensitive deliverables, and executive visibility; ability to create structure in ambiguous situations and maintain momentum across teams.
• Working knowledge of rating rules, underwriting guidelines, insurance forms, SERFF or similar online filing submission systems, and the regulatory filing lifecycle for personal auto or other P&C products.
• Ability to read and interpret state-specific regulatory requirements, filing objections, prior filings, competitor filings, and internal product decisions, then translate that information into practical filing execution plans.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to draft and review clear rules, underwriting guidance, filing support, objection responses, status updates, and process documentation.
• Ability to build relationships and drive action across State Management, Actuarial, Product, Legal, Compliance, Underwriting, Engineering, and other teams without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong judgment in prioritizing work across competing filing needs, balancing speed, quality, regulatory risk, customer impact, and business outcomes.
• Experience creating operating mechanisms, documentation standards, quality controls, templates, or process improvements that allow teams to deliver consistently and improve over time.
• People leadership skills, including hiring, coaching, feedback, delegation, performance management, and helping team members grow subject matter expertise and business judgment.
• Mental flexibility to understand and leverage Root’s data-science-driven and technology-forward culture, while maintaining the regulatory discipline required to operate effectively in state-regulated insurance markets.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Risk Management, Insurance, or a related field; CPCU, API, AINS, or other insurance-related designations are a plus.
  

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Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is the policy of Root to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or candidate with a disability, unless such accommodation would cause an undue hardship for Root. The policy regarding requests for reasonable accommodation applies to all aspects of the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact [email protected].