Underwriting Operations Manager

Overview

Location:

Branch HQ

Employment Type:

Full time

Location Type:
Remote

Department:
Insurance Product

Compensation:
Underwriting Operations Manager

$112K
• Offers Equity
• Offers Bonus

Branch is on a mission to make insurance more accessible, using data, tech, and automation to simplify insurance from start to finish, with a focus on real prices, smarter bundling, and reducing costs for our members.

Branch is remote-first. Headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio, with office spaces in Columbia and Concordia, Missouri and Forreston, Illinois. The company gathers annually for “Branch Fest.”

Branch has a preference for candidates in Ohio, but is open to candidates in AZ, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MO, NV, NC, OH, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, and WI. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

The Underwriting Operations Manager reports to the VP, Head of Insurance Product in Branch’s Product organization. This role is accountable for the execution of underwriting practice at a policy level in the segments managed by the team, leading a team of Underwriting Operations Specialists in priority and process. The Underwriting Operations Manager is responsible for bringing Branch’s underwriting practice to life in execution;

leading complex policy-level work streams such as property inspection decisioning, post-claim underwriting action, and Correct Classification Projects. They should be tenacious in pursuing quality, efficiency, and continuous improvement of underwriting function execution at Branch.

• Leads and develops a high-performing team of Underwriting Operations Specialists, setting clear expectations, fostering accountability, and building a culture of trust and continuous growth.
• Shapes and refines underwriting operational processes, ensuring they are well-documented, scalable, and aligned to Branch’s philosophy, appetite, and practices.
• Partners with the Underwriting Practices team to translate strategic direction into operational execution that supports business goals.
• Analyzes workload trends, policy action rates, and operational metrics to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, automation, and capability enhancement—presenting data-backed recommendations to leadership.
• Oversees quality, SLA, and communication standards, proactively addressing performance gaps and implementing corrective actions where needed.
• Drives a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring operational protocols evolve with business needs and industry best practices.
• Manages relationships with third-party service providers, ensuring service levels meet Branch’s underwriting support objectives and representing Branch’s needs in vendor strategy discussions.
• Serves as an escalation point for complex or ambiguous policy scenarios, exercising sound judgment within authority and modeling effective decision-making for the team.
• Balances day-to-day task delivery with intentional talent development, coaching individuals to take on greater scope and impact.
• Partners with Technology, QA, and Data teams to design and approve test strategies that validate functional and financial outcomes of underwriting initiatives.

• Extensive industry experience
  : 5+ years in P&C Personal Lines insurance underwriting, product, or agency, with proven success in delivering operational and business outcomes.
• Leadership track record
  : 2+ years in roles accountable for operational processing, corrective action, or project enablement, with demonstrated ability to lead teams, drive accountability, and achieve sustained results.
• People leadership capability
  :
  Preferred experience managing teams, including full-cycle hiring, onboarding, performance coaching, and career development.
• Cross-functional influence
  :
  Proven ability to collaborate across multiple teams and departments to align on priorities, solve complex problems, and deliver shared goals.
• Advanced communication skills
  :
  Strong oral, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to facilitate discussions, lead training, and present…