Position Summary: The Senior Account Manager, Contract Surety is an experienced surety professional responsible for independently managing a portfolio of commercial and/or contract surety accounts, including accounts of increased complexity.
This position combines strong account-management capabilities with established technical surety knowledge and is expected to anticipate client needs, identify potential issues, and proactively coordinate solutions.
Supervisory Responsibilities: None
Essential Tasks:
- Independently manage an assigned portfolio of commercial and/or contract surety accounts
- Maintain client/account responsibilities appropriate to experience, capacity, and team structure
- Handle complex bond requests, renewals, continuations, riders, and related transactions
- Develop a thorough understanding of client operations, bond programs, and carrier relationships
- Prepare complete underwriting submissions
- Communicate independently with clients and carrier partners
- Review bond forms, contracts, and specifications for unusual requirements
- Review financial and underwriting information and recognize relevant trends or concerns
- Independently manage multiple client accounts, bond requests, renewals, deadlines, and competing priorities with accuracy and appropriate follow-through
- Assist with financial statements, WIP schedules, backlog, and other underwriting information
- Proactively manage renewals, open bond activity, and underwriting requirements
- Partner with producers and Account Executives on client and carrier meetings
- Exercise independent judgment and recognize situations requiring escalation
- Identify opportunities to improve workflows and client service
- Serve as a technical and procedural resource to less-experienced team members
- Support onboarding, training, and mentoring as appropriate
Core Competencies:
- Leadership: Display leadership skills and ability to motivate fellow employees
- Ability to Analyze and Solve Problems: Skill in recognizing challenges, exploring options, and implementing effective solutions in a timely manner
- Attention to Detail: A strong focus on completing tasks and projects accurately and thoroughly
- Communication Skills: Capable of expressing ideas clearly in both verbal and written forms and engaging with various audiences
- Timely Task Completion: Ability to finish tasks and projects efficiently, managing resources and priorities effectively
- Team Collaboration: Willingness to work together with others, promoting teamwork and supporting shared goals
- Client Focus: Dedication to understanding and addressing the needs of clients and stakeholders to ensure their satisfaction
- Dependability: Acknowledgment of the importance of being present and punctual
- Creative Thinking: Openness to suggesting new ideas and methods to improve processes and outcome
- Organizational Skills: Capability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Adaptability: Willingness to adjust to changing situations and priorities, showing resilience in a dynamic work environment
- Problem Solving & Judgment: Ability to recognize issues, evaluate options, exercise sound judgment, and resolve problems effectively and timely
Experience and Education:
- 3 - 5 years of Surety insurance experience including bond forms, underwriting requirements, carrier processes, and surety documentation
- Working knowledge of financial statements and surety underwriting information, with the ability to identify and communicate relevant information to producers and carrier partners
Licensing and Credentials:
- Active General Lines or Property & Casualty License required
- AFSB (Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding) designation preferred, or candidates open to pursuing the designation as part of their professional development
Systems:
- Proficient with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
- Erlon and Applied Epic experience preferred, but knowledge of similar Account Management System (AMS) is acceptable
- Ability to learn and effectively utilize agency, surety, and other business technology and adapts readily to new systems and tools
Location:
- Hybrid work schedule will be considered for qualified candidates (must live a commutable distance from office location).
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to lift 25 pounds
- Repeated use of sight to read documents and computer screens
- Repeated use of hearing and speech to communicate on telephone and in person
- Repetitive hand movements, such as keyboarding, writing, 10-key
- Walking, bending, sitting, reaching and stretching in all directions
Benefits and Compensation:
- Higginbotham offers medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, 401(k), equity incentive plan as well as multiple supplemental benefits for physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing
- Employee Wellness Program
- Company paid holidays, plus PTO
Notice to Recruiters and Staffing Agencies: To protect the interests of all parties, Higginbotham Insurance Agency, Inc., and our partners, will not accept unsolicited potential placements from any source other than directly from the candidate or a vendor partner under MSA with Higginbotham. Please do not contact or send unsolicited potential placements to our team members.
*Applications will be accepted until the position is filled