Primary and Excess Casualty Associate Underwriter

Golden Bear Insurance Company is a premier provider of excess, surplus, and specialty property and casualty insurance written on Golden Bear Insurance Company admitted and nonadmitted paper and Swiss Re Corporate Solutions nonadmitted paper. Golden Bear conducts business through a select group of specialty wholesale brokers and managing general underwriters with underwriting teams based in California, Illinois, and Washington. Golden Bear is a privately held company known for its entrepreneurial culture, disciplined underwriting, and longstanding commitment to profitability and innovation.

Golden Bear currently offers an excellent opportunity for a Primary and Excess Casualty Associate Underwriter based in our Chicago office. This is a hybrid position with four days per week in the office.

Position Overview
The Associate Underwriter role is designed for individuals who are eager to build a career in commercial insurance and develop a deep understanding of primary and excess casualty underwriting. The position offers direct exposure to a broad range of complex risks and provides hands-on training from experienced senior underwriters and management.

This is an entry-level position with a defined path toward becoming a fully authorized underwriter responsible for evaluating, pricing, and managing casualty accounts.

Underwriter Description
The Underwriter performs a wide array of underwriting and marketing functions demonstrating knowledge and competence in both client relationship management and technical underwriting. Core functions include analyzing and evaluating complex risks and exposures while applying a working knowledge of rates, forms, pricing structures, and coverage terms and conditions in primary and excess casualty lines.

Underwriters at Golden Bear collaborate closely with brokers, internal teams, and senior management leveraging the company’s resources to deliver a best-in-class response to our clients.

This Associate position is intended to train and develop the individual to perform these valuable functions beginning with submission review, exposure analysis, and file preparation and progressing toward full underwriting responsibility and broker engagement.

Key Responsibilities
• Assist in reviewing and analyzing casualty submissions including applications, loss runs, and exposure data
• Support senior underwriters in preparing quotes, endorsements, and policy documentation
• Participate in risk analysis discussions, rating exercises, and coverage reviews
• Communicate with brokers to obtain information and clarify submission details
• Maintain organized files and data within underwriting systems
• Contribute to the ongoing development of underwriting tools, processes, and forms

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Risk Management and Insurance, Finance, Economics, Business, or a related field
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with attention to detail
• Clear written and verbal communication abilities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word
• Interest in developing a long-term career in underwriting or insurance risk management

Why Golden Bear
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial culture with visibility to company leadership
• Direct mentorship from experienced casualty underwriters
• Exposure to complex specialty casualty risks and unique E and S placements
• Competitive compensation and clear path toward Underwriter and Senior Underwriter progression