Territory Officer, Bay Area

As a key member of the Northern California leadership team the Territory Officer will be an active participant in running the business with access to the resources and benefits of our talented corporate team. This position is a hands-on leader with an external focus and chief responsibility to produce and retain business. Leadership includes developing and inspiring the team to maximize Zenith’s value proposition. Additionally, the successful leader will actively and collaboratively continue to develop and execute Zenith’s segment strategies within the region and across California.

The essential functions of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Agility

• Lead the regional underwriting and marketing teams ensuring the mission, strategy and plans are executed, communicated, and understood.
• Align regional and corporate underwriting and marketing colleagues with a strategic direction consistent with organizational goals.
• Develop thoughtful and effective agency management strategies in keeping with Zenith’s approach that includes:
• A disciplined methodology for the consideration, assumption, and management of a profitable portfolio.
• Identify and develop agents who recognize Zenith’s quality service approach and educates their clients regarding Zenith’s value-added, consultative differentiation (as opposed to “price-only” agents).
• Managing the agency force so that Zenith is a meaningful part of their book.
• Educate and inform the agency force with respect to our philosophy, approach and methodologies ensuring the agent and client maximize the Zenith’s strengths and capabilities.
• Deep understanding of Zenith’s insurance products and distribution channels, regional and area environments, the market segments and specialization, the services we offer and the outcomes we achieve, as well as our unique but important corporate culture.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the company and externally, including agency principals and community business partners.

Operational Leadership / Management

• Champion an environment that promotes a focus on quality, continuous improvement, best practices, and operational excellence.
• Motivate, develop, and mentor Bay Area marketing and underwriting teams ensuring technical and positioning expertise by demonstrating behaviors consistent with Zenith’s Success Profile factors.
• Shape a high-performance environment; assess existing employees’ skills and competencies ensuring talent is aligned with the go-forward business strategies and defining a pathway for growth and development.
• Hold people accountable while retaining and energizing talent to ensure employees have the capability to thrive in the company’s culture.
• Provide guidance and ongoing personal engagement to enhance new business production capabilities and customer retention (agency planning, joint calling efforts, process development and account prospecting/problem solving).
• Demonstrate personal commitment to diversity in staffing, training, development, retention, and other processes.

Quality and Measurement

• Lead a successful organization focused on quality outcomes.
• Identify new business opportunities including new agencies, new producers and new accounts.
• Build relationships with agents, vendors and employees that provides the foundation for long-term success.

Other

• Works productively and harmoniously with others on a consistent basis.
• Responds positively to direction and criticism of performance.
• Consistently maintains professional and appropriate demeanor.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Applies principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Education, Skills and Experience Requirements

• Related Bachelor’s degree required, MBA or Masters degree preferred.
• Must possess a minimum of ten (10) years’ commercial insurance experience (workers’ compensation experience strongly preferred) to include seven (7) years’ management or leadership experience.
• Proven ability to hire, coach and mentor talent.
• Proven ability to develop plans, organize and lead others in execution of plans.
• Proven ability to build relationships and achieve business results.
• Highly effective communication and interaction skills with a demonstrated ability to lead a team and form partnerships with other external and internal partners.
• Strong analytical skills for framing and interpreting business information to make sound business decisions regarding quality of business at varying levels.
• Ability to largely work independently by taking ideas/concepts through to completion with minimal guidance.
• Able to influence the actions and opinions of others in a desired direction, and to exhibit judgment in leading others to worthwhile objectives.
• Able to work with people in such a manner as to build high morale and group commitments to department objectives.
• Executive presence
• Valid Drivers’ License in good standing.

*Qualifications may warrant placement in a different job level*

The expected salary range for this position is $140,000.00-$220,000.00. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience, geographic location, and other job-related factors as permitted by law.

Education

• Bachelors or better