Director of Underwriting - Workers' Compensation

About Kinetic

Kinetic is on a mission to create a safer workplace and better life for the frontline workforce. Backed by Nationwide, we’re transforming workers’ comp with technology-driven solutions for injury prediction, prevention, and management—helping employers create safer, healthier workplaces. We also work directly with enterprise clients.

Our platform is built for labor intensive industries including parcel delivery, manufacturing, and wholesale/warehousing operations. From wearable tech that reduces strain and sprain injuries by over 60% to a tech-driven program that speeds up return-to-work and generative AI for claims management, we're redefining what workers' comp can do.

We’re a remote-first team headquartered in New York City, growing fast—10x in the past two years—and driven by accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration. If you're excited to build a career with impact, we’d love to meet you.

Kinetic has been named to: Business Insurance's Best Place to Work in Insurance 2025.

The Role

The Director of Underwriting will be responsible for leading, mentoring, and managing a team of five production underwriters. This role will focus on optimizing team performance, driving consistent results, and fostering the professional growth of our underwriting team. The Director will collaborate closely with the Chief Underwriting Officer to ensure strategic alignment while focusing on the execution of daily production goals, agency relationships, underwriting excellence, and the successful handling of large accounts (premium $250k+).

You will be regularly coaching and assessing the team on their ability to differentiate Kinetic in the marketplace with our value-added services. You will have to flex a combination of technical underwriting knowledge in combination with production underwriting selling.

This is a heavy ownership role, and requires the right leader to take the helm.

This role requires up to 25% travel throughout the US.

What you’ll do:

• Lead and coach a team of 5 production underwriters, providing ongoing direction to enhance underwriting and sales production to achieve business objectives
• Manage & maintain general workload balance across the team
• Ability to analyze complex loss data and work with experience rating and loss rating; familiar with actuarial concepts and ability to work collaboratively
• Hiring and managing a team of UWs
• Constantly thinking about & sharing new ways to increase operational efficiency through technology and/or outsourcing administrative tasks
• Work closely with CUO to develop adaptive strategies that can be quickly adjusted in response to market shifts

What you’ve done:

• 5+ years directly managing teams of underwriters and operations related to underwriting in a production underwriting environment
• Minimum 10 years of experience writing Workers’ Comp, with 5 years being in upper mid-market or large, risk management accounts
• A track record of building and maintaining a profitable book of business over $100M in size
• Demonstrated technical knowledge and skills reflective of progression of positions of increasing responsibility
• Strong track record of coaching around production output

Big plus if:

• You are incredibly data-driven being fluent in Excel, or similar tools, and use it regularly in your decision making process
• You have pioneered an innovative approach to underwriting
• You have worked at an MGA and/or an insurtech startup
• Experience in parcel, hospitality, trucking, wholesale, and manufacturing is ideal

What we offer:

• This is a remote position with expected travel (~25%) throughout the U.S.
• Total annual compensation of $220k-$250k + equity
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 20 vacation days per year
• 9 federal holidays off 
• Parental Leave
• HSA with compatible health plans
• FREE: Health Advocate
• FREE: Telehealth Membership
• FREE: OneMedical Account

Security Notice: Kinetic is committed to a secure hiring process. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive identity and background verification process. We will never ask for financial information or payment during the application process.