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Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist - Zurich E&S

Zurich NA

Chicago, IL · HybridFull-time$60–125K/yrSeen 5 days agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$60–125K/yr
Location
Chicago, ILHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

Zurich is hiring an experienced E&S Excess Casualty Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist for its Casualty team, with openings in Chicago, New York, Parsippany, or Atlanta. The role develops broker and customer relationships, evaluates risk and exposure, prices business, and supports profitable new and renewal business. It also applies underwriting rules and regulations, handles complex assignments, and coaches junior team members. The position is hybrid.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Insurance Industry KnowledgeLegal and Regulatory EnvironmentUnderwriting PhilosophyUnderwriting TechniquesFiling RegulationsUnderwriting GuidelinesLine of Business KnowledgeQuote Time ConstraintsMicrosoft OfficeVerbal CommunicationWritten Communication

Qualifications

High School Diploma or Equivalent1+ Years Insurance or Market-Facing Experience2+ Years Claims or Underwriting Support ExperienceHigh School Diploma or Equivalent3+ Years Underwriting or Market-Facing Experience6+ Years Claims or Underwriting Support ExperienceZurich Certified Insurance Apprentice, Associate Degree, and 1+ Years Underwriting or Market-Facing ExperienceZurich Certified Insurance Apprentice, Associate Degree, and 4+ Years Claims or Underwriting Support ExperienceBachelor's Degree

Full job description

Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist - Zurich E&S

137676

Zurich is currently looking to hire an experienced E&S Excess Casualty Underwriter to join our growing Casualty team in Chicago, New York, Parsippany, or Atlanta! You will have the flexibility to work on a hybrid basis and partner with your manager to set a flexible work schedule that supports you, our customers, and our brokers and agents.

Zurich E&S is dedicated 100% to a wholesale distribution model and a product and technology strategy designed to make Zurich a market leader in E&S as measured by gross written premium, profitability, and employee satisfaction!

This role will be filled at either an Underwriter or Underwriting Specialist level. The hiring manager will determine the appropriate level based upon the selected applicant’s experience and skillset relative to the qualifications listed for this position.

What you can expect in an E&S Excess Casualty Underwriting position at Zurich:

  • You will develop and maintain relationships with broker partners and customers across all industries in support of business objectives

  • You will leverage your casualty underwriting acumen across risk assessment, exposure evaluation, and pricing to generate and maintain a profitable book of new and renewal business

  • You will work collaboratively across business units including but not limited to; claims, finance, risk engineering, actuary, and technical underwriting while gaining extensive knowledge in a growing and innovative industry

  • You will be empowered to use your market facing, negotiation and interpersonal skills to grow and develop relationships with preferred distribution partners in an assigned territory

Our E&S Excess Casualty Underwriter is responsible for:

  • Serving as a customer industry advocate with a focus on improving the customer experience by understanding their risk and offering the best end to end solution for their insurance needs

  • Using a disciplined approach to exposure evaluation, risk assessment, and pricing

  • Using risk insights, data, and models to drive informed decisions at point of sale

  • Market facing and production within the growing Zurich E&S Casualty division

  • Administering and monitoring underwriting rules and guidelines, insurance laws and regulations and rating manual rules

  • Working within broad limits and authorities on highly complex assignments

  • Coaching, developing and empowering junior team members.

Basic Qualifications:

Underwriter:

  • High School Diploma or Equivalent and 1 or more years of experience in the Insurance or Market Facing area.OR

  • High School Diploma or Equivalent and 2 or more years of experience in the Claims or Underwriting Support areaAND

  • Knowledge of the insurance industry and the legal and regulatory environment

  • Knowledge of underwriting philosophy, techniques, national/local filing regulations and guidelines

OR

Underwriting Specialist:

  • High School Diploma or Equivalent and 3 or more years of experience in the Underwriting or Market Facing area. OR

  • High School Diploma or Equivalent and 6 or more years of experience in the Claims or Underwriting Support areaOR

  • Zurich Certified Insurance Apprentice including an Associate Degree and 1 or more years of experience in the Underwriting or Market Facing area ORZurich Certified Insurance Apprentice including an Associate Degree and 4 or more years of experience in the Claims or Underwriting Support areaAND

  • Knowledge of line/s of business and the legal and regulatory guidelines

  • Knowledge of time restraints for quotes on new and renewal business

  • Experience with Microsoft Office

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelors Degree

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

Your pay at Zurich is based on your role, location, skills, and experience. We follow local laws to ensure fair compensation. You may also be eligible for bonuses and merit increases. If your expectations are above the listed range, we still encourage you to apply—your unique background matters to us.The pay range shown is a national average and may vary by location.The combined salary range for this position is $60,000.00 - $125,000.00. The proposed salary range for the Underwriter is $60,000.00 - $95,000.00, with short-term incentive bonus eligibility set at 10%. The proposed salary range for the Underwriting Specialist is $75,000.00 - $125,000.00, with short-term incentive bonus eligibility set at 10%.

We offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits for employees and their families. [Learn more about Total Rewardshere (https://www.zurichna.com/careers/benefits) .]

Why Zurich?

At Zurich, we value your ideas and experience. We offer growth, inclusion, and a supportive environment—so you can help shape the future of insurance. Zurich North America is a leader in risk management, with over 150 years of expertise and coverage across 25+ industries, including 90% of the Fortune 500®.

Join us for a brighter future—for yourself and our customers.

Zurich in North America does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer disability/vets.

Zurich complies with 18 U.S. Code § 1033.

Please note: Zurich does not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies. Preferred vendors should use our Recruiting Agency Portal.

Location(s): AM - Chicago, AM - Atlanta, AM - New York, AM - Parsippany

Remote Working: Hybrid

Schedule: Full Time

Employment Sponsorship Offered: No

Linkedin Recruiter Tag: #LI-KJ1 #LI-ASSOCIATE #LI-HYBRID

EOE Disability / Veterans

How this job compares

Set against the 731 open Underwriter jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 28, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$60–125K/yr
  • Illinois median$92–165K/yr35 salary ranges
  • US median$85–150K/yr565 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $93K, is 28% below the Illinois median midpoint ($128K) — in the lowest quarter of Underwriter salary ranges in Illinois.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 42 open Underwriter jobs in Illinois and 731 across the US. 5% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
This posting asks for at least 1 year of experience — less than three in four Underwriter postings that state a minimum ask for (median 3 years, across 580 postings).
Education
222 of the 731 open Underwriter jobs (30%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 28, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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