Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing specialty Property & Casualty insurance carrier headquartered in Houston, Texas. We deliver tailored solutions across nine specialized underwriting divisions, with a culture grounded in deep technical expertise, decisive underwriting, and long-term broker and client relationships. Our Global Agriculture division underwrites a worldwide portfolio of agriculture reinsurance, partnering with cedants and reinsurance brokers across multiple territories to support food and farm economies through thoughtfully structured treaty solutions.
Position Summary
The Assistant Vice President OR Senior Underwriter, Global Agriculture Reinsurance is a senior technical underwriting role responsible for supporting, expanding, maintaining, and managing Skyward's global portfolio of agriculture reinsurance. The role underwrites and prices new and renewal treaty submissions, shapes portfolio strategy, and represents Skyward in the reinsurance market with brokers and ceding company clients.
This is a high-authority individual-contributor position for a proven (re)insurance professional who is at their best evaluating complex treaty business, forming a defensible technical view of risk, and building durable broker and client relationships. The role can be filled at the Senior Underwriter or Assistant Vice President level depending on the candidate's experience and underwriting authority. It reports to the Head of Global Agriculture and partners closely with Actuarial, Claims, Finance, and Accounting.
Key Responsibilities
Perform in-depth technical underwriting and analysis of treaty reinsurance business across the global agriculture portfolio, including proportional and non-proportional structures.
Underwrite and price new and renewal agriculture reinsurance submissions, applying delegated underwriting authority and pricing methodologies appropriate to crop, livestock, and related agricultural risks.
Review primary policy forms, reinsurance contract wording, and endorsements to confirm coverage intent, terms, and conditions are accurately reflected and aligned with Skyward's risk appetite.
Evaluate exposure, loss history, accumulation, and program structure to form a clear, defensible technical view of each opportunity.
Provide support for strategic planning and ongoing management of the global agriculture portfolio, including profitability monitoring, portfolio construction, and renewal strategy.
Market, develop, and maintain strong broker and ceding-client relationships, representing Skyward in the market and at industry events.
Monitor market development and explore trends and cycles in agriculture reinsurance, translating those insights into actionable recommendations.
Partner with Accounting, Finance, Claims, and Actuarial on monthly, quarterly, and ad hoc reporting and on reserving and planning processes.
Serve as a senior technical resource to analysts and less-experienced team members, contributing to underwriting guidelines, pricing tools, and best practices (AVP level).
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in agricultural economics, finance, risk management, actuarial science, mathematics, or a related field; advanced degree or professional designations (CPCU, ARe, ACAS/FCAS, or similar) a plus.
Seven or more years of (re)insurance experience, with a meaningful portion in agriculture, treaty reinsurance, or a closely related specialty line; calibrated toward the AVP end for candidates with broader portfolio or market-facing exposure.
Demonstrated treaty underwriting and pricing experience, including familiarity with proportional and non-proportional structures.
Working knowledge of agriculture insurance and reinsurance products and the global agriculture risk landscape.
Strong command of reinsurance contract and policy wording and the ability to identify coverage and structural issues.
Proficiency with pricing and exposure analysis tools and strong Excel skills; comfort working with large data sets.
Established broker and/or cedant relationships and the credibility to represent Skyward in the market.
Excellent analytical, communication, and relationship-management skills, with sound, decisive underwriting judgment.
Travel
This role involves periodic domestic and international travel for client and broker meetings, industry conferences, and market events (estimated 15–25%).
Compensation & Benefits
The applicable base salary for this opportunity is $125,000 - $175,000. The base pay offered will be determined by factors such as experience, skills, training, location, certifications, education, and any applicable minimum wage requirements. In addition to the base salary, this opportunity may be eligible for performance-based incentives. We are excited to offer a competitive total rewards package which includes health and welfare benefits, tuition and professional certification assistance, 401k savings, elective participation in the Employee Stock Purchase Program, paid time off, paid holidays, and child bonding leave, as well as other employee assistance.
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