Senior Specialty Lines Specialist
Date: Sep 2, 2025
Location: Calgary, AB (Hybrid), CA Lloydminster, AB (Hybrid), CA Winnipeg, MB (Hybrid), CA North York - Toronto, ON (Hybr, CA Vancouver, BC (Hybrid), CA Lethbridge, AB (Hybrid), CA Moncton, NB (Hybrid), CA Thunder Bay, ON (Hybrid), CA Kitchener, ON (Hybrid), CA Montreal, QC (Hybrid), CA Edmonton, AB (Hybrid), CA Dartmouth, NS (Hybrid), CA Wawanesa, MB (Hybrid), CA Ottawa, ON (Hybrid), CA
Company: Wawanesa Insurance
Job ID: 9407
Working Business Language: English (This role requires regular interaction with internal and external stakeholders across Canada, who communicate primarily in English. As such, the successful candidate must be fully proficient in English.)
Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.
The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $102,000 - $137,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.
About Us
At Wawanesa, we’re proud to offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Wawanesa, MB; Vancouver, BC; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Lethbridge, AB; Toronto, ON; Kitchener, ON; Thunder Bay, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Moncton, NB; Dartmouth; NS
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (“Wawanesa Mutual”), founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 billion (CAD). Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.7 million members in Canada, and we are home to more than 3,600 employees distributed across the Canadian regions and communities where we operate. We give back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. To learn more visit wawanesa.com.
We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.
Job Overview
Working under minimal supervision, the Senior Specialty Lines Specialist contributes to Wawanesa’s success by leading the underwriting of a National Program portfolio, including broker delegated authority, by implementing strategies and initiatives that develop and maintain products, underwriting policies and rates in the specialty commercial lines area. They will proactively search for areas of opportunity to drive profitable growth through national programs and portfolios across distribution channels. Responsibility includes analyzing the acceptability of complex and high premium business within company guidelines by working collaboratively with our Regional underwriters, Business Development and Executive Office teams and providing value added expertise and service to both potential and existing policyholders.
Job Responsibilities
- Lead the underwriting, contract, wording and pricing analysis for assigned National Programs and/or broker portfolios to ensure that programs/accounts meet financial and operational targets
- Collaborate with claims, loss control, commercial pricing, business development and executive office to ensure we can underwrite, price and service the deal from a claims and loss control perspective to meet financial targets
- Lead research and development initiatives to provide innovative and competitive products to meet our customer needs for specialty commercial lines.
- Develop and present specialty lines training programs to a variety of audiences.
- Mentor and develop team members through the sharing of knowledge and best practices.
- Develop and maintain specialty lines underwriting guidelines and procedures.
- Provide risk acceptance approvals to regional underwriters while sharing knowledge and best practices.
- Develop and enhance productive business relationships by liaising with internal and external stakeholders.
- Leads regional underwriting specialty lines audits and reviews to ensure consistency and find areas for improvement.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Minimum of ten years Property and Casualty industry experience
- 3+ years experience with national programs, manuscript wordings and delegation of underwriting authority is considered an asset
- Completion of post-secondary education
- Completed CIP or equivalent Property and Casualty industry designation
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
- Excellent analytical and problem solving skills, with the ability to conduct detailed analysis of information, and to select and implement best solutions in a timely manner
- Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate at the right level for the audience and present information or arguments in a convincing manner
- Excellent planning and organizing skills, with the ability to develop and prioritize effective plans that define activities, resources, timelines, and cost estimates
- Excellent attention to detail with the ability to develop quality standards and mentor other teams members in adhering to them
- Ability to facilitate high team moral
- Ability and willingness to travel
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Wawanesa is proud to be one of Manitoba’s Top Employers, a Kincentric Best Employer in Canada and a Forbes Best Employer in Canada recognizing an exceptional place to work!
Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.
We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to jobs@wawanesa.com.
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