SVP, Specialty Real Estate & Energy Insurance Risk Solutions

Job Description

Job DescriptionSenior Vice President, Specialty Real Estate & Energy Insurance Risk Solutions

Executive Leadership Role | Specialty Insurance, Reinsurance, Captives & Structured Risk

Role Overview

The Senior Vice President, Specialty Real Estate & Energy Insurance Risk Solutions is the accountable executive responsible for designing, launching, and scaling a specialty insurance platform focused on:

• Commercial real estate and construction risks

• Renewable energy and energy-infrastructure assets

• Structured and financial risk solutions

This role owns portfolio strategy, underwriting appetite and governance, pricing and reserving discipline, reinsurance and capital optimization, and senior stakeholder management across regulators, auditors, reinsurers, and distribution partners.

The position intentionally combines the scope of a Chief Actuary (valuation, reserving, model governance, statutory and economic reporting) with the commercial authority of an Executive Underwriter (program ownership, production leadership, client and board engagement), creating a single point of accountability for profitable growth and risk-adjusted return on capital.

Reporting & Role Level

• Role level: Senior Vice President / Executive Vice President equivalent

• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• Geography: United States, with optional Bermuda and EU-facing counterparties

• Travel: Up to ~20% (board meetings, reinsurers, brokers, site visits)

Business Context

The organization is building a specialty insurance and risk solutions platform serving capital-intensive, complex asset classes where insurance functions as a balance-sheet, financing, and execution enabler.

Primary customers include:

• Developers and EPC contractors

• Owners and operators

• Lenders, tax equity, and project finance participants

• Infrastructure funds and commercial real estate sponsors

The platform may operate through admitted or surplus lines carriers, MGAs/MGUs, fronting arrangements, and/or captive and cell structures, supported by reinsurance and collateralized risk transfer.

Coverage & Product Scope (Illustrative)

Construction & Commercial Real Estate

• Builders Risk / Construction All Risks (CAR)

• Delay in Start-Up (DSU / ALOP)

• OCIPs and contractor-controlled programs

• General and excess liability

• Workers’ compensation

• Environmental and site liability

• Professional liability / E&O

Energy Transition & Infrastructure

• Solar, wind, storage, grid, and industrial energy assets

• Construction, transit, commissioning, and operations phases

• Equipment breakdown and business interruption

• Parametric weather and catastrophe solutions

• Environmental and performance-related risk structures

Structured & Financial Risk

• Trade credit and receivables protection

• Surety and performance support (where applicable)

• Residual value and revenue stabilization

• Lender-centric insurance wraps

• Bespoke structured risk transfer solutions

Success Profile (First 12–18 Months)

Success in this role is defined by the following outcomes:

1. Underwriting Strategy & Governance

   • Approved underwriting guidelines, authority matrices, and referral protocols

   • Clear risk appetite and portfolio concentration limits

2. Pricing & Reserving Framework

   • Actuarial pricing and reserving models aligned to specialty risk

   • Board-ready quarterly reserve review and reporting cadence

3. Reinsurance & Capital Plan

   • Placed quota share and/or excess reinsurance programs

   • Defined retention, collateral, and counterparty management framework

4. Regulatory & Reporting Readiness

   • Statutory reporting calendar and controls

   • Readiness for US Statutory, US GAAP, and IFRS 17 reporting where applicable

   • Documented model governance and audit trail

5. Distribution & Partnerships

   • Executed channel strategy across brokers, MGAs/MGUs, reinsurers, fronting carriers, and captive managers

   • Measurable pipeline and conversion performance

6. Operating Model Implementation

   • Implemented target operating model (systems, data, TPAs, claims, risk engineering)

   • Clear governance and control environment

7. Profitability & Scale

   • Sustainable profitable growth with defined targets for GWP, net retained premium, combined ratio, and ROE

   • Credible roadmap to scale beyond initial programs

Core Responsibilities1. Strategy & Product Leadership

• Own the multi-year specialty insurance strategy across real estate, energy, and structured risk lines

• Translate strategy into actionable underwriting, pricing, and operating plans

• Design insurance solutions that support financing, lender requirements, and project execution

• Partner with Finance on capital allocation, ROE targets, and portfolio limits

2. Underwriting Governance & Program Management

• Serve as the accountable underwriting executive for strategic programs and accounts

• Establish and enforce underwriting standards, technical authority, and referral governance

• Lead production underwriting in partnership with business development

• Represent the organization at captive boards, client committees, and industry forums

3. Actuarial, Pricing & Reserving Oversight

• Lead actuarial pricing, reserving, and analytics for specialty portfolios

• Oversee reserve reviews, experience studies, and assumption governance

• Coordinate with Accounting and FP&A across statutory, GAAP, and IFRS reporting

• Ensure compliance with actuarial standards of practice and documentation expectations

4. Reinsurance & Risk Transfer

• Architect and place reinsurance programs aligned with risk appetite and capital objectives

• Own reinsurer relationships, renewals, and counterparty risk management

• Evaluate alternative and structured reinsurance solutions where economically compelling

• Partner with Legal and Compliance on contract certainty and credit-for-reinsurance

5. Regulatory, Audit & Governance Leadership

• Act as senior liaison with regulators, captive domiciles, auditors, and rating agencies

• Ensure timely and accurate regulatory and financial deliverables

• Establish model risk management and governance standards

6. Claims & Risk Engineering Oversight

• Set claims governance standards and oversee TPAs

• Partner with risk engineering to reduce loss frequency and severity

• Monitor loss trends and drive underwriting and pricing actions

7. Talent & Operating Cadence

• Build and lead high-performing underwriting, actuarial, and analytics teams

• Establish underwriting committees, reserve committees, and reinsurance steering forums

• Foster a culture of accountability, discipline, and data-driven decision-making

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive leadership in specialty insurance and/or reinsurance

• Demonstrated P&L and portfolio accountability

• Deep technical expertise in underwriting, pricing, reserving, and reinsurance

• Experience building or scaling carrier, MGA/MGU, captive, or reinsurance platforms

• Executive-level engagement with reinsurers, brokers, auditors, and regulators

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative or business discipline

• Actuarial or risk credentials strongly preferred (FCAS/ACAS, FSA with P&C exposure, MAAA)

• Additional designations valued (CPCU, ARM, ARe, CERA, CFA)

Leadership Competencies

• Capital-aware underwriting and financial acumen

• Cross-functional executive collaboration

• Strong governance and control orientation

• Sound judgment in ambiguity and evolving markets

• Consistent delivery of profitable growth