Hybrid Carrier Relationship Manager bei Kemper

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Kemper is one of the nation’s leading specialized insurers. Our success is a direct reflection of the talented and diverse people who make a positive difference in the lives of our customers every day. We believe a high-performing culture, valuable opportunities for personal development and professional challenge, and a healthy work-life balance can be highly motivating and productive. Kemper’s products and services are making a real difference to our customers, who have unique and evolving needs. By joining our team, you are helping to provide an experience to our stakeholders that delivers on our promises. 

Position Summary:

The Carrier Relationship Senior Manager plays a pivotal role in driving the agency’s growth, managing relationships with insurance carriers, and ensuring alignment between agency leadership and carrier partners. This position is responsible for strategic initiatives to expand and diversify market share, optimize carrier partnerships, and implement special projects that enhance underwriting profitability, product offerings, and customer experience.
This role is responsible for managing ~$10 million in commissions and Profit-Sharing Agreements (PSA).

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and skilled negotiator with extensive knowledge of insurance carrier operations, underwriting performance, and agency growth strategies.

Position Responsibilities: 

Strategic Growth Initiatives

• Develop and execute carrier partnership strategies to support the agency’s $100M+ growth trajectory.
• Identify new carrier opportunities and evaluate existing partnerships for profitability and scalability.
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, and operations teams to optimize carrier placements, underwriting efficiencies, and seamless consumer experiences.
• Negotiate carrier compensation structures, including commissions, profit-sharing, and incentives.
• Provide data-driven insights to guide agency leadership in carrier performance optimization.
• Work with agencies to consolidate feedback from agencies to formulate ideas about carriers.
• Optimize the profitability of agencies by optimizing the PSA.
•  Help formulate incentives for our agents.

Liaison Between Insurance Carriers & Agency Leadership

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the agency and insurance carriers, ensuring effective communication and collaboration.
• Facilitate regular, standing carrier meetings to align on underwriting guidelines, pricing, and compliance.
• Advocate for carrier product enhancements and system improvements to support agency operations.
• Work with carriers to resolve escalations and drive mutual profitability.

Standing Executive Leadership Meetings & Performance Monitoring

•  Lead a standing monthly meeting with agency leadership to report on: 
• Carrier performance metrics (loss ratios, retention, underwriting, and profitability).
• o    Agency sales performance, underwriting trends, and market positioning.
• o    Progress toward growth targets and strategic goals.
• o    Identify trends and forecast carrier negotiations, new opportunities, and any emerging risks.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making and accountability for achieving revenue and profit objectives.
• Provide executive recommendations on strategic shifts, carrier renegotiations, and market expansions.

Special Projects & Performance Optimization

• Lead carrier-related initiatives, such as new product rollouts, system integrations, and marketing campaigns.
• Develop carrier/agency scorecards to measure KPIs and drive accountability.
• Manage teams—initially consultants, but eventually, employees and interns will report into this role.
• “Act Like an Owner” for special projects, ensuring initiative success and long-term impact.
• Work on automation and technology improvements to streamline carrier interactions and policy processing.
• Collaborate with the team to establish automated commission validation and reporting processes.
• Partner with PDU teams to develop carrier training programs for sales.
• Stay ahead of market trends and regulatory changes, ensuring the agency remains compliant and competitive.

Position Qualificiations:

• 8-10 years of experience in carrier relations or agency management within the P&C insurance industry.
• Direct-to-Consumer and Independent Agency experience.
• Proven success in managing carrier relationships and driving profitability for a high-producing agency.
• Experience working with multi-state/multi-line P&C insurance carriers.
• Strong understanding of insurance distribution models, underwriting processes, and compliance regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to drive strategic initiatives that increase revenue and agency efficiency.
• Experience in managing teams.
• Experience in P&C sales.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Insurance, Finance, or a related field (MBA preferred).
• P&C General Agent License.
• CPCU, CIC, ARM, or similar designations are a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret complex data sets.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills for executive and carrier discussions.
• Proficiency in insurance technology platforms, CRM systems, and underwriting tools.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• This is an onsite position working out of a local Kemper office.
• The range for this position is $86,200 to $143,600. When determining candidate offers, we consider experience, skills, education, certifications, and geographic location among other factors.  This job is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus and Kemper benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, 401k, etc.)  
• Sponsorship is not accepted for this opportunity.

Kemper is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability status or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We are committed to supporting diversity and equality across our organization and we work diligently to maintain a workplace free from discrimination. Kemper is focused on expanding our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts to align with our vision, mission, and guiding principles.  Kemper does not accept unsolicited resumes through or from search firms or staffing agencies. All unsolicited resumes will be considered the property of Kemper and Kemper will not be obligated to pay a placement fee.

Kemper will never request personal information, such as your social security number or banking information, via text or email.  Additionally, Kemper does not use external messaging applications like WireApp or Skype to communicate with candidates.  If you receive such a message, delete it.