ABOUT UE:
United Educators (UE) is a liability insurance company that serves K-12 schools, colleges and universities across the United States. UE focuses on long-term partnerships that help educational institutions identify, avoid, and manage risks. Guided by our mission to support education, we provide customized coverage, relevant risk management resources, and claims support grounded in education-sector expertise. At UE, you will join a collaborative, mission-driven team committed to delivering flexible insurance solutions, responsive service, and meaningful value to the institutions we serve.
The Associate Vice President of Distribution & Market Engagement (AVP) leads the execution of United Educators' strategic market engagement and business development framework across defined customer segments. The role manages activities designed to achieve new business and revenue results across all revenue channels for multiple segments, including higher education and private K–12 schools.
Reporting to the Vice President for Strategic Market Engagement, the AVP translates enterprise market and growth strategies into coordinated sales and business development plans. The role oversees business development operations, territory management, and broker engagement to support insurance premium growth and noninsurance revenue programs within a clearly defined customer universe.
The AVP plays a key role in UE's market intelligence efforts by capturing and synthesizing field-level insights from brokers, members, and partners. Working closely with Programs, Underwriting, and other internal stakeholders, the AVP ensures that emerging risks, evolving institutional needs, competitive dynamics, and distribution feedback are translated into actionable recommendations that support UE's strategic market decisions.
The AVP supervises territory managers and business development staff, strengthens broker and partner relationships, and utilizes data, market insights, and disciplined pipeline management to drive sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and member engagement.
RESPONSIBILTIES:
Strategic Business Development and Market Execution
- Translate UE's strategic market engagement framework and growth priorities into executable business development plans across higher education and K–12 segments.
- Develop and oversee business development strategies for defined customer segments and channels, ensuring alignment with UE's product, underwriting, and risk appetites.
- Coordinate campaigns and initiatives to expand engagement within existing markets and introduce UE offerings to new institutions and networks within the defined customer universe.
- Partner with Programs, Underwriting, and Risk Management leaders to ensure that field-level feedback on emerging risks, institutional needs, and competitive dynamics informs product direction and program priorities.
- Support the evaluation of market opportunities and growth initiatives by providing structured input on segment performance, broker feedback, and opportunity pipelines.
Market Intelligence and Insight Development
- Gather, structure, and synthesize market feedback from brokers, members, and partners to identify emerging risks, evolving institutional needs, and competitive trends across UE's core and emerging markets.
- Contribute to UE's market intelligence efforts by maintaining high-quality data on segment performance, opportunities, and challenges within the defined customer universe.
- Collaborate with the Vice President for Strategic Market Engagement and other internal leaders to translate field-level insights into actionable recommendations for product design, pricing considerations, and distribution strategy.
- Support the preparation of executive- and Board-facing materials by providing clear, concise summaries of broker and member feedback, opportunity pipelines, and segment-specific trends.
- Define, monitor, and report on leading indicators related to new initiatives (e.g., lead generation, engagement quality, early-stage pipeline health) to inform strategic portfolio and growth decisions.
Broker, Member, and Partner Engagement
- Manage broker relationships across all revenue channels and support the continued development of UE's broker network.
- Strengthen relationships with brokers, agents, risk managers, and other external partners to support member acquisition, retention, and service excellence.
- Participate in broker advisory forums, meetings, and industry events to maintain strong engagement with key market stakeholders and communicate UE's value proposition.
- Serve as a senior escalation point for brokers and external constituents, coordinating responses with Programs, Underwriting, Claims, and other internal teams as needed.
- Ensure that insights from broker, member, and partner engagement are systematically captured and fed into UE's market intelligence and strategic planning processes.
Sales and Territory Management
- Lead and supervise a team of directors, territory managers, and business development staff responsible for member acquisition and sales execution across UE's offerings.
- Own new business and expansion for the defined customer universe, ensuring that sales activity is focused on priority institutions and segments.
- Develop and maintain territory plans, including broker assignments, prospect lists, and account plans that reflect UE's underwriting appetite and strategic segment priorities.
- Ensure disciplined management of the sales pipeline, including consistent use of CRM tools, clear opportunity stages, and accurate forecasting.
- Provide senior support on key renewals, complex prospective accounts, and strategic opportunities where AVP-level engagement may help advance outcomes.
- Ensure coordinated outreach and cross-selling across insurance programs and noninsurance offerings in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
Data, Reporting, and Defined Customer Universe Management
- Define, maintain, and continuously refine a clearly documented customer universe and prospect list for each territory, aligned with UE's strategic segment priorities and risk appetite.
- Ensure that outreach, campaigns, and sales activities remain focused on the defined customer universe, with disciplined processes to add or remove institutions based on data and agreed-upon criteria.
- Utilize operational data, business development reporting, and market feedback to guide priorities, allocate resources, and improve the effectiveness of sales and business development efforts.
- Track and report on key performance indicators, including lead generation, engagement quality, pipeline conversion, bind ratios, and retention outcomes.
- Oversee the retrieval, quality, and analysis of relevant data from CRM and other systems to support informed decision-making, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement.
- This position requires adherence to United Educators' cybersecurity policies and industry best practices to protect company and member data. Employees must incorporate security-conscious practices appropriate to their role into daily work and complete required security training.
Team and Organizational Leadership
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing business development team, including directors, territory managers, and account managers.
- Establish clear goals, performance expectations, and accountability aligned with UE's strategic objectives and growth priorities.
- Promote a culture of insight-driven decision-making, disciplined sales management, and member-focused service within the business development organization.
- Actively participate on UE's Council using appropriate oral and written contributions.
- Participate in or help lead cross-functional councils or forums that support growth, market engagement, and operational coordination across Programs, Underwriting, Finance, Risk Management, Communications, and other areas.
- Assist in addressing member, broker, and partner concerns and coordinate responses with relevant internal stakeholders.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred
- Typically requires 12 years of progressively responsible experience in insurance business development, market strategy, marketing, or related leadership roles.
- Experience in the education, public sector, or institutional insurance markets strongly preferred
- Demonstrated success leading market-facing or growth-oriented teams and influencing cross-functional strategy
- Experience identifying, evaluating, and supporting the development of new insurance products, programs, or services
- Strong understanding of broker, agent, and wholesale distribution model
- Experience in multiple lines of insurance preferred
BENEFITS:
- Health Insurance — We offer subsidized plan options with an optional pre-tax Health Savings Account (HSA), including an annual employer contribution and investment options. The plans offer a prescription benefit and telehealth
- Dental Insurance — Two plan levels are available, depending on needs
- Vision Insurance —We offer in- and out-of-network options; Lasik discounts are available.
- 401(k) — UE makes a 3% safe harbor non-elective contribution beginning the first of the month after date of hire; these funds are vested immediately. After one year of service, employees receive a 7% profit sharing non-elective contribution, as well as become eligible for a matched contribution of 25% of the first 5% employee deferral. Employees can make pre-tax contributions or taxed (Roth) salary reductions. Catch-up contributions for employees 50 years old and over. Employer contributions are fully vested immediately
- Life Insurance — UE pays for Basic Life Insurance, and employees have the option to apply for additional Voluntary coverage
- Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance — We offer coverage in the event employees are unable to work for a period of time
- For the first two years of employment, employees accrue PTO at 24 days per year. At the beginning of the third year of service, employees accrue 30 days per year of PTO
- 11 paid holidays annually including Juneteenth and an employee choice floating holiday
- Bonus eligibility is based on salary earned and performance for the year
- Hybrid environment - employees are typically in the office 2-3 days per week after the initial training period
- Inclusive and supportive culture that embraces diversity and provides opportunities for all to succeed
- Monthly lunches and various social events throughout the year
- Opportunities to join the Social Committee, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (IDEA)
