Vice President, Life Sciences, Hamilton Select

We’re looking for a Vice President, Life Sciences, Hamilton Select.

Hamilton Select is seeking a dynamic and experienced underwriting executive to serve as Vice President, Life Sciences Underwriting Division. This leader will oversee the strategic direction, underwriting discipline, product strategy, portfolio performance, and market presence of Hamilton Select’s Life Sciences practice.

This newly created role will focus on Excess & Surplus (E&S) lines placements for General Liability, Products Liability and Professional Liability coverages for small to medium-sized and lower middle market accounts.

This role will build and grow a profitable Life Sciences underwriting division focused on providing E&S solutions to biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, digital health, nutraceutical, analytical laboratory, and clinical research clients across the U.S. The leader will also take inspiration from Hamilton’s successful and collaborative underwriting culture, integrating best practices in underwriting discipline, broker engagement, technology enablement, and operational excellence.

You will be responsible for building and leading a team of underwriters, managing key broker and market relationships, shaping product offerings, and collaborating with senior leadership to drive strategy, innovation, and growth on Hamilton’s E&S platform.

The location of this U.S.-based role is flexible, with a preference for candidates in the greater NY/NJ or Richmond, VA area. Reporting to the Chief Underwriting Officer Hamilton Select, you’ll be a hands-on leader, collaborating with underwriting teams and wholesale broker partners to shape and execute Hamilton Select’s underwriting strategy.

What you will help us do

Strategic Leadership & Business Management

Develop and execute the national Life Sciences underwriting strategy, aligned with Hamilton Select’s performance goals and underwriting philosophy.

Lead the build‑out of underwriting guidelines, appetite, rating frameworks, policy forms, endorsements, and underwriting standards for the Life Sciences portfolio.

Establish and oversee portfolio performance metrics to ensure underwriting discipline, sustainable underwriting profitability and strategic growth.

Partner with senior leadership to identify opportunities to expand risk appetite, develop new product capabilities, and strengthen Hamilton Select’s Life Sciences value proposition.

Contribute to the development and placement of reinsurance solutions supporting the Life Sciences portfolio.

Underwriting Oversight

Oversee underwriting execution across Product Liability, Professional Liability, General Liability and Excess/Umbrella lines relevant to Life Sciences risks.

Provide hands‑on technical leadership for complex risks, key accounts, and specialty opportunities.

Ensure underwriting standards, authorities, documentation, and regulatory compliance are maintained across the division.

Apply critical thinking, sound judgment, and pricing discipline to drive underwriting profitability and consistency.

Team Leadership & Talent Development

Build, lead, coach, and develop a high‑performing underwriting team, ensuring deep technical competency and strong execution.

Mentor underwriters in risk selection, pricing, broker engagement, negotiation, and Life Sciences‑specific exposures.

Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and collaboration.

Broker and Market Engagement

Strengthen and expand relationships with wholesale brokers and trading partners nationally.

Actively market Hamilton Select’s Life Sciences capabilities while ensuring messaging alignment with underwriting appetite.

Leverage relationships to generate new business opportunities, grow premium, and improve account retention.

Represent Hamilton Select at industry events, maintain a strong market presence, and elevate Hamilton’s reputation in the Life Sciences sector.

Operational Excellence & Technology Enablement

Partner with Technology, Operations, Risk, Claims, and Actuarial teams to enhance quote systems, underwriting tools, and data capture.

Drive digital enablement initiatives to improve speed‑to‑market, accuracy, and ease‑of‑doing‑business for brokers.

Establish efficient workflows, quality controls, and documentation practices

What you require for the role

Key Attributes

Ten or more years of underwriting experience with a strong track record in Life Sciences product lines.

Deep technical knowledge of Life Sciences exposures and coverage, with the ability to mentor and develop team members as the portfolio grows.

Proven ability to build and execute a business strategy focused on smaller, niche segments.

Demonstrated success in generating new business, exercising sound judgment, and growing a portfolio from a small base.

Strong existing broker relationships and the ability to attract, develop, and sustain new partnerships.

Balanced understanding of both subjective and objective elements of underwriting risk, with the confidence to justify decisions at senior levels.

Broad understanding of market trends and dynamics within the Life Sciences sector.

Proven ability to deliver underwriting profitability.

Strong business acumen with a shared focus on expense discipline and managing operations to maximize shareholder value.

High integrity in all internal and external interactions.

CPCU or RPLU designation (completed or in progress) preferred.

Additional Key Attributes 

Motivated, self‑starter with an entrepreneurial and growth‑oriented mindset.

Strong verbal and written communication skills with confident, timely decision‑

Effective leadership, coaching, and mentoring capabilities.

Approachable, relationship‑driven, and able to clearly articulate and market the business.

Professional, insightful, and adept at managing diverse stakeholders.

Able to work independently with strong organizational and forward‑planning skills.

Highly analytical with strong attention to detail and problem‑solving capability.

Skilled negotiator with the ability to navigate and influence outcomes effectively.

Strong technical expertise supported by the productive use of data and technology.

Open, innovative, inclusive, and collaborative in work style.

Results‑oriented with a focus on continuous improvement and long‑term growth.

What you can expect from us

At Hamilton, we offer a vibrant, entrepreneurial and collaborative workplace shaped by our values: Be Smart, Be Sensible, Be Open and Be More.

Our employees consistently say they would recommend Hamilton as a great place to work — a testament to the inclusive, supportive, and empowering culture we’ve built together. We embrace individuality, value diverse perspectives, and recognise the unique contribution each person makes to our continued success.

Hamilton offers a competitive salary with an annual performance-based target bonus and a comprehensive benefits package, to include:

Hybrid working

Matching 401K plan

Medical, dental, vision, life, disability

Generous time off (including parental leave)

Continued support for professional development

Gym subsidy

My day (additional days leave for personal interests/wellness/charity work)

In good company.

Hamilton (NYSE: HG) underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance risks on a global basis through its wholly owned subsidiaries. Its three underwriting platforms: Hamilton Global Specialty, Hamilton Select and Hamilton Re, each with dedicated and experienced leadership, provide access to diversified and profitable business around the world.

This role is within Hamilton Select, Hamilton Insurance Group’s US Excess & Surplus (E&S) Lines business.  Hamilton Select distributes E&S products exclusively through wholesale brokers. Our underwriters leverage advanced technology and deep expertise to deliver fast, frictionless service to our trading partners with a clear focus on SME and Lower Middle Market risks.

Headquartered in Bermuda, Hamilton has over 600 employees with key underwriting operations in London, Bermuda, the US and Dublin. We work collaboratively, we share a passion for the service and results we deliver, and we know that what we do each day is meaningful – to our customers and our business. We believe we are ‘In good company.’ with everyone we interact with.