Surplus Lines Field Specialist
Howden, Lansing, MI, United States
At Howden, we're not just building a business- We're rewriting the rules of what a global insurance broker can be. And now, it's your turn to be part of something extraordinary. From three people and a dog to over 22,000 employees across 56 countries, we've grown into a $4bn revenue powerhouse with bold ambition: to become a $13bn business with 40,000 people by 2030.
We're launching our US retail platform with the same entrepreneurial spirit that's driven our success worldwide-and we're looking for trailblazers to help shape the future.
Why Howden?
You'll Own It With
6,000 employee shareholders owning 34% of the company , our unique ownership model means you're not just joining a team-you're building a business you truly own.
You'll Be Empowered We're a destination for talent where people are trusted to look after their clients and grow together. You'll have the freedom to lead, backed by global scale and local expertise.
You'll Be Part of Something Bigger Our integrated platform spans broking, reinsurance, and MGA capabilities-giving you access to everything you need to deliver for clients and build something remarkable
We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.
What is the role? We are seeking a
Surplus Lines Field Specialist
to act as the primary liaison between the field (e.g., brokers, account executives), Regulatory Operations, and internal operational teams to enable compliant, efficient surplus lines placements prior to bind. This role is critical in ensuring that quotes, forms, and system configurations are accurate, compliant, and operationally ready before policies are bound.
The Field Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for surplus lines requirements at the point of sale, supporting brokers with quote validation, form compliance, proactive renewal planning, and system readiness while driving process improvements and changes that impact the field.
Key Responsibilities
Field Liaison & Pre-Bind Support:
Act as the primary liaison between the field and internal teams (including Epic team, Billing, and Regulatory Operations), validating surplus lines quotes prior to bind to ensure compliant, accurate placement.
Subject Matter Expert:
Serve as the front-line subject matter expert on surplus lines requirements, providing guidance to brokers and field teams on compliance, best practices, and operational readiness.
System & Form Management:
Partner with the Epic team to maintain accurate configuration of surplus lines forms, tax rates, fees, and workflows, ensuring system changes fully support field and compliance requirements.
Renewal Planning:
Proactively track renewal dates and seasonal volume trends to support readiness for peak surplus lines renewal periods.
Process Change & Adoption:
Drive and manage changes to surplus lines processes impacting the field, coordinating with technology, operations, and regulatory teams to ensure consistent implementation and adoption.
Operational Readiness & Escalation:
Support accurate downstream billing and tax outcomes by ensuring required data and regulatory elements are captured pre-bind, acting as a point of escalation for surplus lines questions from the field.
Surplus Lines Knowledge:
Working knowledge of surplus lines requirements, form compliance, and pre-bind regulatory considerations.
Attention to Detail:
Strong ability to validate quotes, forms, and system data to ensure accuracy and compliance prior to bind.
Communication Skills:
Clear written and verbal communication skills for working with field teams and cross-functional partners.
Systems & Process Acumen:
Experience working within insurance systems (e.g., Applied Epic) and supporting process and configuration changes.
Problem-Solving:
Ability to identify issues, coordinate resolutions, and support continuous improvement of front-line surplus lines processes.
Collaboration:
Proven ability to work effectively across operations, regulatory, billing, and technology teams.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Insurance, or a related field, or equivalent experience in insurance operations or regulatory support.
3+ years of experience in insurance operations, surplus lines, or regulatory compliance
Experience working with insurance management systems (e.g., Applied Epic, InsCipher)
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with field teams, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional partners
Strong attention to detail and ability to validate data, forms, and regulatory requirements accurately
Compensation and Benefits The expected base salary range for this role is $70,000 - $90,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as [non‑exempt/exempt] under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In addition to a competitive base salary, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. Howden also offers a variety of benefits and programs, subject to eligibility, including:
Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
Life and Disability insurance
What do we offer in return? A career that you define.
Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society's greatest challenges.
And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work - and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.
Our sustainability promise
We're on a life‑long journey to become an ever‑more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
We're launching our US retail platform with the same entrepreneurial spirit that's driven our success worldwide-and we're looking for trailblazers to help shape the future.
Why Howden?
You'll Own It With
6,000 employee shareholders owning 34% of the company , our unique ownership model means you're not just joining a team-you're building a business you truly own.
You'll Be Empowered We're a destination for talent where people are trusted to look after their clients and grow together. You'll have the freedom to lead, backed by global scale and local expertise.
You'll Be Part of Something Bigger Our integrated platform spans broking, reinsurance, and MGA capabilities-giving you access to everything you need to deliver for clients and build something remarkable
We have always been employee-owned and driven by entrepreneurial spirit. Right from the beginning, we've focused on employing talented individuals and empowering them to make a real difference to the company, whilst building successful and fulfilling careers at the same time. Simply put, we hire talented specialists and give them what they need to make a difference for clients. Always have, always will.
What is the role? We are seeking a
Surplus Lines Field Specialist
to act as the primary liaison between the field (e.g., brokers, account executives), Regulatory Operations, and internal operational teams to enable compliant, efficient surplus lines placements prior to bind. This role is critical in ensuring that quotes, forms, and system configurations are accurate, compliant, and operationally ready before policies are bound.
The Field Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for surplus lines requirements at the point of sale, supporting brokers with quote validation, form compliance, proactive renewal planning, and system readiness while driving process improvements and changes that impact the field.
Key Responsibilities
Field Liaison & Pre-Bind Support:
Act as the primary liaison between the field and internal teams (including Epic team, Billing, and Regulatory Operations), validating surplus lines quotes prior to bind to ensure compliant, accurate placement.
Subject Matter Expert:
Serve as the front-line subject matter expert on surplus lines requirements, providing guidance to brokers and field teams on compliance, best practices, and operational readiness.
System & Form Management:
Partner with the Epic team to maintain accurate configuration of surplus lines forms, tax rates, fees, and workflows, ensuring system changes fully support field and compliance requirements.
Renewal Planning:
Proactively track renewal dates and seasonal volume trends to support readiness for peak surplus lines renewal periods.
Process Change & Adoption:
Drive and manage changes to surplus lines processes impacting the field, coordinating with technology, operations, and regulatory teams to ensure consistent implementation and adoption.
Operational Readiness & Escalation:
Support accurate downstream billing and tax outcomes by ensuring required data and regulatory elements are captured pre-bind, acting as a point of escalation for surplus lines questions from the field.
Surplus Lines Knowledge:
Working knowledge of surplus lines requirements, form compliance, and pre-bind regulatory considerations.
Attention to Detail:
Strong ability to validate quotes, forms, and system data to ensure accuracy and compliance prior to bind.
Communication Skills:
Clear written and verbal communication skills for working with field teams and cross-functional partners.
Systems & Process Acumen:
Experience working within insurance systems (e.g., Applied Epic) and supporting process and configuration changes.
Problem-Solving:
Ability to identify issues, coordinate resolutions, and support continuous improvement of front-line surplus lines processes.
Collaboration:
Proven ability to work effectively across operations, regulatory, billing, and technology teams.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Insurance, or a related field, or equivalent experience in insurance operations or regulatory support.
3+ years of experience in insurance operations, surplus lines, or regulatory compliance
Experience working with insurance management systems (e.g., Applied Epic, InsCipher)
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with field teams, internal stakeholders, and cross-functional partners
Strong attention to detail and ability to validate data, forms, and regulatory requirements accurately
Compensation and Benefits The expected base salary range for this role is $70,000 - $90,000; actual base salary will be determined based on factors including candidate experience and work location. This role is classified as [non‑exempt/exempt] under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
In addition to a competitive base salary, employees are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. Howden also offers a variety of benefits and programs, subject to eligibility, including:
Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including healthcare savings and reimbursement accounts
Flexible Paid Time Off and paid parental leave
Life and Disability insurance
What do we offer in return? A career that you define.
Our business succeeds by allowing our people to make a mark in the areas they care about most: personal development, volunteering, and fundraising for charity, or creating new insurance products that address society's greatest challenges.
And we know that separate home and work lives don't really exist. If you're happy and healthy at home, you're more likely to be happy and fulfilled at work - and vice versa. That's why we do our best to support our people in every aspect of their lives.
Our sustainability promise
We're on a life‑long journey to become an ever‑more sustainable group. It's a commitment to taking care of our people and the world we live in, to doing good business, and to making a positive impact wherever we can. Our governance processes, company policies, and review systems are all geared towards our goal of making a positive impact in the world. You can read more about our sustainability work here.
#J-18808-Ljbffr