Vice President of Information Technology

Job Description

Job Description

Founded in 2016, ARU has quickly risen to become the U.S. leader in E&S Property insurance product development, underwriting, loss control, and technology.

• In 2021, ARU was acquired by the international carrier group Accelerant Holdings.
  
  
• Developments include the creation of an internal unit that provides white-labeled product development/underwriting/technology services to carriers and the creation of a claims-handling subsidiary Agribusiness Risk Services (ARS).
  
  
• 2024 marked ARU's 5th consecutive year of > 40% growth, generating a healthy and sustainable underwriting profit.

• 2025 kicked off by expanding ARU's capabilities by launching new products:
  
  

• The Commercial Property Program is built to participate in shared and layered placements.

• RISE (Risk Intake and Service Engine) is ARU's new proprietary technology suite.

• E&S Farm, Ranch, and Rural Estate package, the first and only in the United States.

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JOIN OUR TEAM!

ARU continues to grow at a rapid pace, and is currently seeking an experienced, hands-on Vice President of Information Technology to lead the EXECUTION and CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT of the company's technology. The right candidate will be an individual: 1) who brings substantial experience leading excellence at an MGU or Property & Casualty carrier, and 2) who has the heart of a servant leader, using both words and actions to lead in a hands-on manner.

A few words from ARU's CEO, Will Johnson:

"I started ARU in 2016 at ground zero, with zero customers, zero revenue, and one big foundational idea: other market participants were operating fundamentally flawed models that were not sustainable. A completely new approach was needed -- an approach that looked ahead instead of backward and was based on the best available science, data, and technology. Fast forward to today, and the evidence suggests my original assessments were right on point. Not only has the overall property insurance market been reeling due to years of under-pricing and insufficient risk assessment practices, but many of ARU’s competitors' unsustainable practices have caught up to them, and they have been forced to leave the space outright. Meanwhile, ARU is strong, thriving, and growing.

Our success is not based on AI, Machine Learning, Blockchain, or any other buzzword. ARU is a company built on PEOPLE - people committed to being subject matter experts and operating with disciplined precision. If joining the leadership team at the best specialty insurance organization in the U.S. is an intriguing professional opportunity, I invite you to reach out to us."

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WHAT WILL YOU DO?

As a senior member of the Technology team, the Vice President of Information Technology will

drive technological innovation and business growth for ARU. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for the development and execution of the strategic vision for the technology department. Including translating short and long-term business needs into a comprehensive, actionable plan.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies for adoption (e.g., AI/ML, cloud-native architectures, and advanced analytics) to drive a competitive advantage and maintain operational efficiencies.
• Research, present, and make recommendations for technology investments, inclusive of financial and people impacts.
• Build, mentor, coach, and retain a high-performing technology team while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous learning.
• Lead evaluation, selection, and strategic management of technology vendors/partners to ensure alignment with business objectives while optimizing the value of delivery.
• Oversight of Cloud Strategy and implementations (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud), including migration strategies, cost optimization, security, and managing cloud-native applications.
• Develop and execute a data strategy that leverages data assets for advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and business intelligence to support underwriting, claims, and customer insights.
• Lead agile methodologies and DevOps practices to accelerate software delivery, improve quality, and foster collaboration between the Development and Operations teams.
• Review and approve enterprise integration patterns and technologies (e.g., APIs, microservices, messaging queues) to facilitate seamless data flow across disparate systems and external partners.
• Manage the development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of a robust cybersecurity framework, including threat detection, incident response, data protection, and security awareness programs.
• Maintain IT infrastructure and applications, including robust disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
• Lead by example, in both communication and collaboration with stakeholders and business units (underwriting, claims, Operations, finance) to effectively identify and ensure consistent understanding of technology needs, prioritize initiatives, and ensure IT solutions align with business objectives.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL:

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field; advanced degree or certifications highly desired.
• Fifteen (15) + years of Progressive Experience in Technology: Specifically developing, implementing, and supporting P&C insurance applications (Policy Admin, Portals, Underwriting Workbench, Billing & Claims) solutions.
• Ten (10)+ years working within the insurance industry, demonstrating knowledge of business models, underwriting, claims, policy administration, distribution, and profitability drivers.
• Deep understanding of the P&C insurance value chain and industry trends, including Insurtech, digital transformation, and customer experience.
• Demonstrated success in leading and managing organizational change initiatives related to technology adoption and transformation.
• Demonstrated knowledge with state and federal insurance regulations and their impact on IT operations and data management (including but not limited to: data privacy, cybersecurity, and other insurance-related requirements).
• Execute role with exceptional thoroughness, accuracy, personal organization, time management, and documentation skills.
• Perform with a high level of polish and professionalism in all spoken and written communications, addressing all interactions tactfully.
• Complete all duties with a sense of urgency, thoroughness, and accuracy, recognizing that how we work and interact with others is just as important as what we do.

REMOTE WORK STANDARDS:

Adherence to remote-work standards is required, which includes but is not limited to:

• Maintain a professional home-office set-up with desk, chair, and space to work. (Technical equipment provided).
• Have reliable high-speed internet.
• Ensure office space is an enclosed, separate, non-shared room free from distractions, including members of the household or pets.​​​​​​
• Must be willing and able to work either EASTERN or CENTRAL business hours (8-5).

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Come work with top-tier professionals in a collaborative environment, dedicated to being the "best in the world." As a fast-growing, technology-based company, each team member plays an important role in our success.

We Offer:

• 100% Remote
• Competitive salary
• Generous annual bonus opportunity
• Benefits:
  • Medical
    • ARU covers employees' deductibles at 100% via employer-paid HSA contribution
    • Dependent(s) coverage available at the applicable premium rate
  • Health Spending Account (HSA)
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Company-paid Life & AD&D coverage
  • Paid Time Off
  • 10 Paid Company Holidays
  • 401(k) with Company match %; immediately vested
  • Professional Development Reimbursement

CULTURE & HISTORY:

We demand excellence from ourselves and those around us; we work accurately and thoroughly, but also with a great sense of urgency; we are excellent critical thinkers and creative problem solvers; we contribute cheerfully to ARU’s environment of collaborative brainstorming and respectful debate; we love to explore and experiment, and we are comfortable occasionally blazing a trail that ends up being a “bridge to nowhere” -- just as long as we fail fast, pivot appropriately, and become tougher and smarter as a result; we love to learn, read, and grow as human beings; we believe in science-based truths, and we know there is no such thing as an alternative fact.

ARU was founded on principles of creativity and innovation to use expertise, engineering, and technology to disrupt the legacy marketplace. Our core mission is to deliver a superior experience to our policyholders while also maintaining sustainability and consistency in writing historically challenging classes of business. To do so, we build and deploy 100% proprietary insurance products, we invest heavily in property loss prevention engineering and research, and we develop home-grown software and other technology. We also focus on collaborative broker and policyholder relationships, which allow us to deliver shared victories for all stakeholders. ARU is part of the Accelerant Insurance family:

​For application assistance, please contact [email protected]

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