Executive Director

COMPANY INTRO ARU, founded in 2016, has quickly risen to become the U.S. leader in specialty property insurance underwriting, product development, loss control, and technology. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – EARLY CAREER PROGRAMS (EDECP) The Executive Director – Early Career Programs (EDECP) will work closely with Will Johnson and lead the design and execution of a world‑class MGA / MGU summer internship program. The role involves partnering with regional colleges and universities, especially UNC, to champion specialty insurance to students and grow the next generation of insurance talent. WHAT WE’RE OFFERING TO YOU You will work closely with founder Will Johnson, a nationally‑recognized insurance leader. You will lead the development and execution of a world‑class educational and professional development program. You will receive a competitive compensation package, with base annual salary, annual bonus, and company‑provided benefits, including 100% employer‑paid health insurance, generous PTO, and a 100% vested retirement plan with company match. You will have a position in a fast‑growing, modern, technology‑based company where your contribution will be critical to success and directly improve the lives of others. PRIMARY DUTIES Help ARU be the best in the world at what we do and actively participate in collaborative problem‑solving. Treat every assignment as an opportunity to learn, grow as an insurance professional, and prepare for increased responsibilities. Represent ARU professionally, building relationships with university leaders, students, and industry partners. Address internal and external business challenges with urgency, thoroughness, and accuracy. Program Vision & Design Architect a “better‑than‑best‑practice” internship program demystifying specialty insurance across MGA, underwriting, claims, loss control, operations, sales, data, GIS, marketing, software, AI, etc. Build a modular curriculum blending classroom sessions, simulations, project sprints, and job‑shadow rotations across ARU teams. Define clear learning outcomes and map each module to on‑job skills and measurable competencies. University Partnerships & Outreach Own relationships with priority schools, especially UNC, and other regional/national universities; secure faculty champions and career‑services partners. Design year‑round campus engagement: guest lectures, micro‑workshops, student case competitions, and “Risk Studios” hosted at ARU. Create easy‑access pathways for non‑business majors to discover specialty insurance careers. Recruiting & Selection Build a high‑signal recruiting funnel: targeted outreach, portfolio‑based applications, structured interviews, work‑sample assessments, and reference checks. Champion diversity of backgrounds and ensure equitable, consistent selection processes. Instruction & Talent Development Personally teach cornerstone modules such as Intro to MGAs/MGUs, Risk Thinking & Judgment, Insurance as a Data Product. Identify opportunities for field instruction in collaboration with ARU resources. Coach interns weekly, deliver actionable feedback, and cultivate professional polish. Program Operations & Experience Own the end‑to‑end intern journey: onboarding, schedules, rotations, mentors, events, housing guidance, and showcase demo days. Ensure a safe, compliant environment; manage policies, handbooks, and risk protocols. Brand, Marketing & Storytelling Partner with Marketing to build an on‑campus brand that is smart, modern, and unmistakably specialty‑insurance. Produce high‑quality collateral: landing pages, syllabus snapshots, student spotlights, and post‑program case studies. Vendor & Budget Management Source, contract, and manage expert third‑party instructors, assessment providers, and experiential‑learning partners. Build and manage the annual budget; track ROI with rigor. Data, Outcomes & Continuous Improvement Define and track success metrics such as application volume, offer‑accept rate, NPS of 70+, conversion to full‑time, time‑to‑productivity, and hiring manager satisfaction. Run after‑action reviews; iterate the program each cycle and publish insights to senior leadership. Technology & AI Enablement Leverage ARU’s technology orientation to scale the program via ATS, CRM, LMS, analytics dashboards, and AI‑assisted content. Ensure data integrity and privacy standards. Stakeholder Communication Provide concise, data‑driven updates to senior leadership and surface risks early with solutions. Serve as the point of contact for internal teams and external academic partners. Master the use of ARU standardized hardware, software, and processing procedures. Other responsibilities as assigned. WHAT WE MINIMALLY REQUIRE – YOUR EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLSET Preferred: MBA, JD, or other postgraduate degree. Required: Bachelor's degree from an accredited four‑year college or university. 8–12+ years building early‑career, campus, fellowship, or rotational programs or equivalent experience in high‑bar recruiting, L&D, and/or academic partnerships. Excellent instructor presence and gravitas; ability to translate complex, technical or analytical topics into engaging, practical learning. Project/program management excellence: scope, timeline, budget, vendors, and measurable outcomes. Demonstrable proficiency using AI tools to improve professional output. Executive‑ready communication; proven stakeholder management with senior leaders and deans/faculty. Demonstrable proficiency in thoroughness, accuracy, organization, resource management, record‑keeping, and requirement gathering. Demonstrable success influencing positive outcomes, driving initiatives, and coordinating efforts across departments without formal direct authority. Exceptional leadership and soft skills, with the strong ability to resolve challenging situations with patience and calm demeanor. Excellent professional presentation and polish in spoken and written form. Excellent critical thinker and problem‑solver under pressure; high intellectual curiosity and enjoyment of learning and self‑improvement. REQUIRED LOCATION The role requires a strong in‑person presence at company HQ in downtown Chapel Hill, NC, on UNC’s campus, and occasionally at other university campuses. The EDECP must live within a 35‑minute commute of Chapel Hill, NC. When necessary, relocation assistance will be available. Some remote work—approximately one day per week (20%)—may be acceptable. ABOUT ARU’S CULTURE 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 collaborative brainstorming and respectful debate. We love to explore and experiment, and we are comfortable occasionally blazing a trail that ends up a “bridge to nowhere” as long as we fail fast, pivot appropriately, and become tougher and smarter. We love to learn, read, and grow as human beings; we believe in science‑based truths, and there is no alternative fact. MORE ABOUT ARU ARU was founded with a goal to use expertise, engineering, and technology to disrupt the legacy marketplace. Our core mission is to deliver a superior experience to policyholders while maintaining sustainability and consistency in writing historically challenging classes of business. We build and deploy proprietary insurance products, invest heavily in property loss prevention engineering and research, and develop home‑grown software and other technology. We focus on collaborative broker and policyholder relationships to deliver shared victories for all stakeholders. ARU is part of the Accelerant Insurance family: https://accelins.com/ #J-18808-Ljbffr