ARU · 2 months ago
Executive Director - Early Career Programs (INSURANCE)
Chapel Hill, NC
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expARU is a leading specialty property insurance underwriting company founded in 2016. They are seeking an Executive Director for Early Career Programs to design and execute a world-class internship program that educates college students about opportunities in the specialty insurance space and builds a pipeline of entry-level professionals.
AgricultureFarmingFinanceInsuranceInsurTech
Responsibilities
Help ARU be the best in the world at what we do, and do not ever settle for mediocrity. Actively participate in ARU’s culture of collaborative problem-solving
Treat every assignment as an opportunity to: 1) learn and grow as an insurance professional, and 2) prepare for increased responsibilities in the company
Perform as a polished and professional representative for ARU, establishing and growing relationships with university leaders, students, and industry partners
Address internal and external business challenges in a graceful and tactful manner. Complete all duties with a high degree of urgency, thoroughness, and accuracy
Architect a “better-than-best-practice” internship program for university rising seniors that demystifies the specialty insurance ecosystem (MGA/MGU, underwriting, claims, loss control, operations, sales, data, GIS, marketing, software, AI, etc)
Build a modular curriculum that blends classroom-style sessions, simulations (“Underwriter for a Day,” Claims War-Room, Cat Modeling 101), project sprints, and job-shadow rotations across ARU teams
Define clear learning outcomes; map each module to on-the-job skills and measurable competencies
Own relationships with priority schools (with special focus on UNC) and a growing slate of 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 (engineering, comp sci, statistics, geography/GIS, economics, communications / other liberal arts) to discover specialty insurance careers
Build a high-signal recruiting funnel: targeted outreach, portfolio-based applications, structured interviews, work-sample assessments, and reference checks
Champion diversity of backgrounds and thought; ensure equitable, consistent selection processes
Personally teach cornerstone modules (e.g., Intro to MGAs/MGUs, Risk Thinking & Judgment, Insurance as a Data Product)
Identify opportunities for field instruction (Loss Control, Claims, etc) in collaboration with ARU field resources
Coach interns weekly; deliver actionable feedback; cultivate professional polish
Own the end-to-end intern journey: onboarding, schedules, rotations, mentors, events, housing guidance (as applicable), and showcase/demo days
Ensure a safe, compliant environment; manage policies, handbooks, and risk protocols
Partner with Marketing to build an on-campus brand for ARU that is smart, modern, and unmistakably specialty-insurance
Ship high-quality collateral: landing pages, syllabus snapshots, student spotlights, and post-program case studies
Source, contract, and manage expert third-party instructors, assessment providers, and experiential-learning partners
Build and manage the annual budget; track ROI with rigor
Define and track success metrics (examples): application volume/quality, 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; publish insights back to Will Johnson
Leverage ARU’s technology orientation to scale the program (ATS/CRM integration, LMS, analytics dashboards, AI-assisted content and assessment)
Ensure data integrity and privacy standards
Provide concise, data-driven updates to Will J. and senior leadership; 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 programs, third party software, and processing procedures
Other, as assigned
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree from an accredited 4 year college or university
P&C INSURANCE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE
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; able 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 having formal direct authority
Exceptional leadership and soft skills, with the strong ability to resolve challenging situations with a patient and calm demeanor
Excellent professional presentation and polish, in the spoken word and written form
Excellent critical thinker and problem-solver under pressure. High intellectual curiosity, with an enjoyment of learning and self-improvement
Preferred
MBA, JD, or other post-graduate degree
Benefits
100% employer-paid health insurance
Generous PTO
100% vested retirement plan with company match
Company
ARU
ARU was founded in 2016 and quickly established itself as the U.S.
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
ARU has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
unknown2021-06-08Acquired
Recent News
2025-05-30
2025-03-20
Company data provided by crunchbase