OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs
Underwriting Specialist roles qualify as specialty occupations under OPT, typically requiring a degree in finance, business, or risk management. Most positions involve analyzing risk data and working with actuarial models, making STEM OPT extension eligibility possible for quantitative tracks. Your 12-month OPT clock starts on your authorized start date.
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Get Access To All JobsWho Are We?
Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.
Compensation Overview
The annual base salary range provided for this position is a nationwide market range and represents a broad range of salaries for this role across the country. The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment. As part of our comprehensive compensation and benefits program, employees are also eligible for performance-based cash incentive awards.
Salary Range
$60,800.00 - $100,300.00
Target Openings
1
What Is the Opportunity?
This position is part of a comprehensive year-long program starting October 12, 2026. The program includes critical training sessions throughout the first year that are essential to program success.
Under close supervision and as a participant in a structured training program, actively learns about underwriting philosophy, business unit products and strategies, negotiation, and relationship building. As a trainee, handles renewal business under direct supervision and moves to developing new business as skills advance. As knowledge increases and, under direct supervision, takes on less complex underwriting of individual accounts and eventually a territory. Seeks out opportunities to observe account analysis discussions with other underwriters and underwriting leaders. Takes initiative for their own development. The incumbent in this job does not manage others.
What Will You Do?
Underwriting and Pricing:
- Under direct supervision, underwrites and assesses risk and makes recommendations for less complex accounts in a market segment.
Distribution and Agency Management:
- Establishes effective relationships with customers, agents and brokers.
Sales:
- Develops consultative sales and marketing skills through their interaction with agents/brokers and via coaching from their manager.
Negotiation:
- Develops negotiation skills through their interaction with agents/brokers and via coaching from their manager.
Executes Strategy and Drives Results:
- Develops planning and organization skills necessary to effectively manage desk and assume a territory.
Business Planning and Collaboration:
- Effectively collaborates with others on all aspects of job.
- Understands the need to seek enterprise-wide solutions to business problems.
Leading Self:
- Takes initiative for personal development and seeks to learn through underwriting, marketing, and other related opportunities.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
What Will Our Ideal Candidate Have?
- Educational background/coursework in Business Administration/Management, Finance/Accounting, Economics, Mathematics/Science, Sales/Marketing/Communications.
Industry/Business Knowledge:
- Demonstrates an ability, desire, and intellectual curiosity to learn the business.
- Business Perspective: Uses knowledge of internal and external factors impacting the property & casualty industry to make decisions.
- Analytical Thinking/Financial Acumen: Identifies current or future problems or opportunities, analyzes, synthesizes and compares information to understand issues, identifies cause/effect relationships and explores alternative solutions to support sound decision making.
- Understands and uses financial information, tools and expense management principles to accomplish day-to-day work and maximize profitability.
- Relationship Management: Seeks out, builds, fosters and maintains productive relationships, networks or alliances to meet goals and achieve results.
- Valid drivers license or alternate means of personal transportation.
What is a Must Have?
- Bachelor degree or one year of applicable business experience.
What Is in It for You?
- Health Insurance: Employees and their eligible family members – including spouses, domestic partners, and children – are eligible for coverage from the first day of employment.
- Retirement: Travelers matches your 401(k) contributions dollar-for-dollar up to your first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum. If you have student loan debt, you can enroll in the Paying it Forward Savings Program. When you make a payment toward your student loan, Travelers will make an annual contribution into your 401(k) account. You are also eligible for a Pension Plan that is 100% funded by Travelers.
- Paid Time Off: Start your career at Travelers with a minimum of 20 days Paid Time Off annually, plus nine paid company Holidays.
- Wellness Program: The Travelers wellness program is comprised of tools, discounts and resources that empower you to achieve your wellness goals and caregiving needs. In addition, our mental health program provides access to free professional counseling services, health coaching and other resources to support your daily life needs.
- Volunteer Encouragement: We have a deep commitment to the communities we serve and encourage our employees to get involved. Travelers has a Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program that enables you to give back to the charity of your choice.
Employment Practices
Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We value the unique abilities and talents each individual brings to our organization and recognize that we benefit in numerous ways from our differences.
In accordance with local law, candidates seeking employment in Colorado are not required to disclose dates of attendance at or graduation from educational institutions.
If you are a candidate and have specific questions regarding the physical requirements of this role, please send us an email so we may assist you.
Travelers reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting.
To learn more about our comprehensive benefit programs please visit http://careers.travelers.com/life-at-travelers/benefits/.
Who Are We?
Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.
Compensation Overview
The annual base salary range provided for this position is a nationwide market range and represents a broad range of salaries for this role across the country. The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment. As part of our comprehensive compensation and benefits program, employees are also eligible for performance-based cash incentive awards.
Salary Range
$60,800.00 - $100,300.00
Target Openings
1
What Is the Opportunity?
This position is part of a comprehensive year-long program starting October 12, 2026. The program includes critical training sessions throughout the first year that are essential to program success.
Under close supervision and as a participant in a structured training program, actively learns about underwriting philosophy, business unit products and strategies, negotiation, and relationship building. As a trainee, handles renewal business under direct supervision and moves to developing new business as skills advance. As knowledge increases and, under direct supervision, takes on less complex underwriting of individual accounts and eventually a territory. Seeks out opportunities to observe account analysis discussions with other underwriters and underwriting leaders. Takes initiative for their own development. The incumbent in this job does not manage others.
What Will You Do?
Underwriting and Pricing:
- Under direct supervision, underwrites and assesses risk and makes recommendations for less complex accounts in a market segment.
Distribution and Agency Management:
- Establishes effective relationships with customers, agents and brokers.
Sales:
- Develops consultative sales and marketing skills through their interaction with agents/brokers and via coaching from their manager.
Negotiation:
- Develops negotiation skills through their interaction with agents/brokers and via coaching from their manager.
Executes Strategy and Drives Results:
- Develops planning and organization skills necessary to effectively manage desk and assume a territory.
Business Planning and Collaboration:
- Effectively collaborates with others on all aspects of job.
- Understands the need to seek enterprise-wide solutions to business problems.
Leading Self:
- Takes initiative for personal development and seeks to learn through underwriting, marketing, and other related opportunities.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
What Will Our Ideal Candidate Have?
- Educational background/coursework in Business Administration/Management, Finance/Accounting, Economics, Mathematics/Science, Sales/Marketing/Communications.
Industry/Business Knowledge:
- Demonstrates an ability, desire, and intellectual curiosity to learn the business.
- Business Perspective: Uses knowledge of internal and external factors impacting the property & casualty industry to make decisions.
- Analytical Thinking/Financial Acumen: Identifies current or future problems or opportunities, analyzes, synthesizes and compares information to understand issues, identifies cause/effect relationships and explores alternative solutions to support sound decision making.
- Understands and uses financial information, tools and expense management principles to accomplish day-to-day work and maximize profitability.
- Relationship Management: Seeks out, builds, fosters and maintains productive relationships, networks or alliances to meet goals and achieve results.
- Valid drivers license or alternate means of personal transportation.
What is a Must Have?
- Bachelor degree or one year of applicable business experience.
What Is in It for You?
- Health Insurance: Employees and their eligible family members – including spouses, domestic partners, and children – are eligible for coverage from the first day of employment.
- Retirement: Travelers matches your 401(k) contributions dollar-for-dollar up to your first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum. If you have student loan debt, you can enroll in the Paying it Forward Savings Program. When you make a payment toward your student loan, Travelers will make an annual contribution into your 401(k) account. You are also eligible for a Pension Plan that is 100% funded by Travelers.
- Paid Time Off: Start your career at Travelers with a minimum of 20 days Paid Time Off annually, plus nine paid company Holidays.
- Wellness Program: The Travelers wellness program is comprised of tools, discounts and resources that empower you to achieve your wellness goals and caregiving needs. In addition, our mental health program provides access to free professional counseling services, health coaching and other resources to support your daily life needs.
- Volunteer Encouragement: We have a deep commitment to the communities we serve and encourage our employees to get involved. Travelers has a Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program that enables you to give back to the charity of your choice.
Employment Practices
Travelers is an equal opportunity employer. We value the unique abilities and talents each individual brings to our organization and recognize that we benefit in numerous ways from our differences.
In accordance with local law, candidates seeking employment in Colorado are not required to disclose dates of attendance at or graduation from educational institutions.
If you are a candidate and have specific questions regarding the physical requirements of this role, please send us an email so we may assist you.
Travelers reserves the right to fill this position at a level above or below the level included in this posting.
To learn more about our comprehensive benefit programs please visit http://careers.travelers.com/life-at-travelers/benefits/.
See all 94+ OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Underwriting Specialist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as an Underwriting Specialist
Target employers with active OPT hiring history
Insurance carriers, reinsurance firms, and financial institutions regularly hire OPT students for underwriting roles. Focus on mid-to-large companies with dedicated early-career programs, as they're more familiar with OPT work authorization requirements and have HR processes already in place.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility early
If your degree is in actuarial science, statistics, or a STEM-designated field, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension. Confirm your degree's CIP code with your DSO before interviews so you can accurately communicate your total authorized work period to employers.
Lead with your technical underwriting skills
Employers care most about risk modeling, data analysis, and proficiency with underwriting software. Highlighting these skills upfront shifts attention from your visa status to your value. Quantify results where possible, such as loss ratio improvements or portfolio growth you contributed to during internships.
Address the H-1B timeline proactively
Underwriting is a well-established specialty occupation, which strengthens H-1B visa petition approvals. Bring up the H-1B lottery timeline naturally when an offer is imminent, not at the first interview. Most underwriting employers in insurance and finance are familiar with the April filing window.
Get your EAD card before your start date
USCIS processing for OPT EAD cards can take 90 days or longer. Apply through your DSO as early as allowed, typically 90 days before graduation. You cannot legally begin working as an Underwriting Specialist until your EAD card arrives and your authorized start date passes.
Document the degree-to-job connection clearly
Underwriting Specialist roles require demonstrating that your degree relates directly to the position. Prepare a brief explanation linking your coursework in finance, mathematics, or business to core underwriting tasks. This documentation supports both your OPT authorization and any future H-1B specialty occupation claim.
Underwriting Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Underwriting Specialist role qualify for OPT work authorization?
Yes. Underwriting Specialist positions qualify as specialty occupations because they typically require at least a bachelor's degree in finance, business, economics, or a related field. Your OPT work must be directly related to your degree, so a finance or business degree supporting an underwriting role is a strong fit. Keep documentation of this connection in case your DSO or employer asks.
Can I get a STEM OPT extension as an Underwriting Specialist?
It depends on your degree's CIP code, not the job title itself. If you graduated with a degree in actuarial science, statistics, mathematics, or another STEM-designated field, your role may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Check your degree's official CIP code with your DSO and confirm the employer meets the E-Verify requirement, which is mandatory for STEM OPT.
How do I find Underwriting Specialist employers who are open to OPT candidates?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically for international students and OPT candidates, so you're not wading through postings from employers who won't sponsor. Large insurance carriers, commercial banks, and reinsurance firms tend to have structured hiring programs that accommodate OPT timelines. Searching within those industries on Migrate Mate gives you a practical starting point.
What happens to my OPT if I switch from one underwriting employer to another?
You can change employers on OPT, but your new job must still be directly related to your degree and in a qualifying role. You're required to report the employer change to your DSO within 10 days. There's no need to reapply for a new EAD, but if you're on STEM OPT, your new employer must also be enrolled in E-Verify and you'll need to update your STEM OPT reporting accordingly.
Is Underwriting Specialist a strong occupation for H-1B sponsorship after OPT?
Underwriting Specialist is a well-established specialty occupation with a consistent record of H-1B approvals, particularly at insurance companies, commercial banks, and financial services firms. Employers in this industry are generally familiar with the H-1B process. The role's degree requirement in a specific field strengthens the specialty occupation argument, which is the foundation of every H-1B petition.