Small Business Territory Manager
CNA Insurance · Chicago, IL
- On site
- Full-time
- $141,000 / year
- Chicago, IL
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Small Business Territory Manager
CNA Insurance · Chicago, IL
Jordan Ellis
Hiring Manager · h•••••@cna.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com
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Subject: Interested in the Small Business Territory Manager role at CNA Insurance
Hi Jordan — I came across the Small Business Territory Manager opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and CNA Insurance stood out because…
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Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back.
Job highlights
- Drive sales growth and new business for CNA's Small Business products.
- Manage assigned territory and agency relationships for optimal results.
- Enable agents and CSRs with product knowledge and workflow guidance.
- Foster strong connections between agencies and underwriting teams.
- Analyze market dynamics and manage performance for territory success.
About the role
About CNA Insurance
CNA strives to create a culture where people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring all employees' abilities are used to their fullest potential. We provide the leadership to help you advance your career.Key Outcomes for Small Business Territory Manager
- Increased submission flow, new business conversion, and written premium growth through disciplined local engagement.
- Improved agent, producer, and CSR clarity on appetite, workflows, and how to do business with CNA.
- Strong connectivity between agencies and underwriting, resulting in fewer stalled deals, faster issue resolution, and improved partner experience.
- Execution of effective territory and agency management plans supporting sustainable growth and placement behavior.
Primary Responsibilities
Day-to-Day Sales Execution (35%)
- Drive individual submission deal flow into Small Business; manage local pipelines and weekly execution plans.
- Execute agency growth plans for assigned agencies and prioritized geographies, aligning activity to portfolio goals.
- Conduct regular in-person and virtual engagement with frontline producers and CSRs, including training, appetite refresh, workflow enablement, and quoting navigation.
- Create demand for CNA’s Small Business products by reinforcing appetite fit, speed-to-quote pathways, and ease-of-doing-business advantages.
- Execute national partner and growth strategies locally, as directed by National Sales Executives.
Territory & Agency Management (20%)
- Own and manage the assigned territory, taking accountability for production results, pipeline health, and execution discipline.
- Build and execute agency-level engagement strategies, including business planning, prioritization, training, and optimization actions.
- Adjust focus across agencies and segments based on performance, opportunity, and strategic importance.
Agent / CSR Enablement & Local Presence (25%)
- Become the “known face” in-market: ensure agencies know who to call, what CNA wants to write, and how to submit effectively.
- Establish credibility as a trusted advisor through product knowledge, underwriting appetite clarity, and workflow guidance.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to coordinate onboarding and ensure early and sustained production from new appointments.
Underwriting Connectivity (15%)
- Build strong connectivity between Underwriting and the agent-broker community to facilitate account-level collaboration and remove friction.
- Reinforce underwriting appetite, submission quality standards, and best practices to improve hit ratios and conversion.
- Help agents and CSRs “submit to win” by improving fit, documentation quality, and execution timing.
Market Awareness & Performance Management (5%)
- Maintain awareness of local market dynamics, competitor activity, and agent feedback; share insights with Regional Sales Director and partners.
- Support portfolio health within the territory by influencing mix of business, submission quality, and continuity of flow.
- Maintain activity discipline across agency visits, trainings delivered, pipeline movement, and conversion actions.
- Track results and report progress through the Regional Sales Director’s operating cadence.
- Provide structured feedback loops from field execution and agent behavior back to regional and national leadership.
Qualifications
- 5+ years in commercial insurance distribution, agency management, or sales roles; Small Business experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated success driving producer and CSR adoption, territory growth, and improved conversion outcomes.
- Proven ability to collaborate effectively with underwriting and internal partners to remove barriers and accelerate flow.
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
- Proven ability to drive Small Business submission flow, placement behavior, and conversion through disciplined, local sales execution.
- Strong territory and agency management capability, including prioritization, pipeline stewardship, and focus alignment to portfolio goals.
- Deep understanding of Small Business agency operations and the ability to influence producer and CSR behavior through clarity and enablement.
- Solid working knowledge of Small Business underwriting appetite, products, and submission quality standards.
- Ability to build strong underwriting–agency connectivity and facilitate effective account-level collaboration.
- Sound business judgment informed by local market dynamics, competitive activity, and performance trends.
- Strong communication and presence, with the ability to engage credibly as the “known face” in-market.
- Self-directed and execution-oriented, with the discipline to manage travel, activity cadence, and competing priorities effectively.
Compensation & Benefits
In certain jurisdictions, CNA is legally required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. In District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, the national base pay range for this job level is $72,000 to $141,000 annually. Salary determinations are based on various factors, including but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location. CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals. For a detailed look at CNA’s benefits, please visit cnabenefits.com.Additional Information
CNA utilizes AI-enabled technology during the recruiting process. For more information, please visit our careers page. CNA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact leaveadministration@cna.com.Key skills/competency
- Small Business Territory Management
- Sales Execution
- Agency Management
- Commercial Insurance
- Underwriting Appetite
- Producer & CSR Engagement
- Pipeline Management
- Territory Growth
- Business Development
- Sales Strategy
Skills & topics
- Small Business Territory Manager
- Sales Execution
- Agency Management
- Commercial Insurance
- Insurance Sales
- Territory Management
- Producer Relations
- Underwriting
- Business Development
- Insurance Distribution
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight 5+ years in commercial insurance distribution, agency management, or sales, emphasizing Small Business experience and proven success in driving producer adoption and territory growth.
- Showcase collaboration skills: Emphasize your ability to work effectively with underwriting and internal partners to remove barriers and accelerate business flow, as detailed in your resume.
- Prepare for behavioral questions: Be ready to discuss how you've managed territories, driven sales execution, and built relationships with agents and underwriters, aligning with CNA's focus on connectivity and enablement.
- Research CNA's culture: Understand CNA's commitment to employee well-being, their use of AI in recruiting, and their dedication to providing accommodations, as mentioned on their careers page and in the job posting.
- Network effectively: While not explicitly stated, building connections within the insurance industry can provide insights into CNA's hiring patterns and preferred candidate profiles.
Technical preparation
Master commercial insurance product knowledge.,Understand underwriting appetite and submission standards.,Practice CRM and pipeline management tools.,Study sales execution and agency management strategies.
Behavioral questions
Describe territory growth success.,How do you build agency relationships?,How do you collaborate with underwriting?,How do you drive sales execution?
Prefer to apply the usual way?
Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back. Email the hiring manager first.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the expected base pay range for a Small Business Territory Manager at CNA Insurance?
- In specific jurisdictions like District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, the national base pay range for this role is $72,000 to $141,000 annually. Salary is determined by factors such as relevant experience, skills, certifications, and location.
- What are the key responsibilities of a Small Business Territory Manager at CNA Insurance?
- The primary responsibilities include driving sales execution for Small Business products, managing territory and agency relationships, enabling agents and CSRs through training and guidance, fostering connectivity with underwriting, and maintaining market awareness and performance management.
- What qualifications are essential for the Small Business Territory Manager role at CNA Insurance?
- Essential qualifications include over 5 years of experience in commercial insurance distribution, agency management, or sales roles, with a strong preference for Small Business experience. Demonstrated success in driving producer and CSR adoption, territory growth, and improved conversion outcomes, along with proven collaboration skills with underwriting and internal partners, are also crucial.
- Does CNA Insurance use AI in its hiring process for the Small Business Territory Manager position?
- Yes, CNA utilizes AI-enabled technology during the recruiting process. You can find more information about this on their careers page.
- How does CNA Insurance support its employees' well-being?
- CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package aimed at supporting employees' physical, financial, emotional, and social well-being. More details can be found at cnabenefits.com.
- What is the primary goal of the Small Business Territory Manager regarding agency relationships?
- The primary goal is to improve agent, producer, and CSR clarity on CNA's appetite, workflows, and how to conduct business with them, fostering strong connectivity and collaboration to drive new business and premium growth.
- How does the Small Business Territory Manager contribute to underwriting connectivity?
- The role involves building strong connections between Underwriting and the agent-broker community to facilitate account-level collaboration, remove friction, reinforce underwriting appetite and quality standards, and help agents submit successful applications.
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