From Casino Floors to Cargo Ships: The Most Interesting Insurance Careers You Never Knew Existed

When you think of insurance jobs, you may picture endless spreadsheets, actuarial tables, agents, and brokers. The reality is that insurance careers employ a wide range of skillsets, niche expertise, and jobs that you may have never even knew existed.  

Far from the old-school, button-down stereotype, today’s insurance professionals are taking on some of the most interesting (and unexpected) roles you’ve probably never heard of. Specialty underwriters are building niche coverage programs, tech-forward strategists are launching embedded insurance channels, and business development experts are creating opportunities in some of the most unique industries around. 

If you’ve got a passion, there’s probably a career path in insurance that lets you lean into it. Here are three roles at DOXA that prove insurance is anything but boring. 

The Role: Specialty Underwriter 

Most people assume underwriting means sitting behind a desk reviewing standard policies, but specialty underwriting is a different world entirely. Specialty underwriters focus on complex, niche, or high-value risks that fall outside the scope of standard coverage – think marine cargo, recreational sports, cyber liability, entertainment, or professional liability for emerging industries. 

What makes this path compelling is that no two specialties look alike. A marine underwriter navigates the complexities of international trade and cross-border cargo movement. A cyber underwriter keeps pace with an ever-evolving threat landscape. An entertainment underwriter might evaluate risk for a film production or a touring music act. 

At Marine Underwriters of America, for example, one such role is pioneering an entirely new Ocean Cargo program and the first of its kind for the company. Rather than following an established playbook, this underwriter is writing an entirely new one, building international trade relationships and creating coverage structures that didn’t exist before. 

Think of specialty underwriting as being part technical expert, part relationship manager, and part entrepreneur, all within the structure of a larger organization. If you’ve ever been drawn to a specific industry or niche, there’s a good chance there’s an underwriting desk for it. 

The Role: Distribution Manager  

Distribution in insurance is all about finding innovative ways to connect the right coverage with the right customers at the right moment. Distribution managers work across a variety of channels, from traditional broker networks to affinity partnerships, and increasingly, embedded models that integrate insurance seamlessly into other products and services. 

The channel you work in shapes the role entirely. A broker distribution manager is cultivating relationships with agents and intermediaries, helping them understand and sell complex products. Someone focused on embedded distribution is working with technology partners and retailers to build insurance into the customer journey, like the travel protection you’re offered when booking a flight, or the device coverage bundled with a new phone purchase. 

At DOXA, one such role sits at the frontier of this space: a VP of Embedded and Broker Distribution establishing an entirely new sales channel, identifying partners to promote supplementary insurance products in ways the company hasn’t explored before. 

What makes distribution management exciting is that it sits at the intersection of sales, strategy, and innovation. You’re not just selling a product; you’re designing how it reaches people. 

The Role: Business Development Manager 

Business development in insurance is as varied as the industries insurance serves. Business development managers are responsible for identifying new opportunities, building partnerships, and growing revenue, but what that looks like day-to-day depends entirely on the niche you’re working in. One might be cultivating relationships with healthcare networks. Another might be working with real estate developers, event organizers, or hospitality groups. 

The key is that deep industry knowledge often matters more than insurance expertise. A business development manager who understands the relationships, pain points, and growth opportunities of a specific industry can bring enormous value to an insurance business serving that space. 

At Odds on Promotions, for example, a Business Development Manager works directly with casinos to build marketing and promotional prize programs. When a casino wants to offer a million-dollar hole-in-one contest or a luxury car giveaway, this is the person making it happen — connecting the casino’s marketing goals with the insurance coverage that makes those outsized prizes possible. 

It’s a role that blends relationship-building, creative problem-solving, and industry fluency, and that combination exists across dozens of niches within insurance. 

What Does It Take to Land These Roles? 

One of the most interesting aspects of these roles is that they aren’t always filled by people from traditional insurance backgrounds. They’re often individuals with a unique passion in a specialty area. This is because their connections and industry-specific knowledge are more valuable than insurance expertise, which can be learned.  

The common thread across all these unique roles is entrepreneurial spirit and niche expertise. Whether it’s specialty underwriting, embedded technology, or niche business development, DOXA values people who can bring specialized knowledge and an ownership mindset to their work. 

Rather than an unconventional background being a barrier to an insurance career, it’s a competitive advantage. 

Making the Leap: Where to Start 

If you’re looking to transition into one of these unexpected insurance roles, here’s what our talent team recommends: 

Start by connecting the dots. Think about how your existing background can work within the insurance industry. Have you worked in hospitality? There are insurance programs for that. Passionate about technology? Embedded insurance and Insurtech are exploding. Love aviation, marine industries, or recreational sports? There’s a niche for you. 

The key is recognizing that people from diverse backgrounds can lead satisfying, high-growth careers in insurance. Your experience in property management, event planning, international trade, technology, or any other field can be the foundation for an insurance career you never imagined. 

What Makes It Worth It? 

We asked our recent hires what they find most rewarding about their roles at DOXA. Here’s what stood out: 

No two days are the same. When you’re working in a niche specialty market, variety is built into the job. 

DOXA is fast-paced and allows employees to have autonomy, without being stuffy or impacted by red tape like so many traditional insurance organizations. The entrepreneurial mentality at DOXA means you’re constantly building your knowledge, skills, and expertise. You’re creating solutions, establishing programs, and making an impact.   

You’re also building alongside a community. Each of DOXA’s 30+ business units has its own identity and team culture, but they all connect to something bigger. Whether you’re pioneering an ocean cargo program or developing casino prize promotions, you’re never working in isolation. You’re part of a community of specialists who are all experts in their own right, united by a shared drive to build something exceptional. 

The Bottom Line 

Insurance isn’t what you think it is – at least not at DOXA. 

Whether you’re passionate about international trade, cutting-edge technology, entertainment and hospitality, or any other niche industry, there’s likely an insurance career that lets you lean into that passion while building something meaningful. 

Interested in exploring career opportunities at DOXA? Visit our careers page to see our current openings across our businesses to learn how your unique background could translate into an insurance career you’ll love.