The Assistant Vice President of Property & Casualty claims for Quincy Mutual Group plays a critical role in overseeing and managing significant claim exposures to the Company for personal and commercial lines of business. They lead a team of skilled professionals, ensuring the accurate and efficient assessment, evaluation, and resolution of claims for our customers. They possess a robust intellect and ability to professionally communicate with diverse audiences, building trust and guiding others through difficult situations. By way of strong technical expertise, leadership, and strategic vision, the AVP drives positive outcomes, develops, and engages employees.
Leveraging their extensive technical expertise and use of strong data analysis, AVP collaborates with key business partners to ensure trends and new risks are promptly identified and addressed to avoid unnecessary impact on business outcomes. Their deep knowledge in policy forms, coverage, liability, investigation, evaluation, and modes of resolving claims will guide the team toward successful completion of goals and contribute significantly to the impact of claims upon the Company.
The AVP of P&C is responsible for ensuring the work environment, employee relations, internal and external business relationships are professional, fair, honest, and in alignment with goals, our long-term value to our customers and agents. They set the example for accountability, teamwork, personal development, execution of duties, and discipline. As an Officer of the Company, the leader exemplifies the highest degree of leadership behavior and decision-making, financial knowledge of insurance business, satisfaction of services to customers and agents, execution of Officer and leader duties, and ability to lead leaders and employees through change. They possess the ability to act with great integrity, professionally representing the organization to internal and external customers, safeguarding systems, and information within their control against fraud, malware, and cyberattacks. The AVP maintains strict confidentiality with sensitive information and handling of employee matters.
Principal Accountabilities:
Planning, Development, Job Knowledge
· Extensive knowledge and experience with managing claims arising from personal and commercial policies, most importantly in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
· Critically evaluate exposures and opportunities to resolve claims, coaching their team in alignment with good faith and fair dealings with all parties.
· Proactively monitors claims to provide support toward a strategy to defend those claims, including expert assessment of risks and exposures known or unknown at the time.
· Experience managing outside counsel with the ability to address concerns, ensuring effective and timely completion of expected work within Company guidelines and expectations.
· Proactively plans strategies to address emerging or known issues in alignment with goals and vision, adding to the long-term value of claims contributions to the success of the Company.
· Develops effective content and plans for developing others through training, consistently reinforcing concepts and processes in their daily work with others, including their peers.
· Expert knowledge and experience with legal processes, proceedings, and alternative methods of resolution including mediation and arbitration.
· Identifies opportunities to work more efficiently while maintaining quality, acting to positively impact the team’s work processes and environment.
· Provides clear strategic direction and leadership, setting goals, and objectives based upon the Company and department vision and business objectives.
Communication and Relationship Building
· Skilled presenter, speaker, and writer, able to share information in the appropriate manner and mode to positively influence others to understand and act toward the desired outcome.
· Exemplary ability to identify defenses for claims based upon their merits, assisting others to develop arguments to defend the Company position.
· Actively engaged within the department and Company, recognized as a resource and trusted, collaborative partner.
· Maintains external relationships with others within the industry and community, utilizing those relationships to achieve business goals.
· Leadership presence exhibits the skills to genuinely connect and build confidence in others, inspiring others to act in a positive manner.
· Addresses unprofessional behavior immediately, providing facts to remedy rumors and negativity, and appropriate acts.
· Cultivates a learning environment, evokes courage to change, and leads others through challenging situations with their contagious spirit of empowerment and discipline to reach successful outcomes.
· Interacts with service to others in mind, admitting mistakes and demonstrating humility.
· Assists other leaders without hesitation.
Accountability
· Exhibits an appropriate sense of urgency and accepts full responsibility to manage situations as they arise, knowing when to involve senior leadership and the Office of General Counsel.
· Escalates situations with potential bad faith or extra-contractual exposures to the VP of Claims and Office of General Counsel in a timely manner.
· Provides team members with timely, constructive feedback and direction on a consistent basis.
· Tracks productivity, timeliness, and quality of work completed by their direct and indirect reports, taking action to remedy any unacceptable behaviors or trends.
· Owns the oversight and direction of answering formal and informal complaints, thoroughly documenting situations and following through the issue to resolution.
· Manages, in partnership with Complex Claims Manager, selection of counsel for new lawsuits, coverage opinions, experts, or other vendors appropriate for the issue at hand.
· Participates in regular file conferences led by the Complex Claims Manager to discuss claims requiring additional oversight or with an issue requiring guidance from others.
· Maintains adherence to litigation strategy, deviating with permission from the VP of Claims or Office of General Counsel.
· Ensures all demands are answered in a professional, timely manner.
· Ensures 100% compliance with reserve guidelines and all regulatory reporting requirements by their direct and indirect reports.
· Actively participates in industry events, virtually and on-site, to broaden knowledge and connect with other claims and legal professionals, sharing information with others within the Company.
· Skilled in identification of talent, developing development plans, and mentoring others toward their goals.
· Owns the development of their team, including the integration and implementation of new processes and technology.
· May own or participate in Company wide or department projects and initiatives with the expectation of active participation and ownership of deliverables.
· Partnering with the Office of General Counsel, VP of Claims and Complex Claims Manager, assess outside counsel and vendors performance on a yearly basis, or sooner if necessary.
· Accept feedback and guidance from VP of Claims, aligning their behavior and actions to implement necessary change or adjustments.
· Acts within their scope of authority, communicating and acting transparently in all situations.
· Enforces leading practices, recommending revisions when warranted to the VP of Claims.
· Utilizes quality assurance, training, and auditing findings to the advantage of developing their team and leaders.
· Partnering with the VP of Claims and peers, proactively manages through catastrophic or unforeseen events, following Company procedures to ensure our ability to service our customers and agents in their time of need.
· Reports all required information to regulatory authorities in a timely and accurate manner.
· Staff their teams appropriately, requiring assistance when appropriate.
Technology:
· Highly proficient with legal expense review, e-discovery platforms, and other technology intended to maintain an efficient and effective tool to oversee loss costs, litigation work, and communicate with external vendors/firms.
· Solid knowledge and experience working with claims management systems, including Microsoft Office products.
· Identifies potential new services or technology to improve efficiency and service to customers and agents.
Reporting/Analytics
· Understands the drivers of metrics and how to assess the team’s performance through data they access, compile, and analyze into effective strategies and tactics that make a positive difference.
· Uses their knowledge of the industry, legal environment, and insurance operations to independently analyze data and provide innovative ideas to improve performance.
· Works collaboratively with analysts and other key business partners to develop dashboards and reports capable of benefiting efforts towards business goals.
· Provides VP of Claims with quarterly status reports on key areas aligned with the yearly department business plan, including any proactive actions taken and plans for improvement going forward.
Vendor Management:
· Responsible for overseeing payment of all claims expenses involving complex and litigated claims according to business agreements and work completed.
· Maintaining in-person and virtual communication with retained counsel on a regular basis.
· Negotiates terms acceptable to the Company with potential or current vendors.
· Owns the relationship with outside counsel, maintaining consistent adherence to Company expectations and guidelines including recommendation to continued use of counsel not meeting established standards.
· Proactively addresses concerns with outside counsel or expert performance immediately and professionally.
· Ensures compliance with internal policies and regulations between the Company and external vendors.
· Creates and consistently utilizes processes for onboarding and monitoring of data privacy and contractual obligations with vendors and outside counsel.
Qualifications:
· Prefer experienced insurance attorney with 10+ years working in an insurance defense environment, licensed in MA and CT
· Graduate of an ABA accredited college or university
· At least 5 years of insurance leadership experience, within a claims department
Or in lieu of juris doctorate,
· 10+ years of senior level leadership experience managing litigation and complex matters within an insurance company
· Bachelor's degree or higher, preferably focused on insurance or law
· CPCU preferred
Skills:
· High degree of competence to research and draft accurate legal advice, significant diligence, and ability to maintain oversight of complex matters.
· Demonstration of strong ability to work in demanding situations requiring significant focus, time, and professionalism.
· Ability to manage in the grey, adjusting their approach and work processes, as necessary.
· Skilled collaborator and project teammate, able to work with others on projects and initiatives regardless of level or position within the Company.
· Exemplary level of professionalism, including confidentiality of sensitive information, and performance as an Officer of the Company.
· Superior problem solver and negotiator.
· Experience collaborating with the Vice President of Claims, Office of General Counsel, external counsel, and internal business partners to effectively manage exposures to the Company
· Experience with Property and Casualty insurance policies, including personal, property, cyber, and commercial lines.
· Successfully mentors employees, including other leaders, to higher levels of success.
*May work extended hours, including weekends and nights, when necessary.
*May attend depositions, mediations, arbitration, and legal proceedings including trials. May require infrequent overnight travel.
Job Type: Full-time
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Parental leave
- Professional development assistance
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
Ability to Commute:
- Quincy, MA 02169 (Required)
Work Location: In person
