Senior Claim Director

AXIS is seeking a Senior Claim Director, Specialty Complex Claims to join our North America Claims team. This role will report the Head of Specialty Complex Claims. As a direct report to the Head of Specialty Complex Claims, you should possess the ability to handle and manage a wide variety of severity/complex claims with coverage issues as well as coverage litigation or arbitration involving Casualty (Primary & Excess), Commercial Property, Professional Lines (which includes - Management Liability, EPL, Cyber, various Professional Lines Specialties and Design Professionals and Environmental claims), Program Claims (all lines of business), Canada Claims (all lines of business) and A&H Claims.

This role will be responsible for:

• Direct management of claims, involving significant potential severity/complexity, complex coverage issues and/or portfolio exposures, that in management's judgement, should be managed by the Specialty Complex team. Responsibilities include the investigation, analysis and evaluation of coverage, liability, and damages, according to claims best practices.

• Direct management of coverage disputes, including litigated and arbitrated matters initiated by Axis issuing companies and when Axis issuing companies are parties to such litigation

• Formulating claims and litigation strategies, assigning, directing, and managing outside counsel in coverage litigation or arbitration

• Managing selection of and requests to hire coverage counsel

• Managing coverage counsel and litigation costs as well as collaborating and working with the Litigation Management and Vendor Management teams ensuring cost management and the development and enhancement of the coverage counsel panel

• Managing discovery issues and responses, including opportunities to ensure consistency as well as identifying relevant and responsive information and ensuring proper and adequate preparation of company witnesses for deposition and trial testimony

• Providing guidance to the North America Claims teams regarding coverage issues, coverage disputes and claim handling issues, time limited demands, emerging issues, including strategic direction as well as recommending and approving outside coverage counsel assignments

• Reviewing Coverage positions for matters pending in Washington State, Missouri, Illinois, Montana, Texas, and other states that may be added via the Specialty Complex Claims Referral Guidelines

• Collaborating across disciplines and business units, including with the Office of General Counsel that oversees errors and omissions issues arising from claims handling

• Identifying, liability and coverage trends and issues with both individual and portfolio impact and formulating the processes and strategies for managing such claims as well as the related coverage issues ensuring accurate and consistent claims management across impacted underwriting segments and lines of business

• Supporting underwriting inquiries and information requests regarding policy construction and drafting, reporting claim trends, data analysis, and risk assessments

• Actively coaching and mentoring the North America claim teams on coverage issues and guidance

• Build and maintain key relationships with internal stakeholders (e.g., Axis International Claims and Axis Reinsurance Claims, Underwriting, Actuarial, various executive management leaders) and external stakeholders (e.g., brokers, insureds, attorneys, auditors, reinsurers, and vendors)

• Communication with senior executives, brokers, reinsurers, actuaries, insureds, and auditors (both external and internal)

KEY SKILLS & ABILITIES:

7-10+ years of claims handling experience involving a wide variety of coverage issues and coverage litigation involving the various claims categories summarized previously, as well as:

• Demonstrated leadership, organizational, and management skills

• Experience practicing law as well as claims management (both directly managed and TPA managed claims)

• Demonstrated ability to influence and collaborate at all organizational levels, both internally and externally as well as the ability to identify and resolve complex, disputed claims

• Analytical thinker that can drive results using all facets of the legal and claims processes

• Understanding of and ability to balance both the immediate claim issues as well as the broader portfolio impact and customer service impact of coverage disputes and issues

• Excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to deal effectively with people with conflicting expectations, differing opinions, and multiple viewpoints

• Demonstrated ability and experience handling coverage issues involving a wide variety of loss scenarios as well as reporting and presenting about same to senior management

• In-depth knowledge of claims, litigation, arbitration, and trial processes as well as excellent analytical, investigative, and negotiating skills

• Law Degree and admission in good standing to one of the fifty state bars

• Adjuster Licenses in all states required by AXIS

• Travel is associated with this role (e.g., team management, court proceedings, mediations, and settlement)

For this position, we currently expect to offer a base salary in the range of $150K to $175K. The specific salary offer will be based on an assessment of a variety of factors including the experience of the successful candidate and their work location. In addition, all employees are eligible for competitive incentive targets, with awards based on overall corporate and individual performance. On top of this, we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes medical plans for employees and their families, health and wellness programs, retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation, and much more.