Assistant VP Claims Litigation

Encova Insurance•Columbus, OH

18d•Hybrid

About The Position

Encova Insurance is seeking an experienced Property & Casualty litigation leader to lead and support litigation strategy and outcomes across its P&C business. As a member of the Litigation Services leadership team, the Assistant Vice President may oversee the product quality and performance of Litigation and Senior Litigation Specialists handling varied liability and coverage litigation involving Encova and its commercial and personal lines policyholders. The role may also oversee paralegals who support Litigation Specialists. Working under the general direction of the Vice President, Claims Litigation, the AVP partners with the VP and peer AVPs to improve operational effectiveness and product quality, promote proactive litigation management, and deliver services that address loss costs, expenses, and policyholder needs. The position may be performed in a hybrid arrangement from the Columbus, Ohio office or remotely from an eligible payroll state listed in the posting.

Requirements

Experience as a practicing attorney and/or experience in P&C or Workers’ Compensation insurance litigation management.
Significant knowledge of Workers’ Compensation and/or P&C coverages, liability, and exposures, including commercial and personal auto, construction worksite accidents and defects, general liability, first-party property, first-party auto, and bad faith.
Thorough knowledge of contractual risk transfer, tort law, civil procedure, insurance coverage, general insurance law, and commercial lines products.
Expert litigation management skills, including large-loss management, mediation, arbitration, settlement negotiations, evaluating severe and complex claims, and effective claims handling.
Superior written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to persuade, influence, and achieve buy-in.
Superior interpersonal, customer service, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to find solutions that are fair to customers and right for the company.
Strong decision-making skills, using analysis and experience to make well-reasoned decisions.
Strong analytical skills, including identifying problems, assessing information, analyzing potential solutions, and taking a logical approach.
Ability to coach, mentor, and develop talent, deliver performance assessments, and use performance management when necessary.
Ability to use analytics and management information to identify trends and opportunities and develop strategic actions.
Ability to lead, inspire, motivate, and drive performance.
Ability to foster collaboration and teamwork, build trust, and facilitate relationships.
Personal accountability for results and commitment to continuous improvement that enhances service, performance, and enterprise outcomes.

Nice To Haves

P&C or Workers’ Compensation insurance industry leadership experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide direction and technical guidance through ongoing management involvement and frequent file reviews, focusing on resolution, outcomes, and proactive management of litigated claims.
Ensure litigation practices follow company Best Practices, protect policyholders, provide a customer experience tailored to their needs, and minimize litigation exposure.
Collaborate with the VP and peer AVPs on cost-containment strategies, including law firm relationship management, performance monitoring, assessment, and legal bill review.
Help develop key performance indicators to identify trends and measure operational effectiveness, claim outcomes, and expense management.
Analyze Litigation Services results and recommend strategies or action plans to improve results, policies, procedures, efficiency, or service.
Communicate and act in support of Litigation Services and Claims missions, strategies, and business objectives.
Promote collaboration with outside counsel to deliver desired outcomes to key stakeholders.
Use reporting, management information, and analytics to identify trends and opportunities, recognize exposures, and determine when additional management intervention or resources are needed.
Ensure large-loss governance, including timely notifications to Business and Reinsurance partners when reporting triggers are met, and ongoing monitoring and file review of those matters.
Review and approve settlement, payment, and reserving authority requests as appropriate.
Review new litigation matters and assign them to team members with suitable skills, consistent with specialization strategies.
Ensure timely and appropriate reserving throughout litigation, including reserve adjustments based on loss development.
Build effective enterprise relationships and collaborate with stakeholders to improve litigation outcomes and align Litigation Services objectives with enterprise objectives.
Share legal-environment and loss-development insights with stakeholders to help explain business drivers and trends, support profitable growth, and attract and retain business; provide claims and company associates with advice, guidance, and legal support as needed.
Attract, retain, and develop talent; partner with AVPs and the VP on development, training, career pathing, succession planning, staffing, engagement, and retention strategies.
Coach associates, provide performance assessments and feedback, and manage performance to improve operations and foster continual development.
Promote innovation and diversity of thought, empowering associates and connecting their work to business objectives.
Participate in or facilitate roundtables and authority board reviews concerning resolution, reserving, coverage, liability, and damages; provide legal opinions as needed.
Participate in or lead Litigation Services projects as directed.
May assume the duties of the VP, Claims Litigation, in the VP’s absence.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Company-provided life and income protection plans
Eligibility to participate in a company incentive bonus program
401(k) retirement plan with a 100% company match up to 7% of annual salary
Paid time off
Paid holidays
Floating holidays
Flexible work arrangements, including hybrid and remote options depending on the role
Competitive compensation package
Comprehensive benefits package supporting associate well-being and growth