Auto Damage Claims Manager

Central Insurance Company•Van Wert, OH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re a team of employees passionate about delivering best-in-class customer service and driving innovation in claims management. Integrity, relationships, and excellence are at the heart of everything we do. Our employees fully utilize their talents and bring their best selves to work. We believe who you are is just as important as what you do! If you're energized by leading teams, improving results, and elevating claim quality, this role is for you. The Auto Damage Claims Manager drives workflow, coaching, and technical excellence to ensure fair, efficient claim outcomes—supporting disciplined reserving, strong negotiations, proactive customer service, and compliant handling from first notice through resolution. You'll collaborate with leaders and partners to continuously improve how we serve customers and agencies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 6 years claims experience with demonstrated expertise in investigating, evaluating, negotiating, and settling of claims
Or 8 years of claims experience with demonstrated expertise in investigating, evaluating, negotiating, and settling of claims
Travel required as needed
Ability to train, develop, motivate, and evaluate the performance of employees
Strong leadership skills and ability to analyze information and make effective decisions
Ability to lead by example through coaching, integrity, positive attitude; exhibiting initiative in daily work and efforts in professional development activities (exemplifying our core values)
Effectively communicate in collaborative manner both verbally and in writing
Skilled in change management
Possess a positive, professional, cooperative, and quality-conscious service attitude
Manage and understand external vendor resources
Ability to lead through complex coverage analysis and resolution strategies
Proficient in Microsoft Suite
Possesses analytical and problem-solving skills
Possess an innovative and continuous improvement mindset
Ability to work under pressure, deal with interpersonal conflict, and handle a heavy workload
Ability to professionally interact with our customers
Ability to understand Central Insurance’s policies and processes
Ensures the team is complying with state regulatory/statutory requirements, corporate privacy and other claim policy requirements
Ensures statutory and legal compliance

Nice To Haves

CPCU, SCLA or AIC designations
Prior managerial experience, preferably in a claims setting
Demonstrated leadership capabilities

Responsibilities

Proactively perpetuates the culture, embraces our core values, welcomes diverse perspectives to foster innovation, and works appropriately across departments and across offices to accomplish the corporate objectives and priorities
Manages workflow and resources appropriately--staffing, workloads, and performance management when needed
Communicates strategy, priorities, and expectations and does so often to ensure the team is aligned in the claims mission and understands their relationship with the wider organization
Executes on strategy for claims Mission of Hospitality, Outcomes and Efficiency at Team and individual level
Develops and trains team on claim handling excellence
Develops and maintains excellent rapport with the team, internal stakeholders and agency force
Collaborates with peers and Claims leadership on Claims strategy and continuous improvement efforts
Monitors claims reserves and payments on claims in unit
Reviews files for coaching and direction on technical excellence in claims
Ensures team is managing assigned volume of auto damage claims with hospitality, optimal claim outcomes, and efficiency through the life of the claim
Ensures team is investigating, evaluating, negotiating and settling assigned claims within authority limits
Leads team to assess vehicle damages, including negotiating total loss settlements and working collaboratively with salvage team
Leads team to develop and follow strategic action plans throughout the life of the file
Ensures team is providing proactive customer service by appropriately setting expectations, building rapport, and responding to requests timely
Ensures team is building relationships and appropriately communicating with agency partners, internal and external stakeholders
Ensures team understands all applicable coverage forms and is providing thorough and timely coverage analysis and communication
Instructs team to conduct thorough and timely claim investigations including utilization of ISO
Leads team to implement proper recognition, investigation, referral and communication regarding subrogation
Ensures team is setting accurate initial reserves in a timely manner and is continually reviewing accuracy in the context of ultimate probable exposure
Instructs team to detect and mitigate fraud when investigating claims
Leads team to execute on coverage documentation, use of Reservation of Rights, Non-Waivers, and coverage letters
Ensures team is completing liability determination and analysis
Instructs team to obtain, analyze and evaluate damage documentation, implement appropriate control of rental/loss of use, and mitigate advanced charges
Leads team to make sure team is implementing appropriate consideration of file expenses and approved suppliers are used
Ensures paid losses are managed appropriately; adjuster is paying what is fair and owed and is settling claims at the optimal time in the life of the file
Leads team development with subject matter expertise training and onboarding.
Ensures team is assisting in team development with subject matter expertise learning, and onboarding assistance
Completes performance appraisals and participates in salary recommendations
Assists in selection of new employees
Handles special projects and initiatives as assigned
Evaluates performance of the team and individuals of the team; hold team accountable and obtains results
Coach and develop adjuster performance on alternative dispute resolution, litigation strategy and effective collaboration with defense counsel to lead and develop activity through the litigation process