Auto Physical Damage Director

CNA Insurance • Downers Grove, IL

3d • $97,000 - $189,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Auto Physical Damage (APD) Director is a key Claims leader responsible for advancing operational excellence, customer outcomes, and financial performance across the APD business. This role provides strategic direction and oversight to ensure consistent, high-quality claim handling, efficient processes, and exceptional service for customers and business partners. This highly visible role leads a team of more than 40 claims professionals who support customers after vehicle losses and helps shape the strategy, performance, and continued evolution of this critical business segment. The Director leads through a rapidly evolving claims environment by fostering accountability, engagement, continuous improvement, and innovation. Through strong leadership, talent development, and cross-functional collaboration, this role shapes claims strategy, improves operational results, and advances organizational objectives. The ideal candidate brings business acumen, claims expertise, and strong people leadership skills to drive sustainable performance and create an environment where employees can grow and succeed.

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of the insurance industry and the organization's products, policies and procedures.
• Ability to effectively recruit, lead, coach, develop and retain talented claim professional and/or managers.
• Advanced technical expertise and business management acumen, investigation and claims resolution experience, expert knowledge of claims principles, practices and procedures.
• Ability to solve complex issues with a sense of urgency; utilizes and effectively identifies and manages all available resources to make informed decisions.
• Ability to effectively interact and collaborate with all levels of CNA's internal and external business partners.
• Excellent communication skills and customer service experience, with demonstrated ability to succinctly present to senior management.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of when and how to extract insights from metrics to make informed business decisions.
• Ability to creativity and effectively manage through ambiguous and challenging business problems, lead through change and take appropriate levels of risks.
• Adaptable and able to effectively lead through change.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and other business-related software.
• Ability to model CNA's leadership behaviors.

Nice To Haves

• Background in auto physical damage strongly preferred; additional auto bodily injury experience considered a plus.
• Applicable certifications or professional designations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leads the work activities of claims professionals and claims managers and has full management responsibility for setting and communicating expectations, providing direction and coaching, facilitating ongoing training and development, managing employee performance and contributing to employee engagement.
• Contributes to organizational profitability by driving productivity, managing expenses, ensuring appropriate use of vendors, overseeing and authorizing claim resolution strategies, and ensuring quality and customer service standards are met or exceeded.
• Ensures customer satisfaction by holding team accountable to deliver high quality and timely claim service, identifying service opportunities, and developing initiatives, processes and training that contribute to a positive customer experience.
• Ensures applicable claim handling protocols are followed by overseeing appropriate file engagement, monitoring quality dashboards, providing ongoing feedback, and addressing training needs across multiple teams.
• Regularly uses data analytics to monitor team performance, and develops strategies to drive operational effectiveness, and improve the overall performance of the organization.
• Responsible for effectively managing department and claims expenses by achieving productivity targets, efficiency and quality standards, appropriately leveraging internal and external resources, and using data analytics to identify trends and opportunities.
• Ensures optimal and effective operation by developing and maintaining collaborative business partnerships with internal and external resources while recognizing connections and inter-dependencies and maximizing relationships to effectively manage the operation.
• Effectively communicates and shares pertinent and timely information to employees by holding team meetings, regular 1:1 employee discussions, reinforcing leadership messages and providing shared access to company process and protocol documentation.
• Participates with senior leadership in the development, implementation and reinforcement of claim handling protocols, business strategies and objectives, and regularly evaluates performance; holding self and team accountable for achieving desired results.
• Oversees compliance with state/local regulatory requirements by following company guidelines, and remains current on commercial insurance laws, regulations or trends for line of business.
• May participate in special projects.
• May perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager