Claims Specialist, Environmental

AXIS•Chicago, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves managing primary and excess environmental claims, including matters involving pollution, contamination, toxic tort, remediation, bodily injury, property damage, and related coverage issues. The role will support the handling of complex environmental claims across AXIS-issued policies and will work closely with internal claims leadership, coverage counsel, defense counsel, underwriting, actuarial, brokers, reinsurers, insureds, and vendors. The Claim Specialist will contribute to AXIS’s success by investigating, evaluating, and resolving environmental claims in a disciplined, timely, and technically sound manner. The individual will assess coverage, liability, damages, litigation strategy, reserve adequacy, and settlement value while helping drive strong claim outcomes and consistent execution across the Environmental Claims portfolio. This role requires strong judgment, technical claims capability, collaboration with business partners, and the ability to manage complex matters involving long-tail exposure, environmental remediation, regulatory considerations, and contested coverage or liability issues.

Requirements

Experience handling environmental, pollution, toxic tort, construction defect, casualty, or other complex liability claims.
Strong understanding of coverage, liability, damages, reserving, litigation management, and settlement evaluation.
Ability to assess complex facts and policy language and develop practical claim strategies.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise claim summaries, reserve rationales, and recommendations.
Ability to work effectively with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, vendors, brokers, insureds, reinsurers, underwriters, actuaries, and claims leadership.
Sound judgment in evaluating litigation risk, settlement value, and claim exposure.
Ability to manage legal spend and vendor costs in a disciplined and outcome-focused manner.
Strong organizational skills and ability to manage a pending inventory of complex claims.
Commitment to continuous professional development and staying current on environmental claims trends, legal developments, and regulatory issues.
Ability to contribute to team best practices, claim process improvements, and knowledge sharing.
Strong collaboration skills and the ability to operate in a dynamic, high-performing claims environment.

Responsibilities

Assess environmental claims to determine coverage, liability, damages, settlement value, and appropriate claim strategy.
Manage a pending inventory of primary and excess environmental claims, including pollution, contamination, toxic exposure, remediation, and related bodily injury or property damage matters.
Investigate facts, evaluate policy terms, and coordinate with coverage counsel where appropriate.
Establish and maintain appropriate reserves based on liability, damages, coverage, litigation posture, and settlement potential.
Collaborate with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, environmental consultants, vendors, and insureds to drive claim resolution.
Develop litigation and resolution strategies for complex, high-exposure, or contentious claims.
Manage legal, expert, and vendor costs in coordination with Litigation Management and Vendor Management teams.
Communicate effectively with senior claims leadership, brokers, reinsurers, actuaries, underwriters, insureds, auditors, and external business partners.
Prepare clear claim notes, coverage assessments, reserve rationales, settlement recommendations, and large loss reports as needed.
Identify trends, emerging exposures, coverage issues, and portfolio risks impacting Environmental Claims.
Support claim process improvements, best practices, and consistent claim handling standards.
Participate in industry events, professional associations, and continuing education to stay current on environmental claims trends.
Serve as a resource to colleagues on environmental claim handling, coverage issues, litigation management, and resolution strategy.