Complex Claim Director – Life Sciences & Advertising Injury/Personal Injury

CNA • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Leads a team of Claims Consultants and Consulting Directors responsible for the handling of complex, high exposure life sciences claims and claims arising under Coverage B of commercial general liability policies (personal and advertising injury), including matters involving product advertising, labeling and marketing content, intellectual property and unfair competition allegations, reputational harm, and related emerging exposures. Responsibilities include delivering superior business results through effective team management and the resolution of all claims activities. This position works within broad authority limits on assignments requiring a high degree of technical knowledge in life sciences risks and Coverage B coverage, and is accountable for driving overall results and implementing company initiatives within the department.

Requirements

• Advanced technical expertise in complex commercial general liability claims, with deep knowledge of life sciences risks (including pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device and related products) and associated litigation and regulatory-driven exposures.
• Strong understanding of Coverage B (personal and advertising injury) policy language, offenses and common allegations, including advertising injury, disparagement, defamation, privacy violations, wrongful eviction/entry, malicious prosecution, intellectual property-related advertising claims (as applicable), and related exclusions/endorsements.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex coverage issues and allocate risk appropriately, including reservation of rights/coverage position strategy, and coordination across primary/excess and other potentially responsive coverages.
• Excellent judgment and decision‑making skills, with the ability to assess and manage large‑scale severity, reputational considerations, and uncertainty.
• Expert knowledge of claims principles, practices and procedures including investigation, negotiation and resolution.
• Ability to solve complex issues with a sense of urgency; utilizes all available resources to make informed decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, develop and retain highly skilled claim professionals in a complex and evolving claim environment.
• Ability to effectively interact and collaborate with all levels of the organization’s internal and external business partners.
• Excellent communication skills, 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 creatively and effectively manage through ambiguous and challenging business problems, lead through change and take appropriate levels of risk.
• Adaptable and able to effectively lead through change.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and other business-related software.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• Typically a minimum of ten years of related work experience, with three years of management experience preferred.

Nice To Haves

• JD, Master’s degree, or equivalent experience preferred.
• Applicable certifications or professional designations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leads the work activities of medium to high severity specialized Claims Professionals, has full management responsibility for setting and communicating expectations, providing direction and situational coaching, and facilitating ongoing training.
• Responsible for facilitating ongoing development, managing performance, and driving employee engagement and retention.
• Provides oversight and strategic direction on complex life sciences and Coverage B claim files, including analysis of policy language and endorsements, advertising/personal injury offenses, intellectual property and unfair competition allegations, and litigation strategy on high exposure matters.
• Partners with Underwriting, Actuary, Reinsurance, Legal, and other internal stakeholders, as appropriate, on exposure evaluation, reserving strategy, trends, and portfolio insights.
• Oversees appropriate use of specialized resources and vendors (e.g., coverage counsel, panel counsel, technical/subject matter experts, eDiscovery, and consulting vendors) commensurate with severity and complexity.
• 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 maintaining and/or overseeing appropriate file engagement, providing ongoing feedback and addressing training needs.
• Regularly uses data analytics to monitor team performance and identify trends; develops strategies to drive operational effectiveness and improve overall performance of the organization.
• 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.
• Recognizes severity matters and escalates appropriately.
• 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

• CNA offers a 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
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees