Director, Claims - Commercial Casualty (Agribusiness)

Nationwide Mutual Insurance•Des Moines, IA

1d•Remote

About The Position

If you’re passionate about helping people protect what matters most to them at a Fortune 100 company with nearly $70 billion in annual sales, as well as innovating and simplifying processes and operations to provide the best customer value, then Nationwide’s Property and Casualty team could be the place for you! At Nationwide®, “on your side” goes beyond just words. Our customers and partners are at the center of everything we do and we’re looking for associates who are passionate about delivering extraordinary care. Location: Des Moines, IA preferred; qualified remote candidates will be considered. This is a senior leadership role within Nationwide’s Commercial Casualty Agribusiness team, responsible for leading leaders and shaping the future direction of the organization. The ideal candidate brings a strong blend of innovation, data‑driven leadership, talent development, and cross‑functional partnership , supported by deep Commercial Casualty Claims experience and proven leadership capability. Agribusiness experience is plus. Key Leadership Expectations Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Drives innovation in a high‑frequency, low‑severity environment; identifies opportunities for process improvement, automation, and simplification while maintaining operational stability. Data‑Driven Leadership: Leads by metrics, using data and analytics to inform decisions and measure performance; experienced with tools such as Tableau, Qlik, Power BI , or similar platforms to translate insights into action. Business Acumen: Demonstrates strong understanding of how operations impact financials, risk, and enterprise strategy; prioritizes work and resources based on business outcomes. Talent & Succession Development: Develops leaders and employees through coaching and learning opportunities; actively drives succession planning by identifying and preparing high‑potential talent while ensuring continuity and knowledge transfer. Cross‑Functional Partnership: Serves as a trusted partner across underwriting, risk management, actuarial, finance, and other key stakeholders; influences at peer and executive levels to align execution with strategic priorities. #LI-BC1 #LI-Remote Do you have a strong desire to ensure resolution of insurance claims by leading teams that provide personal, effortless and reassuring experiences customers? Are you a skilled natural investigator, negotiator and communicator? If you thrive in an environment where you can problem-solve claim resolutions, innovate for continuous process improvement, while providing fair resolution, customer satisfaction and cost management, then we want to hear from you! As a Claims Director, you’ll lead efforts to investigate and pay commercial casualty claims. You’ll guide the determination of liability and set policies governing the settlement of commercial claims. In addition, you’ll manage the activities of defense counsel to expedite settlement and to control average loss cost and litigation expense. We’ll count on you to promote and provide exemplary customer service.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree or post-graduate studies preferred.
State licensing where required.
Successful completion of required/applicable claims certification training/classes.
Ten years of commercial claims handling experience.
Requires advanced knowledge of claims operating practices and claims litigation laws and regulations.
Requires in-depth knowledge of Nationwide's commercial product offerings, underwriting practices and pricing strategies.
Proven ability to meet customer needs and provide exemplary service by informing customers of the claims process and ensuring a positive customer experience.
Proven ability to lead and train commercial claims employees in all aspects of claims.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills necessary to read, write, speak and interpret highly sensitive and complex material regarding claims litigation and related financial reports.
Ability to analyze data and interpret commercial industry trends.
Effective listening, verbal and written communication skills necessary for customer contact, negotiation, presentations, project management, personnel management
Working knowledge of personal computers and associated software like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and/or financial reporting software.
Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Nice To Haves

Managerial or project lead experience preferred.
Agribusiness experience is plus.

Responsibilities

Directs the settlement of commercial casualty claims and lawsuits.
Ensures claims best practices are followed in all assigned cases in accordance with company guidelines, state and federal regulations.
Enforces compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
Provides leadership to others, helping them to understand and interpret industry data and trends.
Directs the development of new products, processes, procedures and training in response to customer needs and industry trends.
Interacts with related departments, including Underwriting, Products, and Pricing, to share information and to maintain a consistent approach to resolve problems.
Partners with industry leaders to help promote positive industry and legislative changes.
Develops strategic responses to litigated cases against Nationwide and its policyholders.
Delivers a positive customer service experience to internal, external, current and prospective Nationwide customers.
Resolves customer complaints according to Best Practices.
Monitors customer satisfaction to drive action plans for improvement.
Develops and monitors a departmental operating budget.
Identifies, develops and retains high potential/high performing associates who have the potential for or are ready to fill critical roles in the organization.
Provides performance management, salary planning and administration, training and development, workflow and organization planning, day-to-day management, hiring and placement, and disciplinary actions for direct and possibly indirect reports.
May perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Benefits

medical/dental/vision
life insurance
short and long term disability coverage
paid time off with newly hired associates receiving a minimum of 18 days paid time off each full calendar year pro-rated quarterly based on hire date
nine paid holidays
8 hours of Lifetime paid time off
8 hours of Unity Day paid time off
401(k) with company match
company-paid pension plan
business casual attire