Director, National Casualty Claims - Operations

Wawanesa Insurance•Edmonton, AB

1d•CA$150,000 - CA$170,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, National Casualty Claims provides strategic and operational leadership for the Casualty claims function, with accountability for performance, consistency, and outcomes. This role ensures fair and consistent claims outcomes aligned with corporate objectives, regulatory requirements, and member expectations, while balancing member outcomes with financial and risk considerations. The Director translates enterprise claims strategy into operational plans, performance frameworks, and governance practices. This includes driving consistency, technical excellence, member experience, and financial performance across the Casualty portfolio. This role partners with executive and cross-functional stakeholders to influence claims strategy, oversee risk, and lead initiatives that enhance operational effectiveness, support transformation, and sustain performance across Casualty claims nationally.

Requirements

10+ years of Property & Casualty claims experience, including Casualty/Bodily Injury claims.
5+ years of progressive leadership experience, including leadership of leaders and development of leadership capability.
Experience leading multiple teams, regions, or a national claims portfolio.
Post-secondary education or equivalent experience.
Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation required; advanced designation (e.g., FCIP) considered an asset.
Strong ability to influence and build relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders within a matrix environment.
Demonstrated leadership capability, including leader development, succession planning, and sound decision-making in complex environments.
Proven experience leading cross-functional transformation and continuous improvement initiatives.
Expertise in Casualty claims operations, including litigation strategy, reserving, governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
Strong financial acumen, including accountability for claims cost performance, expense management, and forecasting.
Advanced analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

Nice To Haves

advanced designation (e.g., FCIP)

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for the Casualty claims function, translating enterprise direction into operational plans, priorities, and performance outcomes.
Implement and continuously refine claims strategies, and policies, to improve operational effectiveness, technical excellence, and service delivery.
Define and oversee the end-to-end claims handling strategy for Casualty, including technical guidelines, risk assessment, litigation and resolution strategies for complex and high-exposure claims.
Establish governance frameworks across Casualty, including oversight of complex, high-exposure, and litigated claims, alignment with Legal and SIU partners, and clear decision-making and escalation processes.
Oversee claims reserving practices to ensure accuracy, adequacy, and alignment with financial and actuarial expectations.
Establish and manage strategic relationships with external partners (e.g., legal counsel, experts, and vendors) to support optimal claims outcomes and cost management.
Monitor key performance indicators and claims trends (including quality, cycle time, indemnity, and expense performance), using data and insights to drive efficiency and improve outcomes.
Responsible for financial performance of the Casualty portfolio, including claims cost management, expense oversight, budgeting, forecasting, and loss ratio performance.
Provide leadership and direction to Claims Managers and leaders, fostering a high-performance culture through workforce planning, talent development, succession management, and performance coaching.