Director, Risk Management

Pepper Construction•Barrington, IL

4d•Remote

About The Position

The Director, Corporate Risk Management leads the Company’s enterprise risk management strategy as it grows beyond $3B in revenue. The role provides strategic oversight of insurance programs, claims management, contractual risk, loss control, and risk mitigation initiatives across the organization. It designs, places, and manages property and casualty insurance programs, supports Contractor Controlled Insurance Programs (CCIPs), and develops practical solutions to protect the Company’s people, projects, assets, and financial performance. Serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, business unit leaders, and cross-functional partners, the Director embeds risk awareness into daily operations, enables informed decision-making, and supports continued growth. The role manages the Company’s risk and insurance programs in a complex construction environment and works with internal teams and external partners to address business, operational, financial, and contractual risks. Relocation assistance is available, and remote work is possible.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Business Management, Risk Management, Insurance, Risk Control, or a related field.
Experience leading implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of a CCIP and Subcontractor Default Insurance program.
Professional designation such as Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), or Certified Risk Manager (CRM).
Minimum of 10 years of progressive risk and insurance management experience.
Demonstrated technical experience managing complex insurance and risk control programs and large-scale claims portfolios.
Previous experience successfully providing leadership and direction to a support team of risk management and claims management professionals.
Strong leadership presence and ability to advise and influence operational, legal, and executive management teams.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Risk and insurance management experience in the construction or investment real estate industry, or in a construction-focused insurance or bonding brokerage or insurance carrier environment.

Responsibilities

Lead implementation, governance, and continuous improvement of a Contractor Controlled Insurance Program (CCIP) and Subcontractor Default Insurance program.
Design, place, and manage insurance programs with brokers, underwriters, and insurers to allocate, mitigate, and finance risk.
Review insurance coverages, limits, deductibles, and structures for alignment with business growth, project risk profiles, and market conditions.
Develop insurance cost allocation and billing models for divisional and project pricing.
Negotiate contractual insurance and bonding terms with clients, subcontractors, and consultants to mitigate retained risks.
Review contractual insurance and risk allocation provisions and advise on one-sided, unusual, or high-risk terms.
Partner with the Corporate Legal Team to develop and negotiate risk, insurance, and bonding terms, exceptions, and amendments.
Obtain and evaluate specialty insurance coverage required by owner contracts or unique project risks.
Oversee claims strategy, valuation, and reserve adequacy with TPAs, claims adjusters and consultants, claims counsel, and General Counsel.
Ensure claims data accuracy and provide actionable reporting to executive leadership.
Use claims trends to drive loss prevention and operational improvements.
Partner with Operations, Safety, Fleet Management, Human Resources, Facilities Management, and project teams to implement loss-reduction systems, procedures, and controls.
Train and guide Operations project teams on insurance programs, CCIP requirements, risk controls, and risk management practices.
Advise operations leadership on risk-related decisions.
Oversee fleet risk strategy, including driver standards, insurance coverage, loss trends, auto liability exposure, and claims performance.
Lead accident review, preventability determinations, repair estimate evaluation, severity tiering, and related cost-control processes.
Manage driver risk tracking, including point assignment logic, scoring methodology, Samba MVR notifications, annual MVR reviews, and the system of record.
Lead the Fleet Safety Committee and provide governance, reporting, and escalation support for fleet risk decisions.
Analyze fleet claim frequency, severity, repeat-driver, and geographic trends to inform corrective actions, mitigation strategies, and executive and insurance-partner reporting.
Align auto-loss management with TPAs, carriers, and the overall claims management strategy.
Develop and maintain relationships with insurance brokers, carriers, TPAs, claims administrators, actuaries, loss control specialists, and consultants.
Maintain insurance policies, certificates, and records, and report regularly on program performance, claims activity, and emerging risks.
Serve as an active member of the Corporate Enterprise Risk Committee reporting to executive management.
Represent and communicate the Company’s insurance and risk programs to internal stakeholders and external partners.
Provide leadership and direction to a support team of risk management and claims management professionals.