Liability Claims Manager

Central Insurance Company•Van Wert, OH

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re a team of employees passionate about delivering best-in-class customer service and driving innovation in claims management. Integrity, relationships, and excellence are at the heart of everything we do. Our employees fully utilize their talents and bring their best selves to work. We believe who you are is just as important as what you do! At Central Insurance, excellence is our policy and people are at the heart of everything we do. As a Liability Claims Manager, you will lead a team of casualty claim adjusters handling first and third party bodily injury claims with exposures up to $250,000, including files in active litigation and a significant portion arising from commercial risks written on business auto and commercial general liability policies. You will set direction on coverage, liability, damages, and resolution strategy while coaching your team to think independently, own their decisions, and get better with every file. If you are energized by developing claim professionals, driving strong outcomes, and building relationships that customers and agency partners can count on when it matters most, this is your seat.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and six years of claims experience with demonstrated expertise in investigating, evaluating, negotiating, and settling claims, or eight years of claims experience with the same demonstrated expertise.
Minimum of two years of prior leadership experience directly managing or supervising claims adjusters, including responsibility for performance management, coaching, file quality review, and workload assignment.
Demonstrated experience developing adjuster technical skill through structured file reviews, one-on-one coaching, and onboarding or training of new team members.
Hands-on experience handling commercial general liability and business auto claims is required.
Demonstrated experience with first and third party bodily injury claims, including serious injury exposures.
Demonstrated experience managing claims in litigation, including working directly with defense counsel and participating in mediation or other alternative dispute resolution.
Experience setting and defending reserves on bodily injury exposures and evaluating claims within a defined authority structure.
Experience handling claims across multiple jurisdictions with differing negligence standards, damages rules, and statutory requirements.
Adjuster licensing as required by state regulation, or the ability to obtain licensing.
Travel required as needed.

Nice To Haves

Prior leadership experience specifically over a casualty or bodily injury unit.
Demonstrated ability to interpret CGL policy and apply to complex exposures including premises liability, products and completed operations, construction defect, and contractual risk transfer or additional insured disputes.
CPCU, SCLA, AIC, or similar industry designation.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of casualty claims adjusters handling first and third party bodily injury claims from first notice of loss through final resolution.
Build technical judgment through regular one-on-ones, structured file reviews at key milestones in the claim life cycle, and real-time coaching on open exposures.
Develop adjusters who can state their own case strategy, defend their reasoning, and recommend a course of action rather than waiting for direction.
Complete performance appraisals, participate in salary recommendations, assist in hiring, and own onboarding and ramp-up plans for new team members.
Manage workload distribution, inventory balance, and staffing needs across a mixed inventory of commercial and personal lines injury and property damage claims.
Oversee bodily injury claims ranging from minor soft tissue exposures to serious and permanent injury claims valued up to $250,000, including claims in active litigation.
Direct coverage analysis on business auto and commercial general liability policies, including additional insured status, contractual risk transfer, other insurance and excess clauses, primary and non-contributory wording, and umbrella or excess placement.
Review and approve reservation of rights positions, coverage disclaimers, and referrals for coverage counsel where warranted.
Ensure timely and accurate reserves that reflect ultimate probable exposure, with documented rationale supporting every material reserve movement.
Approve settlement authority within your level, prepare and present files above your authority, and participate in roundtables and large loss reviews.
Ensure thorough liability investigations.
Oversee damages evaluations.
Drive recognition and pursuit of subrogation, contribution, and indemnity, and hold the team accountable to deadlines.
Lead the team in identifying fraud indicators and ensuring suspected fraudulent claims are appropriately referred for investigation.
Manage litigated inventory in partnership with defense counsel, including litigation plans, budgets, discovery strategy, dispositive motions, and trial readiness.
Monitor indemnity and expense spend across the unit, including defense counsel costs, vendor use, and approved supplier compliance.
Use dashboards and performance data to manage exposure age, suspense discipline, closing ratios, reserve accuracy, and claim quality audit results.
Identify leakage and process gaps, then translate findings into concrete coaching and workflow changes.
Ensure compliance with state regulatory and statutory requirements, unfair claims practices acts, licensing, privacy, and internal claim handling standards.
Serve as the escalation point for policyholders, claimants, agents, and attorneys on complex or sensitive matters.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with agency partners and internal stakeholders.
Partner with Underwriting, Product, and Loss Control by sharing claim trends and loss drivers that inform risk selection and account management.
Collaborate with peer managers and claims leadership on strategy, process improvement, and special projects.