Risk Insurance & Claims Manager

LJA•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Risk Insurance & Claims Manager is responsible for protecting the firm’s balance sheet, reputation, and employee-owner interests through disciplined insurance program management, complex claims oversight, contractual risk review, and proactive loss prevention. This position partners closely with executive leadership, Legal, Finance, Operations, Sector leadership, Project Managers, brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, and outside counsel to ensure LJA maintains appropriate coverage, responds effectively to claims, and embeds risk-aware practices across a growing, multi-office engineering consultancy organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in risk management, insurance, business, finance, accounting, engineering, construction management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and substantial commercial insurance experience.
Eight or more years of progressively responsible experience in corporate risk management, commercial insurance brokerage, large-account insurance servicing, carrier underwriting or claims, captive management, or in-house insurance management.
Demonstrated experience managing a complex, multi-line commercial insurance program for a large or geographically dispersed organization. Demonstrated experience managing insurance schedules, exposure reporting, asset inventories, certificates of insurance, policy endorsements, renewal data collection, claims-tracking systems, and other operational aspects of large commercial insurance programs. Experience with engineering, architecture, construction, infrastructure, professional services, transportation, or other project-based operations is strongly preferred.
Hands-on experience coordinating insurance renewals, preparing underwriting submissions, maintaining exposure data, reviewing policies and endorsements, evaluating limits and retentions, and presenting insurance recommendations to organizational leadership.
Demonstrated ability to manage certificates of insurance, additional-insured and other endorsement requirements, policy schedules, insurance audits, claims data, loss runs, renewal calendars, and other recurring insurance-administration functions accurately and efficiently.
Experience establishing and administering consistent processes for reporting and tracking claims, incidents, circumstances, demands, and potential losses from initial notice through resolution and closure.
Working knowledge of professional liability, commercial general liability, automobile, workers’ compensation, property, cyber, umbrella and excess, management liability, environmental, international, and project-specific insurance programs.
Strong understanding of claims-made coverage, deductibles, self-insured retentions, policy limits, exclusions, additional-insured status, primary and noncontributory coverage, waivers of subrogation, indemnification, contractual risk transfer, subrogation, and excess insurance structures.
Demonstrated ability to manage and challenge brokers, carriers, claims representatives, adjusters, third-party administrators, and other external service providers while maintaining productive working relationships.
Ability to analyze insurance proposals, policy language, loss information, claim reserves, premium allocations, program structures, and alternative risk-financing arrangements and translate the analysis into clear business recommendations.
Ability to communicate complex insurance, claims, and risk issues clearly and practically to executives, attorneys, finance professionals, project managers, administrators, and technical personnel.
Strong analytical ability, business judgment, organizational discipline, attention to detail, and follow-through, with the ability to manage confidential matters, competing deadlines, and high-exposure issues.
Demonstrated initiative and ability to build systems, establish accountability, improve processes, and independently drive matters to completion rather than relying primarily on brokers or other external advisers.

Nice To Haves

Professional insurance or risk designation such as CPCU, ARM, CRM, CIC, CRIS, RPLU, AIC, or an equivalent credential preferred.
Active property and casualty insurance producer license preferred, or the ability and willingness to obtain appropriate licensing after employment if requested by LJA.
Advanced degree or specialized education in risk management, insurance, finance, business, law, or a related discipline is beneficial but not required.
Experience with captive insurance programs, international insurance placements, construction insurance, surety, controlled insurance programs, project-specific professional liability, or acquisition due diligence is preferred.
Experience with insurance or risk-management information systems, certificate-management systems, claims-tracking platforms, data analytics, and executive reporting tools is preferred.
Current insurance producer licensing, prior insurance placement experience, or experience working within a brokerage operation is preferred, particularly for candidates capable of helping LJA evaluate and develop additional internal insurance capabilities over time.

Responsibilities

Serve as the internal owner of LJA's enterprise insurance program, including professional liability, general liability, automobile, workers' compensation, property, cyber, umbrella and excess, management liability, environmental, crime, fiduciary, international, and project-specific insurance. Maintain accurate and complete records of policies, endorsements, limits, deductibles, premiums, renewals, and coverage requirements.
Maintain the accuracy and integrity of the firm's insurance program by managing policies, endorsements, certificates of insurance, coverage schedules, and exposure data. Partner with Accounting, Fleet, Information Technology, Facilities, Operations, and Legal to ensure insured values, payrolls, revenues, vehicles, equipment, drones, properties, and other covered assets remain current and accurately reported to insurers. Review insurance and risk-transfer requirements in contracts and advise Legal and business leaders regarding insurability, compliance, coverage gaps, and commercially reasonable alternatives.
Lead the identification, reporting, investigation, tracking, and resolution of insured and potentially insured claims, incidents, demands, lawsuits, and losses. Maintain a centralized claims-tracking system and coordinate with Legal, Human Resources, Safety, Operations, brokers, carriers, adjusters, third-party administrators, and outside counsel to develop claim strategy, maximize insurance recovery, and drive matters toward timely resolution.
Lead all phases of the insurance renewal process, including exposure collection, underwriting submissions, market strategy, coverage evaluation, and placement recommendations. Manage relationships with brokers, carriers, underwriters, claims professionals, and other service providers, ensuring accountability, transparency, responsiveness, and measurable value to the firm.
Analyze insurance, claims, and exposure data to identify trends, emerging risks, coverage gaps, and opportunities for operational improvement. Develop dashboards and reports for executive leadership and support acquisitions, new service lines, geographic expansion, international operations, captive participation, and other strategic initiatives.
Provide practical guidance and training to executives, project managers, administrators, and operational teams regarding insurance requirements, claims reporting, contractual risk transfer, documentation, and risk management best practices. Continually improve internal processes, systems, controls, and capabilities to support LJA's evolving insurance and risk-management objectives.

Benefits

Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
Generous Time Off: PTO, paid holidays, and a full office closure between Christmas and New Year’s.
Comprehensive Benefits: Multiple plan options for health, dental, and pets. Along with mental health support.
Family Support: Paid maternity and parental leave to help you focus on what matters most.
Education Support: Tuition reimbursement and in-house courses provided by our Learning and Development team.
Referral Bonuses: Know great talent? Get rewarded for helping us grow.
Community Impact: Company-sponsored volunteer days and philanthropic initiatives.
Professional Development: Memberships to industry organizations to keep you connected and growing.
Career Growth: Great internal mobility opportunities to advance your career.
Fun Culture: LJA social events, employee sports teams, bring your kid to work day, etc.