Settlement Department Manager

The Ward Law Group, PL•Miami, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Ward Law Group is seeking a Settlement Department Manager to lead the team responsible for valuing, negotiating, and resolving pre-suit personal injury inventory. This is a management role where performance is measured by the productivity of the negotiators reporting to the manager and the overall results of the department. The firm utilizes documented workflows, defined stages, case-level data, and performance standards calibrated to case progression, rather than arbitrary quotas. The firm invests in its infrastructure to enable scalable growth without burnout. This role is for someone who wants to build and run a department with proper tools and support.

Requirements

Seven or more years of progressive experience in personal injury, with substantial time in pre-suit settlement and negotiation.
Three or more years directly managing a settlements, pre-litigation, or case management team.
Demonstrated experience managing through metrics, setting performance standards, tracking them, and holding people accountable.
Command of case valuation, including understanding medical specials, treatment trajectory, procedure-level valuation, comparative fault, coverage layers, and venue analysis.
Bilingual fluency in English and Spanish, written and spoken.
Working knowledge of Florida personal injury practice, including PIP, the statutory pre-suit framework, and applicable damages and fee rules.
Comfort working in a case management system and in reports and spreadsheets.
Ability to build or read a pipeline report and draw the right conclusion from it.
This is an on-site, in-office role, Monday through Friday.

Nice To Haves

Experience on both the plaintiff and defense side, or exposure to litigation as well as pre-suit.
A track record of building a department’s infrastructure (SOPs, scorecards, training programs, stage definitions).
Experience managing a department through meaningful growth in headcount or case volume.
Deep medical management and lien negotiation experience, including letters of protection and health insurance and government liens.
Formal management training, or a documented history of developing people who were later promoted.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the settlement department team, including hiring, onboarding, training, and performance management.
Conduct structured one-on-ones, file reviews, and coaching sessions with documented follow-up.
Build individual development plans for team members to improve valuation accuracy, negotiation skills, and file velocity.
Address performance and conduct issues promptly and directly, in partnership with HR.
Own and manage the department’s key performance indicators, including settlement volume, average settlement value, policy-limits capture rate, net client recovery, time in pre-suit stages, aged-file exposure, demand turnaround, and negotiator productivity.
Set individual and team performance standards that account for jurisdiction, case type, treatment posture, coverage, and liability profile.
Review pipeline and performance data weekly, diagnose issues, and implement solutions.
Report department performance, forecasts, and risks to firm leadership with analysis.
Manage aged and stalled inventory to ensure files are resolved on their merits.
Serve as the final internal authority on case valuation and settlement strategy within approval limits, and escalate appropriately.
Review and approve demand packages, settlement authority requests, and counteroffers.
Apply and teach sound valuation methodology for various injury types and procedures.
Identify bad faith setups, policy-limits opportunities, UM/UIM exposure, and coverage issues, and coordinate strategy.
Handle or co-handle the department’s highest-exposure and most sensitive negotiations.
Maintain and improve the department’s standard operating procedures, checklists, templates, and case-stage definitions.
Partner with medical management on treatment monitoring, records and billing completeness, reductions, and lien resolution.
Work closely with intake, case management, and litigation to ensure clean handoffs and provide feedback on case quality.
Ensure negotiated resolutions are documented, compliant, and client-approved, and that disbursement is accurate and timely.
Propose and implement technology, reporting, and workflow improvements.
Set the standard for client counseling through settlement, ensuring clear expectations and realistic valuation conversations.
Ensure the team communicates with clients in their preferred language with responsiveness and cultural fluency.
Resolve escalated client concerns personally and identify areas for process improvement.

Benefits

Competitive salary commensurate with experience
Professional development and continuing education support
Collaborative, growth-oriented team environment
Medical, dental & vision
Hospital plans
401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
Life Insurance (Company paid Basic Life and AD&D as well as voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
Company paid short and long-term disability
Health & Dependent Care Spending Accounts (HSA & DCFSA)
Employee Assistance Program
Tuition Assistance
Paid time off and paid holidays