Berkley Public Entity (BPE) was founded in 2012 as a member company of W.R. Berkley Corporation.  BPE is a growing, dynamic company with the vision of being the preeminent carrier in our marketplace.  As our name implies, BPE is 100% focused on providing innovative insurance and reinsurance solutions to public entities.

 

The company is an equal opportunity employer.  #LI-Remote  #LI-AV1

 

This role would ideally be based in our Ewing or Morristown, NJ offices where we offer a hybrid work schedule with 3 days in the office; and 2 days remote. We're open to remote colleague where it makes sense to do so.

 

The Claims Director is an individual contributor responsible for managing a claims inventory including the review, oversight and specific handling of General, Automobile, and Professional Liability claims including Law Enforcement and Sexual Abuse involving schools, municipalities, other public entities.  All accounts are written excess of an SIR layer and underlying claims are handled by the insured or their selected TPA until reaching the BPE layer. You'll communicate with insureds, brokers and TPA’s to secure additional claim information, communicate loss information, and monitor Self Insured Retentions and determine the extent of exposure to the insured and the company. Additionally, this role will monitor trends within the portfolio and individual accounts to contribute to the overall success of the company as well as for business development with marketing and renewal events differentiating the BPE claims process within the marketplace. 

The team's culture is highly collegial while still providing you the autonomy to be nimble and impactful where you can make decisions and stand by them.  You'll report to the AVP of Claims and be key member of a small but highly skilled team of claims professionals. You'll have lots of visibility across the organization - underwriting, marketing, and senior management.  You'll be encouraged to share your insights and recommendations when creating resolution plans/strategies or negotiating settlements.  We'll trust you to identify and raise issues within the portfolio to take a proactive action. To be successful, you'll need excellent organizational skills, integrity, and great follow-through on tasks. You'll need to be comfortable challenging norms while working collaboratively with colleagues at all levels of the organization.

 

What you can expect:

• Internal mobility opportunities – be a key person in our succession plan
• Visibility to senior leaders and partnership with cross functional teams
• Culture of innovation, teamwork, supportive colleagues and leaders willing to invest in talent
• Opportunity to lead change
• Benefits – competitive salary, paid time off, comprehensive wellness benefits and programs, employer funded health savings account, profit sharing, 401k, paid parental leave, employee stock purchase plan, tuition assistance and professional continuing education

We'll count on you for:

 

• Coverage Issues
  • Identify and evaluate coverage issues preparing comprehensive coverage letters and analysis
  • Evaluate information on coverage, liability, and damages to resolve claims on reasonable terms and at an appropriate value
• Relationship Management
  • Provide outstanding customer service and works well with the insured, broker and TPA in the adjustment of losses
  • Respond to internal and external requests for information from management, underwriters, business partners etc.
  • Prepare timely and accurate reports to management regarding significant claim developments
  • Lead and participate in audits of TPA’s to ensure adherence to BPE claims guidelines
• Litigation Strategy
  • Retain, direct and manage litigation counsel through trial; developing and managing strategy for complex litigation and reviewing legal bills; attend arbitrations, mediations, trials and conferences as necessary
  • Present litigation strategy for complex litigation to senior claims management and underwriting staff
• Reserving
  • Identify and evaluate risk transfer opportunities pursuant to contracts, lease agreements, certificates of insurance
  • Set reserves within authority or makes claim recommendations concerning reserve changes to supervisor
  • Ensure large loss and exposure reporting requirements are met referring claims to BPE management and/or WR Berkley management as necessary

What you need to have:

• Bachelor’s Degree Required
• 10+ years of commercial liability claims experience required
• A proven track record of building and maintaining strong business relationships with insureds, agents & brokers, and TPAs
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills 
• An analytical mind enabling you to dive into the details to be effective with problem solving

What makes you stand out:

• Litigation and Public Entity experience preferred
• Ability to simplify complex issues and concepts, making them accessible to others
• Natural curiosity- love learning how things work and always looking for innovative improvements
• Excellent customer service- being known for your super responsiveness, operating with a sense of urgency to get to "yes", and being able to say "no" while preserving your relationships

We do not accept any unsolicited resumes from external recruiting agencies or firms.
The company offers a competitive compensation plan and robust benefits package for full time regular employees.