Litigation Manager

The Litigation Manager is a middle-management leader responsible for executing the strategic direction set by the Vice President, in close partnership with the AVP, Field Liability Leader. This role drives team productivity and quality claim outcomes by translating leadership directives into clear priorities, workflows, and coaching, while applying strong critical thinking and sound judgment to achieve optimal results. The Manager is expected to adhere to claims best practices, provide day-to-day guidance and strategic support to the General Liability Litigation team, and operate in a highly collaborative environment with peers and leaders. In addition, the role may support interviewing and selection, workflow approvals, performance management actions when necessary, and other operational leadership duties. In collaboration with the AVP, this role advances strategic and operational goals that optimize the general liability litigation claim portfolio outcomes, including risk transfer, litigation expense management, and claim reserving.

This role is responsible for General Liability Litigation claim severity management, the team overall production results and advancing the litigation technical expertise of individual adjusters through training, coaching and guidance. This role provides authority grants on specific claims to support a high level of customer service and works closely with AVP Field Liability.

This role works closely with the AVP, Field liability Leader to implement leadership directives and ensure the team executes consistent claim strategy, delivers strong productivity, and achieves high-quality outcomes. Key areas of partnership include:

• Directing claim coverage and resolution strategy for general liability litigation matters.
• Providing technical oversight and consultative guidance to support litigation objectives and deliver high-quality claim outcomes.
• Developing and executing coverage training plans that build technical capability and consistency across the general liability litigation team.
• Identifying, evaluating, and communicating industry trends and providing risk recommendations to Claims and Underwriting.

Drive the general liability team's recognition and pursuit of risk transfer opportunities, including identifying recalcitrant carriers. Partner with the AVP, Field Liability Leader to apply cost/benefit analysis, critical thinking and execute clear resolution plans of action.

Ability to effectively communicate interpersonally with individuals and groups. Demonstrated decision-making skills, effective listening, verbal and written communication skills necessary for customer contact, negotiation, presentations, project management, and personnel management. Ability to make decisions, establish priorities, and set strategic directions.

Ability to organize and deal with a variety of situations, discern problems and recommend/implement resolutions. Ability to utilize PC and applicable software is required.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Identifies and collaborates with leadership on opportunities as well as recommended solutions to drive continuous improvement. Communicates and understands company's vision, mission, values and culture to reinforce decisions, processes, and roles within the unit. Leads workstreams, when requested, to support departmental and company initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

People Leadership and Talent Management:

• A strong leader of people responsible for driving a positive culture, ensuring adherence to best practices, and producing consistent, predictable outcomes.

• Delivers a positive customer service experience by reinforcing claims best practices, supporting timely decision-making, and ensuring consistent communication.

• Provide leadership, coaching and authority to Claims Specialists during the life cycle of the claims handling process to ensure that we deliver on our promises to agents, policyholders, and claimants according to claims best practices.

• Performance management duties including:

• Partnering with team member to achieve goals/expectations aligned with company's business outcomes as well as individual professional development goals/objectives.

• Evaluating team members' performance in the context of KPI's, career pathing, identifying performance gaps and development opportunities to achieve desired goals and position objectives.

• Conflict resolution and recommending personnel actions

• Maintain appropriate documentation with regards to team members' performance.

• Provide recommendations on promotion and salary that align with the company's compensation philosophy.

• Promotes claims customer service excellence by building empathy and passion for the customer experience that exceeds customer expectations.

• Assist with identification of appropriate team members as SMEs, where expertise supports UFG initiatives.

Complex Litigation & Technical Oversight

• Develop a highly functioning technical team by promoting accountability, driving performance excellence, and conducting performance evaluations.
• Drive claims technical excellence for general liability claims litigation. Serve as litigation technical resource to the team.
• Review claim and litigation strategy and approve coverage letters to ensure the consistency and accuracy of coverage positions.
• Drive technical oversight of claim matters by providing meaningful and effective consultative guidance, participating in Roundtables, reviewing coverage positions and approving letters, collaborating with AVP MCU Leader.
• Provides specialized consultation with Claims to ensure proper selection of defense and coverage counsel.
• This includes personal follow-up with coverage counsel as needed, as to the scope of assignment and strategy.
• Provide expert-level guidance on coverage interpretation, policy analysis, contractual risk transfer (indemnity and additional insured), and excess exposure evaluation.
• Provide guidance to teams on collaborative development and execute litigation strategies in state and federal courts.
• Direct complex litigation management, ensuring alignment with best practices, cost containment strategies, and risk appetite.

Strategic & Operations management:

• Assignment of claims to the appropriate representative based on staffing levels, claim workload/volume, severity & complexity as well as skillset of the claims representative.
• Evaluate and triage litigated claims, assign appropriate claims specialist and coordinate any additional follow-up investigation.
• Consistently leverage data to establish strategy and drive decisions.
• Pursue process improvements as necessary and actively collaborate on strategic recommendations to streamline and improve the overall claims process.
• Collaborates, plans, and forecasts with claims management on budget matters.
• Review and analyze management reports to identify trends requiring action.
• Partners with claims excellence to conduct file reviews to ensure staff are meeting company and departmental quality and customer service requirements.
• Ensure that claims are managed in compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and case law.
• Ensure that forms are filed (e.g. Index, PILR, Reinsurance, Reserve Notification, Risk Evaluation, and State form filings and DCI).
• Consistently assess the timeliness and accuracy of reserves to ensure they comply with reserving philosophy.
• Communicate with team members in alignment with the claims communication strategy.

Governance, Compliance & Best Practices

• Manage and direct claims handling processes, including coverage determinations, investigations, resolution, risk transfer, negotiations, litigation management, and reserving.
• Promote best practices to further department/organizational expectations.
• Promote consistent, proactive litigation management processes and collaboration with legal counsel to ensure consistent predictable outcomes.
• Adhere to Claims Best Practices and ensure relevant standards are met throughout Complex Claims.
• Review reinsurance reports for adequacy, accuracy, and clarity prior to submitting to reinsurance partners. Participate in audits by reinsurance partners.
• Research and stay current on changes in coverages, policies, and appropriate statutory or case law. Communicate the necessary information to the staff. Collaborate with relevant business partners to conduct training as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Results Management & Executive Communication

• Leverage data analytics to manage team capacity, and operational effectiveness.
• Prepare and present high-profile, complex executive summaries, loss analyses, and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Job Specifications:

Education:

• Four-year college degree.
• AIC, SCLA or Legal Principles, CCLA and PCLA of the AEI series or be willing and able to complete one within 3 years
• CPCU designation or working towards.
• Must meet the appropriate state licensing laws required to handle "multi line" claims.

Experience:

• 10+ years total experience in general liability claims litigation.
• 5+ years of supervisory/management experience.

Knowledge, skills & abilities:

• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
• Ability to lead a team of 12+ direct reports efficiently.
• Data driven decision making.
• Willingness to learn additional lines of business as Underwriting expands portfolio.
• Ability to efficiently manage both a unit budget and company finances.

Working Conditions:

• General office environment.
• This job may require working irregular hours, evenings, or weekends on occasion.
• Overnight travel required on occasion. Travel represents less than 10% of this role.
• Job may require work in the field with exposure to heat, cold, noise, dust, smoke, and soot.
• The position is tasked with working with both employees and non-employees with a high level of stress.

Pay Transparency Statement

UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary range for this position is $123,865 - $163,368 annually, which represents the typical range for new hires in this role. Individual pay within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, education, certifications, skills, internal equity, geography and market data.

In addition to base salary, UFG Insurance offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes:

• Annual incentive compensation
• Medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• Accident, critical Illness & short-term disability insurance
• Retirement plans with employer contributions
• Generous time-off program
• Programs designed to support the employee well-being and financial security.

This pay range disclosure is provided in accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws.