Accountable for building and leveraging existing partnerships to win and retain business and building and applying insurance expertise based on best practices and industry standards. Responsible for attracting, developing, and retaining high-performing talent. Cultivates peer and industry relationships, incorporating innovation and industry best practices into the strategic direction of the organization's operations. Set and drive strategic business initiatives that enable organizational growth by correctly applying pricing philosophy and strategy and ensuring appropriate risk selection and pricing. Maintain knowledge of the full spectrum of products and provide input on introducing potential new products. Develop and operationalize business strategy, which includes leading multiple teams to deliver operational excellence. Effectively manage operations and processes associated across the policy services life cycle. Ensure priorities are responsive to mission, underwriting, and retention decisions.Through staff and leader development, create a diverse and inclusive team and culture; lead teams to embrace an innovation mindset and create forward-looking solutions that drive business value across a large policy services staff. Develop a group of leaders who are customer and team-focused. Demonstrate a commitment to excellence through continuous staff development and programs enhancing employee engagement, service, knowledge, skills, and morale. Ensure ongoing staff training to expand the knowledge base continually.Work with senior leadership to continuously enhance the customer experience in measurable terms based on customer contacts and feedback. Foster a collaborative approach to business growth by communicating with peers and other vital organizational stakeholders to achieve profitability objectives. Collaborate at all levels within the organization to accomplish a common goal.

•Provide leadership necessary for success in a changing business environment by identifying, planning, developing and implementing business unit strategies, processes and procedures for the business unit in coordination with other leaders and vice president. Prepare and manage budget, staffing levels and business unit outcomes. •Select, hire, set performance standards, direct, coach, develop and address performance issues timely and in legally appropriate manner. Provide vision and direction to team in the accomplishment of job duties in accordance with MSF vision and mission. •Contribute and participate in the planning, development and implementation of departmental policies, business processes and operations. •Develop and maintain business relationships with policyholders, agents and other customers of business unit. •Identify and evaluate trends in insurance policy applications, cancellations and reinstatements as well as payroll and premium in order to review trends and make appropriate business adjustments. •Lead, coach, mentor and serve as a resource in insurance policy and claim functions for staff of multi-functional team. •Create and sustain healthy environment reflecting teamwork, cooperation, mutual recognition, competition, and individual and shared accomplishment in serving internal and external customers.

• Manage, review, evaluate, and address claims and policy loss ratio measures and issues for the premium book of business, communicating variances as appropriate to staff, director, underwriters, safety consultants (SMC), customer service specialist (CSS), and other leadership• Assign and review claim examiner caseloads with a concern for the quality of work and providing feedback as necessary to ensure accuracy and thoroughness meet the standards set by best claim practices• Review and address claim related data discrepancies within assigned premium book of business• Routinely evaluate claim files for assigned examiners, provide direction or claim handling methods as needed based on Montana State Fund best claim practices and examiner experience level, and complete financial approvals within reserve and settlement authority• Conduct large loss, Catastrophic loss claim (CAT), Permanent Total claim (PT), and settlement meetings, providing direction and financial authority approvals as applicable• Assist staff in handling escalated customer calls, identifying and resolving customer issues and concerns, and providing superior customer service including in-person value added visits with various stakeholders not limited to injured employees, policyholders, agents, medical providers and attorneys• Interview, select, and recommend hiring of new staff including on-boarding, orientation, and training plan coordination • Set job performance expectations, conduct ongoing review, evaluation, and final job performance reviews for assigned staff

•Manage an assigned case load of complex medical and indemnity claims of reported injury or occupational disease for large premium accounts.•Establish and maintain productive relationships with agents, policyholders, claimants, and other stakeholders.•Conduct stewardship and claims review meetings with customers and producers in the field, analyze claim trends and experience information providing a better solution to overall claims management.•Investigate, evaluate, negotiate, and settle claims in accordance with Claim Best Practices and the Montana Workers’ Compensation Act.•Authorize and review payment of medical and wage loss benefits to ensure prompt and accurate compensation.•Assign, direct, and monitor rehabilitation and medical case management activities in accordance with Claim Best Practices to facilitate the return of an injured worker back to the workforce as soon as medically possible.