The Senior Manager – Warranty Claims is responsible for leading and overseeing the end-to-end operations of the service contract claims department, with a focus on Vehicle Service Contracts (VSC), Ancillary products (e.g., tire & wheel, key replacement, appearance protection), and Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP). This role ensures efficient claims adjudication, process integrity, regulatory compliance, and a strong customer experience. The Senior Manager drives performance through strong people leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and operational strategy. This position plays a key role in aligning day-to-day execution with business goals, continuously improving workflows, and supporting system enhancements to scale operations across all warranty claim types.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience.
- 5+ years of experience in warranty, insurance, or claims operations, including direct involvement in Vehicle Service Contracts (VSC), Ancillary products, and GAP claims.
- 3+ years in a people leadership role, including managing other managers or team leads in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Proven experience in claims adjudication, process improvement, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Background in extended service contracts, automotive protection products, or financial protection products is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with or overseeing third-party administrators (TPAs) or external vendor networks is a plus.
- Comfortable with claims systems, reporting tools, and leveraging data to drive decisions.
Primary Job Functions:
- Lead and manage daily operations for service contract claims, including Vehicle Service Contracts (VSC), Ancillary products, and Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP).
- Oversee performance and development of managers, team leads, and claims associates to ensure high-quality adjudication, accuracy, and service delivery.
- Monitor claim cycle times, workload distribution, and service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure efficiency and compliance.
- Collaborate with internal teams (Product, IT, Underwriting, Compliance, Finance) to align claims operations with business and regulatory requirements.
- Drive continuous improvement through process analysis, workflow optimization, and implementation of system enhancements.
- Serve as a key point of contact for escalations, complex claim decisions, and exception handling.
- Partner with QA and Training teams to maintain high standards in claim documentation, decision-making, and customer interaction.
- Analyze claims trends, root causes, and performance metrics to identify gaps and opportunities.
- Support third-party administrator (TPA) oversight, including audits, reporting, and adherence to claims handling expectations.
- Participate in budget planning, staffing models, and resource forecasting based on business needs.
The above cited duties and responsibilities describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to the job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that an incumbent may be expected or asked to perform.
Skills & Competencies Required:
- Claims Expertise: Strong understanding of Vehicle Service Contracts (VSC), Ancillary products (e.g., tire & wheel, key, appearance protection), and GAP claims.
- Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, including people leaders; sets clear expectations and drives accountability.
- Operational Excellence: Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, workflows, and deadlines in a dynamic environment.
- Analytical Thinking: Ability to use data and metrics to identify trends, solve problems, and support process improvements.
- Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to convey complex information clearly to all levels of the organization.
- Customer-Centric Mindset: Strong service orientation with a focus on delivering quality outcomes for both internal and external customers.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skilled at partnering with Product, IT, Underwriting, Compliance, and Finance to align on business goals.
- Process Improvement: Experience identifying inefficiencies and implementing scalable solutions, including automation or system enhancements.
- Vendor/TPA Oversight: Ability to manage third-party relationships and ensure performance aligns with contractual obligations and expectations.
- Adaptability: Comfortable leading teams through change, including system migrations, business shifts, or organizational restructuring.
- Technology Proficiency: Working knowledge of claims management systems, reporting tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, Tableau), and workflow platforms.
Additional Information:
Full benefit package including medical, dental, life, vision, company paid short/long term disability, 401(k), tuition assistance and more.
Please be aware of job fraud(s) – all correspondence emails regarding your candidacy will come from our Fortegra.com email address. Thank you.
