Associate Vice President of Resolutions (Claims) Litigation Management and Legal Operations

UE provides liability insurance and risk management services to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities nationwide. UE is owned by a large and diverse membership. With 38 years serving education, we bring deep expertise to our members and focus on delivering an experience that leaves them feeling confident that we understand their needs and offer insights and solutions suited for their unique challenges. These sentiments are echoed in our culture, where we believe that building on and embracing our unique differences and perspectives enables us to better serve our members and fulfill UE’s mission.

Responsibilities:

Department Strategy and Leadership

• Define the Resolutions Operations mission and ensure alignment of each operations division function with reference to enterprise strategy.
• Prepare and update project plans in keeping with the mission.
• Work with division leads to sequence all department work efforts including internal projects, inter-departmental efforts, PMO and Strategic/Enterprise projects.
• Establish cadence of communication with all stakeholders including internal and external business partners.
• Build collaborative relationships with other departments.
• Serve as a leader of UE Council.

Claim Legal Operations 

• Collaborate with Resolutions leadership in the identification and deployment of procedures to maximize the optimal management of claims. 
• Optimize dedicated functional teams across the operational footprint (Financials, Technical Support, Law Firm and Vendor Management, Business Process Management)
• Ongoing evaluation of all functions and procedures for operational efficiency improvements.
• Leverage internal and external measures and standards to identify risks, exposures and develop mitigation plans.
• Ensure adherence to internal operating procedures, auditing protocols and all applicable compliance and reporting obligations (e.g. Medicare, IRS, Cybersecurity, Liens, etc.)
• Coordinate Department’s role in Company strategic projects.
• Create the department budget and manage all non-headcount operating expenses.

Litigation and Vendor Management

• In collaboration with the department, develop and implement effective and efficient Litigation Management policies and procedures.
• Create and champion ALAE management initiatives across all phases of claim handling (early case assessment, timely resource deployment, budgeting and financial management, resolution planning).
• Develop and implement performance evaluation approach for defense counsel to ensure quality, effectiveness, efficiency and adherence to UE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion values.
• Maintain Defense Counsel Guidelines; oversee analyst and counsel training on defense invoice auditing; develop procedures to ensure adherence to Defense Counsel Guidelines.
• Standardize negotiation and agreements with counsel and other claim legal vendors including electronic discovery, jury and trial consultants, outsourced service providers, experts and related vendors.

Data Analytics and Reporting

• Lead Departmental Data Analytics and Business Intelligence development efforts.
• Design and implement business metrics and leadership dashboards in coordination with the AVPs for Resolutions Specialty and Comprehensive Groups and in collaboration with UE’s Actuarial Department.
• Support the functional division leads in the identification and day-to-day management of claim data collection, management, and stewardship.
• Champion the utilization of established workflow procedures to maximize claim data integrity and quality.

Systems and Technology

• Ensure a coordinated department approach to technology deployments at all levels, consistent with enterprise strategy. 
• Establish dedicated business ownership and/or system administrators for Department Technology, including UE’s legal spend management system (CounselLink), policy and claims administration system, collaboration platform (SharePoint), customer relationship management system (SalesForce), enterprise data warehouse, document generation system (DocuSign), digital experience platform, and robotic process automation activities.
• Establish standards for claim data security across all platforms and data sources including procedures for access to defined levels of claim data and coordinate validation with the Information Technology department.
• Drive collaboration across all departments to promote uniformly prioritized enterprise technology roadmap as the Department’s liaison with Information Technology.

Professional Development and Team Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing team of professionals.
• Establish clear performance expectations and work with employees to establish career developmental plans, fostering a culture of accountability, empowerment and growth. 
• Meet regularly with employees to discuss their progress and concerns, and to offer ongoing support and advice.  
• Manage, conduct and complete on a timely basis, performance appraisal process for direct reports.
• Remain current on advances in all the foregoing areas of responsibility.

Requirements:

• Experience: Ten or more years of litigation management, legal operations and/or liability claims experience; J.D., MBA degree, litigation management or legal operations certification preferred
• Leadership: Must have direct experience managing a team of diverse professionals including individual contributors and front-line managers. An understanding of change management and the ability to thrive in an atmosphere of constant change; commitment to UE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles
• Process and Operational Efficiency: Demonstrated success identifying opportunities and leading process improvement initiatives. Understanding of workflow and automation, standard operating procedures. Proficiency with project management techniques including scoping, resource and time management, change management, cost benefit analysis
• Information Technology: Experience as a business owner of claim technology including enterprise legal spend management applications (e-billing) and related. Prior participation in large scale technology deployments preferred
• Data Analytics: High degree of familiarity with the quantitative measurement of claim outcomes and business production and performance; demonstrated ability to analyze claim and legal spend data and develop metrics to identify trends and promote the effective and efficient management of claims
• Litigation Management: Experience with insurance defense litigation including familiarity with law firm selection, retention and rate agreements, defense counsel guidelines, legal invoicing (e-billing) and auditing, and the quality evaluation of defense counsel. Expertise across all phases of the end-to-end claim lifecycle including litigation avoidance, investigation, assessment, litigation planning and resolution
• Vendor Management: Understanding of vendor governance including selection criteria, best practices for contracting and negotiation, service level agreements, business performance reviews
• Risk and Compliance: Familiarity with fraud monitoring practices, insurance and claims practices regulations, data privacy and security, licensing and authority requirements, audit or external reviews

Benefits:

• Health Insurance — We offer subsidized plan options with an optional pre-tax Health Savings Account (HSA), including an annual employer contribution and investment options. The plans offer a prescription benefit and telehealth.
• Dental Insurance — Two plan levels are available, depending on needs.
• Vision Insurance —We offer in- and out-of-network options; Lasik discounts are available.
• 401(k) — UE makes a 3% safe harbor non-elective contribution beginning the first of the month after date of hire; these funds are vested immediately. After one year of service, employees receive a 7% profit sharing non-elective contribution, as well as become eligible for a matched contribution of 25% of the first 5% employee deferral. Employees can make pre-tax contributions or taxed (Roth) salary reductions. Catch-up contributions for employees 50 years old and over. Employer contributions are fully vested immediately.
• Life Insurance — UE pays for Basic Life Insurance, and employees have the option to apply for additional Voluntary coverage.
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance — We offer coverage in the event employees are unable to work for a period of time.
• For the first two years of employment, employees accrue PTO at 24 days per year. At the beginning of the third year of service, employees accrue 30 days per year of PTO.
• 11 paid holidays annually including Juneteenth and an employee choice floating holiday
• Bonus eligibility is based on salary earned and performance for the year.
• Hybrid environment - employees are typically in the office 2-3 days per week after the initial training period.
• Support for individual growth through sabbaticals, leadership development, mentoring, and tuition assistance
• Inclusive and supportive culture that embraces diversity and provides opportunities for all to succeed
• Monthly lunches and various social events throughout the year
• Opportunities to join the Social Committee, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), and Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Alliance (IDEA)