Manager, Corporate Claims

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Manager, Corporate Claims will help Portillo’s deliver our Purpose to create lifelong memories by igniting the senses with unrivaled food and experiences by:

Family:  Work together to make everyone feel at home, and we step up when someone needs help

·       Design and lead a streamlined incident and claim handling structure – including clear definition of roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for internal leadership, third party claims administrators, and insurance company claims handlers

·       Gather information and investigate incidents to support restaurant managers and claims handlers

·       Ensure alignment of strategic and business practices with claims handling and action plans. This includes assisting in obtaining medical records, managing lost time and coordinating return to work plans with internal and external stakeholders, and coordinating with nurse case management to ensure timely and appropriate treatment until maximum medical improvement is achieved for full duty.

·       Assist in-house counsel with litigated claims

·       Resolve claims within delegation of authority and make appropriate recommendations for management on higher value claims.  Regularly provide status reports and recommendations on larger claims to supervisor

Greatness:  We’re obsessed with being the best and work hard to continuously improve.  Our greatness is rooted in Quality, Service, Attitude and Cleanliness

·       Lead change by recognizing that change is essential, set goals for change, and lead purposeful adaptations to work that align with Portillo’s stated vision

·       Assist in development of loss control and loss reduction initiatives to reduce frequency and severity of losses

·       Create accountability by holding self and others responsible for performance and compliance with Portillo’s standards and State regulations

·       Review and approve monthly claim invoices.  Make reserve and settlement recommendations, when appropriate.

·       Stay current with industry trends, best practices, and changes in insurance laws and regulations

Energy:  We move with urgency and passion, while maintaining attention to detail

·       Establish tracking and reporting mechanisms and dashboards to measure incident and claim handling effectiveness and progress

·       Manage the reporting of quarterly incidents and claim trends

·       Prepare annual OSHA reports.  Assist in response to OSHA complaints and investigations.

·       Lead quarterly open claim reviews with insurance company claims handlers

Fun:  We entertain our guests, we connect authentically, and we make each other smile

·       Enhance overall awareness and understanding of claims performance

·       Communicate clearly by listening to others and the team, share information concisely with purpose, and be open to opinions

·       Inspire others through vision, confidence, and team member recognition

·       Develop incident and claims training materials for Portillo’s leaders and team members

·       Build relationships by establishing connections with others to build trust, share ideas, and accomplish team goals

·       Develop people by helping others become more effective through strengths, expectations, encouragement, and coaching

·       Build strong relationships between Risk, Legal, and Operations teams

·       Other work or projects as assigned

ORGANIZATION RELATIONSHIPS

This position reports to the Senior Manager, Enterprise Risk.  The position leads and manages the development and execution of Claims and Safety efforts.  Works closely with risk “owners” in all departments to identify, measure, mitigate and monitor risks that could impact department and enterprise objectives.  Work with insurance company claims handlers, third party claims administrators, nurse case managers, attorneys, other stakeholders, Portillo’s managers, team members, and guests, when appropriate. 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Educational Level/Certifications

·       Associate's degree

Work Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• 3+ years leading/managing Workers Compensation lost-time indemnity claims.

·       Knowledge and experience with workers’ compensation regulatory requirements

• Conversant with claims and medical terminology (Auto Liability, General Liability, Property, and Workers’ Compensation)
• Excellent leadership with a track record of developing and maintaining high performance teams.
• Communicates clearly with concise verbal and written skills.  Proficient in use of Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
• Strong analytical skills.  Ability to simplify and explain complex issues.  Advanced in use of Excel
• Aptitude for balancing multiple priorities.  Exceptional ability to build relationships and consensus across a wide range of constituents.
• Ability and willingness to work at both a strategic and detailed level to ensure continuous improvement in claims management. 
• Motivational and organizational skills to lead change and establish accountability for results.
• Think critically by seeking information, critically evaluate information, apply knowledge, and solve problems.
• Ability to adapt quickly and learn new tasks independently.  Experience navigating change in a dynamic environment.

Travel Requirement

• Travel not expected (less than 5%)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

·       6+ years in multi-lines claims handling (Auto Liability, General Liability, Property, and Workers’ Compensation)

·       Experience in managing workers’ compensation or other insurance programs in a corporate setting

·       Experience in insurance company claims systems or stand-alone Risk Management and Information Systems (RMIS)

·       Understanding of OSHA and related regulations

·       Independence and the ability to challenge the status quo and escalate issues as appropriate

·       Intellectual curiosity and an ability to think both strategically and tactically

·       Bilingual Spanish

Educational Level/Certifications

·       Associate Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in risk management, business, Health/Safety/Environmental or related field preferred.

• Insurance or Risk Management designations/certificates/credentials are preferred (e.g., AIC, CPCU, CWCP, WCS)

Work Experience and Qualification

• Multi-unit experience (especially restaurant, hospitality, retail)
• Multi-state employer experience (especially Illinois)