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.

The Associate Vice President of Resolutions (Claims) Litigation Management and Legal Operations provides strategic leadership for the Claims' Legal Operations department. The candidate will coordinate the work of technical teams to support enterprise strategy, improve operational efficiency and maximize claim outcomes. In addition, the role will identify and monitor measures of productivity, performance and staffing across all work streams including claim lifecycle improvements, claim and legal technology initiatives, and process improvement. 

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 establi