COO - Commercial Casualty NUMÉRO DE POSTE: 475436
The Chief Operations Officer (COO) is a senior executive responsible for leading and optimizing the company’s day-to-day operational functions to support profitable growth, service excellence, regulatory compliance, and scalable performance. The COO provides strategic oversight of core insurance operations, including underwriting support, policy administration, claims operations, customer service, billing, data management, vendor oversight, and process improvement.
This executive partners closely with the CEO, CFO, Chief Actuary, Chief Compliance Officer, and business leaders to drive operational efficiency, enhance customer and broker experience, strengthen internal controls, and support long-term business objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Strategy and Leadership
- Develop and execute the company’s operational strategy in alignment with enterprise goals, growth plans, and risk appetite.
- Lead enterprise operations to improve efficiency, scalability, service delivery, and cost management.
- Establish operational performance standards, KPIs, dashboards, and accountability structures.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and customer service excellence.
- Serve as a key advisor to executive leadership and the Board on operational performance and strategic initiatives.
- Oversee underwriting support operations, policy issuance, endorsements, renewals, cancellations, and document management.
- Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant policy servicing across all commercial casualty lines.
- Partner with underwriting leadership to improve workflow efficiency, service standards, and operational controls.
- Monitor operational support for product launches, filings, and market expansions.
- Improve automation and straight-through processing capabilities where appropriate.
- Provide operational oversight for claims intake, assignment, workflow management, service standards, and vendor coordination.
- Partner with claims leadership to improve claim cycle times, reserve accuracy, litigation management support, and customer communications.
- Monitor operational performance related to claims systems, reporting, and quality assurance.
- Ensure efficient escalation processes for complex, high-severity, and litigated claims.
- Support fraud detection, SIU coordination, and claims process improvement initiatives.
- Lead customer service and broker support functions to ensure responsive, high-quality service.
- Develop service level standards and performance monitoring for policyholders, agents, brokers, and claimants.
- Improve client onboarding, policy servicing, billing inquiries, and issue resolution processes.
- Drive service enhancements that strengthen retention, satisfaction, and market reputation.
- Identify operational bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and control gaps; implement corrective actions.
- Lead business process redesign, workflow automation, and digital transformation initiatives.
- Develop and implement best practices for operational consistency and quality.
- Oversee enterprise project management for operational initiatives.
- Promote Lean, Six Sigma, or similar process improvement methodologies as appropriate.
- Partner with IT and business leaders on core system optimization, digital tools, and operational platforms.
- Oversee operational data quality, reporting accuracy, workflow controls, and system performance.
- Support implementation of policy, billing, claims, CRM, and analytics systems.
- Ensure business continuity planning, operational resilience, and disaster recovery preparedness.
- Leverage technology to improve efficiency, visibility, and service outcomes.
- Manage operational budgets, staffing plans, and expense performance.
- Identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining service quality and compliance.
- Support financial forecasting, operational planning, and resource allocation.
- Develop productivity metrics and performance reporting for executive leadership.
- Ensure strong internal controls over operational processes and expenditures.
- Oversee operational performance of TPAs, claims vendors, policy administration vendors, call centers, and other third-party partners.
- Establish service level agreements (SLAs), performance monitoring, and governance processes.
- Conduct vendor performance reviews and ensure alignment with contractual obligations.
- Mitigate operational and service risks related to outsourced functions.
- Partner with Compliance, Legal, and Risk teams to ensure operational adherence to insurance regulations, market conduct requirements, privacy obligations, and internal policies.
- Support audit readiness, regulatory exams, and remediation efforts.
- Maintain strong operational controls to reduce risk exposure and support governance.
- Oversee complaint management, issue escalation, and corrective action tracking.
- Lead and develop operations leaders and teams across multiple functions.
- Build organizational capability, succession plans, and talent development strategies.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration and strong communication.
- Drive employee engagement, accountability, and performance management.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Insurance, Operations Management, or related field required.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
- 12 years of progressive leadership experience in property and casualty insurance operations, preferably in commercial casualty.
- Minimum 7 years in senior operational leadership roles.
- Strong experience in policy administration, underwriting support, claims operations, customer service, and process improvement.
- Demonstrated success leading operational transformation and large-scale teams.
- Experience with insurance technology platforms and vendor management.
- CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter)
- PMP (Project Management Professional)
- Lean Six Sigma certification
- Deep knowledge of commercial casualty insurance operations, policy lifecycle, and claims workflows.
- Strong leadership and change management capabilities.
- Excellent analytical, financial, and operational problem-solving skills.
- Ability to balance strategic priorities with execution discipline.
- Strong communication and executive presence.
- Experience driving digital transformation and process automation.
- High integrity, sound judgment, and customer focus.
- Improved operational efficiency and cost performance.
- Service level attainment and customer satisfaction.
- Claims and policy servicing turnaround times.
- Reduction in operational errors and control deficiencies.
- Successful implementation of strategic initiatives.
- Employee engagement and team development outcomes.
- Executive leadership role requiring close collaboration across underwriting, claims, finance, actuarial, compliance, IT, and executive management.
- May require travel for operational oversight, vendor reviews, Board meetings, and industry events.
Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.
Vaco by Highspring promeut un milieu de travail diversifié et encourage fortement les femmes, les personnes de couleur, les membres des communautés LGBTQ+, les personnes handicapées, les membres de minorités ethniques, les résidents nés à l’étranger et les anciens combattants à postuler.
Avis : Égalité des chances en matière d’emploi
Vaco by Highspring garantie l’égalité des chances et ne discrimine pas les employé.e.s ou candidat.e.s en fonction de la race (y compris les traits historiquement associés à une race tels qu’une coiffure ou la texture des cheveux), couleur de la peau, sexe (y compris la grossesse ou des conditions connexes), religion ou croyances, origine nationale, citoyenneté, âge, situation de handicap, statut d’ancien.ne combattant.e, appartenance à un syndicat, origine ethnique, genre, identité de genre, expression de genre, orientation sexuelle, état matrimonial, affiliation politique, ou toute autre caractéristique protégée comme requis par la loi.
Vaco by Highspring et ses sociétés mères, sociétés affiliées et filiales (Vaco by Highspring) s’engagent à inclure pleinement toutes les personnes qualifiées. Dans le cadre de cet engagement, Vaco by Highspring veillera à ce que les personnes handicapées bénéficient d’aménagements raisonnables. Si un aménagement raisonnable est nécessaire pour participer au processus de candidature ou d’entrevue, pour vaquer à des fonctions professionnelles essentielles et/ou pour bénéficier d’autres avantages et privilèges liés à l’emploi, veuillez contacter HR@vaco.com.
Vaco by Highspring souhaite également que tous les candidats connaissent leurs droits, à savoir que la discrimination sur le lieu de travail est illégale.
En vous soumettant à ce poste, vous acceptez de donner à Vaco by Highspring le droit exclusif de présenter votre candidat pour l’opportunité d’emploi précédente. Vous convenez en outre que vous avez représenté des informations vous concernant avec exactitude et que vous n’avez pas déformé vos qualifications de manière affirmative. Vous acceptez également de garder confidentielle, dans toute la mesure permise par la loi, toute information que vous apprenez de Vaco by Highspring sur le poste et vous limiterez la divulgation des informations sur le poste uniquement dans la mesure nécessaire pour exécuter toute obligation dans la poursuite de votre candidature. En échange, Vaco by Highspring accepte de faire des efforts raisonnables pour vous représenter par le biais de toute sollicitation, sélection d’emploi et dispersion de CV.
Avis de confidentialité
Vaco by Highspring, ses sociétés mères, ses filiales et les sociétés du même groupe (« nous », « nos » ou « Vaco by Highspring») respectent votre vie privée et s’engagent à présenter un avis transparent concernant leurs politiques.
- Les résidents de la Californie peuvent consulter l’avis relatif à la collecte de renseignements publié par le service des RH de Vaco by Highspring à l’intention des candidats et des employés de la Californie ici.
- Les résidents de la Virginie peuvent accéder à nos politiques propres à leur État ici.
- Les résidents de tous les autres États peuvent accéder à nos politiques ici.
- Les résidents canadiens peuvent consulter nos politiques en anglais ici et en français ici.
- Les résidents des pays où le RGPD s’applique peuvent accéder à nos politiques ici.
Avis sur la transparence salariale
La détermination de la rémunération pour ce poste (et d’autres) chez Vaco by Highspring dépend d’un large éventail de facteurs, notamment :
- les compétences, l’expérience et la formation de la personne;
- les exigences relatives au permis d’exercice et à l’agrément;
- l’emplacement du bureau et d’autres considérations géographiques;
- d’autres besoins professionnels et de l’entreprise.
Ainsi, comme l’exige la loi locale, Vaco by Highspring estime que l’échelle salariale ci-dessus représente une estimation raisonnable de la rémunération de base d’une personne embauchée à ce poste dans des régions qui requièrent la divulgation de l’échelle salariale. La personne peut également être admissible à des primes discrétionnaires.