Head of Operations – Technical

Job Title: Head of Operations – Technical

Business Unit: Sanlam General Insurance Ltd

Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Purpose

The Head of Operations (Technical) is responsible for maintaining the business operational efficiency and ensuring the business complies with industry standards and regulatory guidelines. The role holder is also responsible for upholding best practices in underwriting and claims management, risk rating and arrangement of optimal reinsurance programs for the business.

Primary Responsibilities

Business Strategy

• In consultation with the CEO and strategy function, develop and implement business strategy.

• Actively participate in policy formulation, corporate planning, and project implementation.

• Ensure that underwriting results are consistently within budget to achieve business profitability.

• Ensure an optimal and efficient core system for the business in partnership with IT & Innovations team.

• Coordinate implementation and review of performance management strategy in the Department.

Underwriting Operations

• Provide technical oversight and support to the General Business teams.

• Ensure that operational efficiency is maintained across the business and monitor operational procedures to ensure strict adherence to the set standards.

• Monitor business performance and ensure that periodical reports thereof are issued; ensure such reports are analysed and the necessary corrective measures taken.

• Ensure that comprehensive underwriting guidelines are maintained and followed.

• Utilize appropriate tools to underwrite large, complex, new and renewal business within area of product, customer, and industry expertise.

• Develop and implement an appropriate underwriting pricing strategy for the general business; understand and predict market conditions to develop a profitable business.

• Ensure that the philosophy of the company so far as rating structures and acceptance of risks are concerned is implemented.

• Ensure that renewal terms are satisfactory in the light of existing market conditions and statistical information.

• Take full responsibility over process of implementing and enhancing the core operating system, including developing user specifications, close monitoring of system testing and identifying system enhancements.

• Ascertain the technical soundness of insurance policy documents and ensure they remain sufficiently comprehensive, presentable, and appealing.

Claims Handling

Ensure that professional claims service is maintained including:

• Prompt processing of claims within the agreed turnaround time.

• Accurate interpretation of policy cover.

• The Company list of service providers is periodically vetted and updated in line with business guidelines.

• Adherence to the set turnaround times for all claims processes including payments.

• Proper and prompt authorization of payments; Effective and accurate reserving for outstanding claims.

• Effective and efficient claims recoveries.

• Management of loss Ratios in line with performance targets.

• Timely and efficient disposal of salvages.

• Help in fraud risk mitigation – enhanced fraud detection and elimination.

Customer Experience and Client Relationships

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with intermediaries and clients through correspondence, client visits, phone calls and email.

• Monitor broker and client service in such areas as issuing of policies, processing of claims and attending to enquiries to maintain high standards of service delivery.

• Provide excellent customer experience throughout the Department by ensuring that policy transactions are completed, and changes processed accurately and in a timely manner

Reinsurance Engagements (supervision) in liaison with the regional reinsurance manager:

• Drive treaty reinsurance negotiations with reinsurers and reinsurance brokers to ensure that suitable reinsurance programmes for the company are in place.

• Monitor facultative reinsurance inwards to ensure that reciprocity is favourable and carefully monitor acceptance terms.

• Ensure the proper handling of reinsurance matters and provision of technical reinsurance training to the technical teams.

• Ensure reinsurers security and treaty protection are satisfactory when seeking reinsurance support.

• Coordinate the supervision of reinsurance matters and provision of technical reinsurance training to subsidiaries to facilitate the profitable management of reinsurance business.

Operations Risk management

• Ensure implementation of risk improvement measures for accounts in the Company’s books, including identifying exposures with significant loss potential and overseeing the implementation of appropriate corrective action.

• Ensure prudent risk evaluation through the application of critical thinking to determine the adequacy of controls, likelihood of loss, magnitude of loss and overall insurability of risks.

• Ensure application of technical risk assessment of all risks before inception of cover and liaise with Business Development about application of suitable premium rates as well as shedding risks that are deemed potentially poorly performing.

• Apply technical risk assessment of all risks before inception of cover and liaise with Business Development about application of suitable premium rates as well as shedding risks that are deemed potentially poorly performing.

Product Review and Development

• Periodically review existing products and propose changes with a view to enhancing their quality.

• Coordinate product review and play a leading role in designing of new products for the general business.

• Formulate plans for launching relevant insurance products in line with assessed market needs.

Required Qualifications

Academic and Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, Business, Law, or related discipline from a reputable university.

• A Master’s degree will be an added advantage.

• Professional qualification(s) in insurance e.g., ACII, FCII or equivalent.

• Member of IIK or a relevant professional body.

Experience

• Ten (10) years’ post qualification experience with at least five (5) years as in General Insurance underwriting and / or Claims management.

• In addition, the candidate should have exposure to reinsurance treaty arrangements and related field.

Skills and Attributes

• Strategic leadership and analytical thinking skills.

• Strong leadership, supervision, and training skills.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Strong people-management skills.

• Excellent planning and organization skills.

• Ability to work under pressure.

• Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.

• Knowledgeable with industry’s rules and regulations.

• Results driven & customer focused.

• Good negotiation skills.

Strong preference will be given to candidates with the requisite qualifications, skills, and experience.

If your career aspirations match this exciting opportunity, please submit your detailed curriculum vitae and covering letter to reach us on or before 15th February 2021 through email address: hrvacancies@sanlam.co.ke. The job title should be clearly indicated as the email reference.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.