Interim Principal Insurance Officer - Audit & Fraud

Reference no: Stoke 5222542

Pay rate: £21.00 per hour PAYE

To manage the council’s insurance portfolio, including insurance arrangements for the council’s external companies. To actively defend liability compensation claims and litigation against the Council on a cost effective basis in conjunction with the Council's Insurers and Legal Advisors to reduce the cost of risk where possible.

Establish and maintain an appropriate and cost-effective insurance portfolio as required by the Assistant Director - Finance to protect the council’s financial standing and to provide professional insurance advice and claims handling services to the council, directorates and schools.

To formulate, develop and promote insurance risk management awareness and good practice across all areas to reduce the cost of the council’s risk. Devise compliant processes for service areas where requested and provide legal and insurance advice to the strategic manager to enable the proficient settlement of liability claims. Resolve all insurance liability claims (excluding those related to housing) through interpretation of policy wording and developing case law.

Key responsibilities:

• Establish, maintain and continually review an insurance portfolio suitable for the council’s requirements.
• Establish, maintain and review specialist insurance schemes for schools’ requirements.
• Provide professional advice on insurance and self-funding techniques for the council’s benefit.
• Provide professional insurance services and advice to the council, directorates and schools.
• Manage and defend liability compensation claims and litigation against the council on a cost-effective basis in conjunction with the council’s insurers and legal advisers to reduce the cost of risk where possible.
• Provide claims management advice and handling services for other insurance claims for the council, directorates and schools.
• Provide financial information on insurance and liability self-funding costs for accounting and budgetary requirements.
• Attend court to give evidence or to support other Officers in the defence of claims to reduce the cost of compensation payments made by the City Council.
• Liaise with Legal Counsel / Solicitors both pre-trial and at Court to decide whether to continue to defend the action or make a compromise offer to minimise the eventual cost to the City Council.
• Ensure the council’s insurance policies and the schools’ insurance schemes are arranged on a cost-effective basis and renewed as required.

“Role Requirements” – to give yourself the maximum chance of success please try and ensure your CV addresses the following essential criteria:

Qualifications:

• Achieved or working towards the Chartered Insurance Institute (FCII or ACII) or the Institute of Risk Management (AIRM) or other relevant qualification.
• Achieved a Fellow of Institute of Legal Executives Qualification.

Experience:

• Insurance risk management experience in asset protection, legal liabilities, business interruption and business continuity in the public or private sector and consequent achievements.
• Demonstrate significant experience litigation and claims handling.
• Demonstrate experience of developing effective working relationships.
• Practical experience of arranging insurance covers and self-funding techniques in a large organisation.
• Demonstrate experience of effective negotiation and applying influence to benefit the organisation.
• Experience of effective claims handling practices for legal liability and other insurance claims.

Knowledge:

• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of insurance risk management principles, practice and techniques.
• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of insurance covers available, insurance principles and practice, self-funding and alternative risk financing techniques.
• Demonstrate knowledge of relevant legislation, law and legal practices relating to local authorities.
• Knowledge of insurance context within which public services and local government operate.
• Demonstrate detailed knowledge of claims handling procedures for liability and other insurance claims.

Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively with and influence a wide range of people inside and outside the council including senior managers.
• Ability to negotiate effectively to achieve the best results for the council.
• Ability to undertake analytical analysis to include trend analysis and performance monitoring.
• Able to lead, motivate, train and develop a small specialised team.
• Work to a high professional standard including having necessary attributes to write reports, policies and procedures.
• Ability to work under pressure, prioritise and meet deadlines.
• Able to handle a large wide-ranging workload.
• Lead by example, team player with commitment to improvement and knowledge sharing.
• Self-motivated problem solver.
• Good communicator demonstrating a strategic approach.
• Strong IT skills using Microsoft packages or equivalent (e.g. G Suite).

NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via [email protected] by quoting the job reference and job title exactly. SEE DETAILS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS AD.

If you have previously applied to one of our vacancies and have already sent the required supporting documentation to us, please make this clear when you re-apply as this will help speed up your application.

To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF.

If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.