Director, Claims Transformation & Continuous Improvement
Date: May 1, 2025
Location: Hybrid - Canada, CA Edmonton, AB (Hybrid), CA Kitchener, ON (Hybrid), CA North York - Toronto, ON (Hybr, CA Montreal, QC (Hybrid), CA Moncton, NB (Hybrid), CA Winnipeg, MB (Hybrid), CA Ottawa, ON (Hybrid), CA Dartmouth, NS (Hybrid), CA Vancouver, BC (Hybrid), CA Calgary, AB (Hybrid), CA
Company: Wawanesa Insurance
Job ID: 9239
Working Business Language: English. This role is considered a head-office role and will be required to communicate with internal and external stakeholders across Canada where the primary business language for this role is English. As such, the successful candidate must be fully proficient in English.
Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.
The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $140,000 - $180,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.
About Us
At Wawanesa, we’re proud to offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Wawanesa, MB; Vancouver, BC; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Lethbridge, AB; Toronto, ON; Kitchener, ON; Thunder Bay, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Moncton, NB; Dartmouth; NS
The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (“Wawanesa Mutual”), founded in 1896, is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, with over $3.5 billion in annual revenue and assets of $10 billion (CAD). Wawanesa Mutual, with its National Headquarters in Winnipeg, is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance products and services throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, which distributes personal and business insurance across Canada. Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.7 million members in Canada, and we are home to more than 3,600 employees distributed across the Canadian regions and communities where we operate. We give back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $3.5 million annually to charitable organizations, including over $2 million annually in support of people on the front lines of climate change. To learn more visit wawanesa.com.
We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.
Job Overview
The Director, Claims Transformation and Continuous Improvement is accountable for driving operational excellence, quality assurance, and sustainable transformation across Wawanesa’s Claims function. This leadership role ensures the Claims organization delivers exceptional member experiences, business results, and efficient service through continuous improvement initiatives, learning and development strategies, and strong quality assurance practices.
Reporting to the Vice President, Claims Optimization, the Director collaborates across Claims Operations, Claims Solutions, Member Experience, , IS, Learning & Development, and enabling teams to ensure our practices are innovative, measurable, and aligned with Wawanesa’s purpose and values.
This position will lead the Claims Quality Assurance team, implement initiatives, influence training, and capability-building, and embed financial accountability across all transformation efforts.
Job Responsibilities
- Champion the design and execution of national transformation initiatives focused on improving claims handling quality, operational efficiency, financial performance, and the member experience.
- Align transformation priorities with enterprise strategic pillars and Claims goals through collaboration with Claims Solutions & Expertise, Shared Services, Claims Operations, Member Experience, IS, and Learning & Development.
- Lead the identification, development, and implementation of claims effectiveness strategies, leveraging data and insights to evaluate and optimize claims outcomes.
- Own the continuous improvement of processes, procedures, and workflows across all business lines, using a structured change management approach.
- Evaluate, prioritize, and manage a portfolio of claims initiatives with a disciplined governance model and clear success metrics.
- Lead the national Claims Quality Assurance function, establishing quality standards and performance expectations to drive consistency and excellence.
- Analyze performance trends and leakage data (e.g., IO% metrics) to identify improvement opportunities and track financial impact.
- Hold business partners and Claims teams accountable for delivering measurable improvements and reduced leakage aligned to financial goals.
- Partner with Learning & Development to ensure frontline staff and leaders receive effective onboarding, upskilling, and coaching tied to quality assurance and transformation outcomes within the framework of Wawanesa University.
Qualifications
- Minimum 10 years of experience in Property & Casualty insurance, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role. Litigation and claims handling experience considered an asset.
- Proven experience leading continuous improvement, QA programs, or transformation initiatives.
- Strong financial acumen with a demonstrated ability to drive operational cost efficiencies and business outcomes.
- Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
- Advanced problem-solving and decision-making capabilities in complex, fast-paced environments.
- Change management expertise with a track record of leading successful organizational change.
- Experience in training, coaching, or learning program development is an asset.
- Post-secondary education in Business, Insurance, or related field; CIP or industry designation preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with data analytics tools.
- Bilingualism in French and English is considered an asset.
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Wawanesa is proud to be one of Manitoba’s Top Employers, a Kincentric Best Employer in Canada and a Forbes Best Employer in Canada recognizing an exceptional place to work!
Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.
We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to jobs@wawanesa.com.
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