Claims Operations Manager - Retail Transformation 80-100%

At Zurich, we have a strong business plan for 2025-2027 and accelerating our Retail business is integral to us winning in the market. Looking ahead, our focus will be to establish standards for Retail Excellence and strengthen our core capabilities, prioritizing where we can deliver the greatest impact: Underwriting, Pricing & Portfolio Analytics, and Claims – this involves enhancing technical capabilities, improve customer experience, establish best-in-class global claims standards, and deliver meaningful customer and financial impact.

Zurich’s claims teams are accountable for ca.8m new claims per annum, across 22 diverse markets. Retail claims represent more than 75% of total claim volume and nearly half of the claim spend.

What you will do

We are seeking a dynamic and execution-focused Claims Operations Manager to spearhead the transformation of our Retail Claims function. This role will be pivotal in defining and optimising end-to-end claims workflows, enhancing operational efficiency, and instilling a culture of continuous improvement across diverse markets. Reporting to the Group Head of Retail Claims, the Claims Operations Manager will play a critical role in scaling best practices, ensuring consistency, and elevating service delivery. This position offers a unique opportunity for personal and professional growth within a global insurance leader.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define and implement standard operating procedures and workflow models across priority retail lines (e.g., Motor, Home, A&H Inc. Travel and Speciality)
• Identify and eliminate inefficiencies in claims handling processes through lean methods, automation opportunities, and technology deployment
• Partner with local and central teams to roll out and embed new processes and tools, ensuring adoption and measurable performance improvement
• Develop and monitor key operational KPIs (e.g., cycle time, cost per claim, productivity, fraud detection) to track progress and identify areas for optimisation
• Lead initiatives to improve automation of key moments within the claim lifecycle, straight-through processing, create a digitised FNOL agnostic to the customer, agent, broker, etc., and resolution speed while maintaining quality standards
• Drive continuous improvement efforts by facilitating feedback loops, running root cause analyses, and institutionalising lessons learned
• Serve as the liaison with IT, digital, and shared services teams to ensure operational requirements are reflected in system design and upgrades
• Support the transformation roadmap by prioritising and delivering scalable operations initiatives that enable technical excellence and customer impact
• Measures improvements in NPS & CES, building, leveraging and scaling digital and analytic capabilities
• Strengthens customer-oriented Supply Chain Partnerships through smoother processes, systems, and real-time data integration
• As a Claims Operations Manager, your role will be instrumental in delivering a consistent best-in-class service to our Customers, setting a standard for accuracy and excellence in our industry. Your work will provide impactful, data-driven insights both internally and externally, supporting our partners and actively contributing to the retention and winning of business.
• Claims must provide impactful, data-driven insights internally and externally, supporting our partners and actively contributing to the retention and winning of business.
• Claims must foster a culture of excellence among its employees to further establish them as recognised authorities both within Zurich and in the industry.

What you bring:

Qualifications & Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in claims operations, business process optimisation, or insurance transformation roles
• Strong knowledge of Retail P&C insurance claims processes and systems, across multiple product lines
• Proven track record of delivering operational efficiency gains in a regional or global insurance context
• Experience with workflow automation tools, claims platforms, and data-driven process management
• Fluency in English required; additional languages (Spanish, Italian, French or German) a plus
• A proven track record of executing strategy at a global level, able to drive change and coordinate the implementation of technology as an enabler in conjunction with a focus on people development, all whilst maintaining excellence
• throughout business operations.
• Extensive experience in managing the key drivers of claims performance: governance and oversight, customer excellence, operational efficiency, digitalisation / AI, case management and reserving, talent and capability, data and insight and sustainability.
• Understanding of the relevance of legislation, regulations and socio-economic trends, at micro and macro levels, on claims, insurance and the broader market.
• Experienced in operating in different geographies, markets and cultures, thus able to appreciate how to deliver business results in a global organisation.
• As a Claims Operations Manager, you will need to have an enterprise mindset, leveraging knowledge and relationships across claims and key functions to establish Zurich as a market differentiator. Strong influencing skills and effective stakeholder management, both internally and externally, will be crucial in this role.
• Has an enterprise mindset with strong influencing skills and stakeholder management skills, both internally and externally
• Agile and versatile, defining creative solutions and taking decisive action in the face of ambiguity. Optimises risk to deliver business results
• Engages, motivates and energises across all functions to deliver sustainable results
• Demonstrates passion to champion customers and addresses their needs proactively to position Zurich as best-in-class for Claims experience

Additional Information

We look forward to receiving your online application.

At our Quai Zurich Campus , our culture and our people are what set us apart. We thrive on face-to-face interactions that drive collaboration, nurture our unique culture, and amplify our success. Enjoy the best of both worlds with the flexibility to work up to two days remotely per week within Switzerland, allowing you to balance personal commitments while excelling in your career. Please discuss your flexibility needs with us during your interview.

Why Zurich

At Zurich, we like to think outside the box and challenge the status quo. We take an optimistic approach by focusing on the positives and constantly asking What can go right?

We are an equal opportunity employer who knows that each employee is unique - that’s what makes our team so great!
Join us as we constantly explore new ways to protect our customers and the planet .

• Location(s): CH - Zürich
• Remote working: Hybrid
• Schedule: Full Time
• Recruiter name: Grace Cunningham