General Adjuster presso Corpartners

Job Description

TITLE:                                    General Adjuster

DEPARTMENT:                  Specialty Marine & Transportation (SM&T)

REPORTS TO:                      VP, Specialty Marine & Transportation or Practice Leader

STATUS:                               Regular, full-time; exempt          

SUMMARY OF JOB PURPOSE 

The General Adjuster serves the unique needs of specialized Engle Martin clients, effectively determining the extent of loss or damage associated with commercial property and liability claims in a variety of business classes. The General Adjuster assists the insurer in fulfilling its obligation to policyholders and helps safeguard the insurer’s reputation and efficacy. The incumbent in this role frequently manages large, complex loss or damage assessments requiring an advanced level of expertise in cargo, heavy equipment, and the related market.

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Investigates highly specialized insurance claims including, but not limited to cargo, trucking, heavy equipment, specialty agricultural, or inland marine losses or damages resulting from such events as accidents, vandalism, inclement or catastrophic weather, earthquakes, or fire.
• Uses a broad and in-depth knowledge of specialized equipment and property, and knowledge of the specific industry or business affected, personally conducts property inspections and photographs claim sites as necessary to depict and substantiate losses or damage, or the lack thereof; manages the work of experts.
• Maintains a sufficient network of independent sub-contractor expertise for assignment to claims as necessary; prepares and presents a final work product to customers that meets Engle Martin standards for quality and timeliness.
• Through interviewing or other methods, obtains necessary information from the claimant and from subject matter experts such as mechanics, engineers, law enforcement officials, accountants, and others to assess the extent of the loss fully and accurately.
• Works cooperatively with expert witnesses, attorneys, public adjusters, and carrier’s examiners as needed to conduct investigations, confirm findings, and support evaluations.
• Applies an advance level of understanding of insurance policies and policy interpretation, establishing appropriate loss estimates based on all relevant information and findings.
• Demonstrates advanced understanding of a variety of coverage and loss types; applies knowledge of property claim law and jurisdictional issues as required; applies knowledge of losses involving quota share and layered programs, inclusive of reporting to broad, geographically dispersed market.
• Recommends the reasonable and proper amount the insurance company should pay on a claim.
• Ensures the accuracy of information collected and reported, and guards against fraudulent claims.
• Communicates via telephone, electronic, and face-to-face, as necessary to obtain relevant information and documents interactions, services, and findings clearly and promptly.
• Prepares accurate, clear, thorough, and concise reports and letters to insurance carriers, including reports on complex and/or highly detailed claims, providing conclusions and recommendations. Follows established policies, procedures, and processes in preparing information, exercising sound judgment in applying these to potentially unusual or complicated situations, and submits reports and documents in a timely manner and in accordance with insurer’s standards and expectations. Effectively uses software systems as necessary to help produce accurate estimates.
•     Maintains accurate and thorough field notes, journal entries, and time and expense records as required. Submits reimbursement reports in keeping with organization and client policies, procedures, and practices and with accepted industry standards. Applies knowledge of both time-and-expense and fee-for-service procedures, according to the stipulations of the agreement with the insurer.
•    Obtains guidance from the Vice President, Specialty Marine & Transportation or designated cargo or Team Leader in handling extraordinary claims; follows EM policy and practice, incorporates expert judgment in formulating recommendations and completing evaluations and reports.
• Functions as an effective member of the team, assisting co-workers as needed and learning from colleagues and supervisors; supports the goals of the department, division, and organization; participate in special assignments and activities as required or approved.
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with other members of the organization across departments, divisions, and locations.
• Maintains the confidentiality of proprietary and sensitive information, exercising sound judgment and discretion in any disclosure of information related to EM and its endeavors.
• Upholds the values of Engle Martin and Our Foundation.
• Adheres to all applicable State Insurance Regulation requirements and other applicable laws, regulations, and standards; assumes personal responsibility for maintaining the requisite state licensure for the state(s) assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or demonstrated equivalent experience
• At least six years of experience in related claims handling preferred, including extensive experience and successful track record in specialty equipment loss adjusting
• Active license or ability to obtain such in multiple jurisdictions

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Proficiency in a variety of office software, including Microsoft Office Suite (including but not limited to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Adobe)
• Skills in using word-processing, spreadsheet, and database software
• Thorough understanding of the claims adjudication processes as applied to specialty equipment
• Thorough knowledge of commercial cargo, trucking, inland marine, or other niche client industries
• Advanced knowledge of automotive, transportation, cargo, or heavy equipment industry
• Sophisticated knowledge of property claim law and jurisdictional issues
• Sound judgement and objectivity
• Negotiation, conflict resolution, and persuasion skills
• Skills in analyzing, interpreting, synthesizing, prioritizing, and reporting pertinent information, discerning the essential from the non-essential
• Skills in managing complicated losses and the ability to grasp complexity of unusual or complicated cases
• Sound written and oral communication skills
• Excellent time management and organization skills
• Basic mathematical and statistical skills
• Ability to interpret policies and other written technical information
• Trustworthiness, integrity, and personal accountability and adherence to standards of ethical behavior and professional conduct
• Commitment to confidentiality and ability to discretely handle sensitive information
• Keen service orientation and customer service skills
• Detail-oriented, and the ability to research, investigate and problem solve
• Commitment to professional and personal growth and development
• Team-oriented work style

WORKING CONDITIONS 

Frequently requires work to be performed at the site of the damage or loss, including locations where disasters or catastrophes have occurred; may require evening, overnight work and weekend travel; incumbent may be subject to outside weather and environmental conditions, including, but not limited to, extreme heat, cold, and precipitation; incumbent may be exposed to noise, vibrations, proximity to moving mechanical parts, electrical current, chemicals, fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, or poor ventilation.

The incumbent may be required to work in close quarters, crawl spaces, small enclosed rooms, narrow aisles, passageways, or other enclosed areas, requiring physical agility and resistance to claustrophobia.  The incumbent may be required to work in high areas such as roofs or scaffolding, requiring physical agility, balance, and resistance to acrophobia.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES AND REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the working conditions and associated physical activities and requirements above, the incumbent may be required to climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl, reach, stand, walk, push, pull, lift, finger, grasp, or feel, especially in the course of investigating and assessing property damage; these requirements may include the need to lift weights of up to 50 pounds, including a ladder.

Periodic driving is required with the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle in a work capacity; close visual acuity, with or without correction, to prepare reports containing words, symbols, and numerical figures; the incumbent is required to view a computer terminal, use a keyboard, read printed documents, make detailed visual inspections, perceive color, perceive depth, and have a sufficient field of vision to carry out all inspection and related duties. 

The incumbent must be able to speak clearly, and, on occasion, loudly. The incumbent must be able to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction and to receive and impart detailed information through oral communication, making fine discriminations in sound.