Old Mutual, a prominent financial services organisation deeply invested in the African continent, is seeking an experienced leader to spearhead its Non-Motor and Claims Operations. This pivotal role, based in Johannesburg, carries the responsibility for defining and executing the strategic vision that governs the entire Non-Motor Claims value chain, from initial contact to final resolution. The incumbent will be instrumental in ensuring operational excellence, fostering a customer-centric approach, and upholding the highest standards of technical integrity and regulatory compliance across a significant national operation.

About the Role

The Head: Non-Motor & Claims Operations is tasked with providing end-to-end accountability for customer claims processing, regional branch operations, and specialised claims functions. This leadership position demands a strategic mindset coupled with a keen operational focus, aiming to enhance claims quality, boost productivity, and strengthen overall service delivery. A key objective will be the reduction of claims leakage and the optimisation of available resources to ensure fair and consistent outcomes for all customers and intermediaries. The role requires a leader who can inspire a large, geographically dispersed team, drive innovation, and champion transformation within the claims environment.

The responsibilities for this multifaceted role are extensive, encompassing strategic planning, operational management, financial oversight, and people leadership. Key duties include:

• **Strategic Direction:** Developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy for Non-Motor and Claims Operations that aligns with broader Retail Claims objectives and the organisation's overarching business goals. This involves translating strategic priorities into actionable operational plans with clear performance metrics and accountability frameworks.
• **Operational Oversight:** Providing leadership and strategic direction to customer operations, regional claims branches, technical claims disciplines, and specialised claims units. This includes overseeing critical functions such as First Notification of Loss (FNOL), Contact Centre Operations, and Autoglass, ensuring consistent processes and service standards across all regions.
• **Performance Management:** Driving operational excellence, improving service performance, enhancing claims quality, and ensuring consistent, fair customer outcomes. This involves establishing and monitoring operational standards, service levels, productivity measures, and turnaround-time targets, as well as implementing root-cause analysis for underperformance.
• **Financial Stewardship and Risk Mitigation:** Developing and managing operational budgets, monitoring claims cost drivers, and implementing strategies to reduce claims leakage. Ensuring adherence to delegated authority frameworks, identifying and mitigating operational, financial, and reputational risks, and maintaining robust controls to minimise fraud, waste, and errors are also crucial aspects.
• **Transformation and Innovation:** Championing initiatives related to digitisation, automation, analytics, and process optimisation to modernise the claims operating model for improved scalability, productivity, and customer experience. Anticipating emerging claims trends and operational risks and developing proactive responses will be essential.
• **People Leadership:** Leading, inspiring, and developing a national team, fostering a high-performance culture characterised by accountability, collaboration, and customer focus. This includes driving workforce planning, succession planning, talent management, and coaching leaders to enhance their technical, operational, and people-management capabilities. Promoting employee engagement, inclusion, and wellbeing is paramount.
• **Stakeholder Engagement:** Building and maintaining strong relationships with internal stakeholders (such as Underwriting, Distribution, Finance, Risk, and Technology) and external partners (including brokers, intermediaries, suppliers, and assessing networks). Representing the Non-Motor and Claims Operations at various management and executive forums will be required.

What They're Looking For

Ideal candidates will possess a strong track record in leading large-scale operational functions, ideally within the insurance or financial services sector, with a specific focus on claims. A deep understanding of the Non-Motor claims environment is essential, coupled with proven strategic leadership capabilities. The successful applicant will demonstrate a commitment to operational excellence, customer centricity, and continuous improvement.

Key requirements and desirable attributes include:

• Significant experience in a senior leadership role overseeing complex operational environments.
• Proven ability to develop and execute strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated success in managing large teams, fostering high performance, and developing talent.
• Strong financial acumen and experience in budget management and cost control.
• Expertise in risk management, compliance, and governance frameworks.
• A deep understanding of claims processes, technical disciplines, and regulatory requirements within the South African context.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• A commitment to innovation, digitisation, and operational transformation.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance, or a related field would be advantageous.

This is a significant opportunity for a seasoned leader to make a substantial impact within a well-established financial institution, contributing to its ongoing growth and commitment to serving the African market.

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

·       Relevant Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Business Management, Insurance, Risk Management, Law or a related discipline.

·       Relevant insurance industry qualification.

·       Advanced leadership and management capability appropriate to a Q-level head role.

·       Postgraduate qualification, MBA or equivalent is advantageous.

·       Management or executive leadership development programme is advantageous.

·       Relevant FAIS regulatory qualifications and RE5 are advantageous, subject to the regulatory requirements applicable to the role.

Experience Required

·       A minimum of 10 to 15 years’ experience in the short-term insurance industry, with substantial exposure to claims.

·       Extensive experience in Non-Motor Claims and large-scale claims operations.

·       Demonstrated senior leadership experience within a complex, geographically dispersed operational environment.

·       Proven experience in customer operations, contact centre management, branch operations and service delivery.

·       Strong experience in assessing, moderation, claims governance, leakage management and operational risk.

·       Demonstrated success in operational transformation, process optimisation and change leadership.

·       Experience managing significant operating budgets, performance targets and senior stakeholder relationships.

·       Experience presenting to executive, governance and assurance forums.

Knowledge and Skill

·       Deep knowledge of Non-Motor Claims, claims operations and the short-term insurance value chain.

·       Knowledge of FNOL, contact centre operations, branch claims operations, field assessing, merit moderation and building moderation.

·       Knowledge of customer experience, complaints management and service-quality practices.

·       Knowledge of claims governance, delegated authority, leakage management, quality assurance and control frameworks.

·       Strong strategic leadership, business acumen and financial management skills.

·       Advanced operational management, workforce planning and capacity-management capability.

·       Excellent judgement, decision-making, problem-solving and analytical skills.

·       Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, negotiation and executive communication skills.

·       Demonstrated change leadership, innovation and continuous-improvement capability.

·       Ability to lead through complexity, manage competing priorities and deliver sustainable outcomes.

 

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Skills

Accounting, Action Planning, Claims Management, Current State Assessment, Data Compilation, Data Controls, Executing Plans, Financial Auditing, Insurance Claims Investigations, Policies & Procedures, Typology

Competencies

Builds Effective Teams

Business Insight

Collaborates

Communicates Effectively

Decision Quality

Financial Acumen

Instills Trust

Manages Complexity

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

11 October 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

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