Senior Claims Executive - Europe & Africa in London

• Shipowners Club
• Senior Claims Executive - Europe and Africa
• About the Club

The Shipowners’ Club is a mutual insurance association.

We offer Protection & Indemnity (P&I), Legal Costs Cover and associated insurances to smaller and specialist vessel owners, operators and charterers around the world.

Building on over 170 years of experience, the Shipowners’ Club provides tailor-made insurance packages for each operator according to their particular need.

The role

We are looking for a Senior Claims Executive to join our Claims team, reporting to the Head of Claims.

This is a role for an experienced P&I claims handler who can manage high profile, complex and high value claims with confidence, and who enjoys supporting Members and brokers when they need us most.

As a Senior Claims Executive, you will play a pivotal role in the Claims team, handling claims with a high degree of autonomy while helping to develop the skills and knowledge of Claims Executives and Assistant Claims Executives.

You will also work closely with Underwriters, the Loss Prevention department and the Legal Costs Cover team, so you will see how your work shapes decisions across the business.

Diversity and inclusion

We recognise the business benefits of having a diverse and inclusive community.

We all have something unique to bring to the table and by embracing those differences we seek to build and maintain an environment which attracts and values diversity and where everyone can develop their talents and be themselves.

For us, diversity and inclusion goes above and beyond focusing on protected characteristics.

We want all our colleagues to bring 100% of themselves to work.

With a happy and engaged workforce we all strive to work together to be the best that we can be for the mutual benefit of ourselves and our Members.

Overall responsibility of the role

To provide sensitive, responsive, imaginative and cost-effective claims handling and general support to Members and brokers with claims issues, and to assist the Head of Claims and Deputy Manager in implementing strategy actions for the Syndicate in accordance with business needs.

• Role responsibilities
• To confidently manage proper handling of high profile, complex and high value claim files, including file husbandry in accordance with the current Claims Procedure Manual, whilst maintaining accurate estimates on each file.
• To prepare reports including agenda notes, notifications to reinsurers and Club circulars.
• To report in writing notification of high potential, large claims (exceeding US$ 200,000) to SPL Directors, Department Managers and the relevant Underwriters.
• To report to, and assist, the Loss Prevention department, the Head of Claims and the relevant Underwriters where claims trends or problem vessels are detected.
• To assist in developing the skills and knowledge required for the effective performance of Claims Executives and Assistant Claims Executives, identifying training needs and making recommendations to the Head of Claims.
• To identify, design and lead regular training sessions and development activities on topics that are current and in line with business needs.
• To share knowledge, information and experience across the Claims team, including assisting with knowledge gathering and identifying improvements for My Claims.
• To assist the Head of Claims and Deputy Manager with compiling the Syndicate travel budget by working with Underwriters to identify key accounts that require claims travel.
• To work with Underwriters to attract, develop and retain business for the mutual benefit of the Club.
• To assist the Head of Claims and Deputy Manager with, or take the lead on, ad hoc Club projects.
• To handle Legal Costs Cover (LCC) claims allocated by the Head of Legal Costs Cover or Head of Claims, and to assist the Head of Legal Costs Cover with general legal queries and tasks relating to Legal Costs Cover, as may be required from time to time.

Experience required

Qualifications

• Preferably a law degree or equivalent and an LPC/BVC or equivalent.
• Completed, or actively working towards, the P&I Qualification.
• CPD that satisfies the minimum industry requirements.
• Knowledge
• Good understanding of the Club’s aims, objectives, structures and finances.
• Comprehensive understanding of all aspects of P&I cover, including the Club’s reinsurance structure and reporting requirements.
• Detailed understanding of the principles of estimating and their application to claims.
• Foundations of law
• The distinction between sources of law, whether statutory, common law, tortious or contractual.
• The distinctions and interfaces between civil law and criminal law.
• Statute law and regulation.
• The basis of the law of tort.
• General principles distinguishing between tortious and contractual damages.
• Shipping law
• The main charterparty wordings, for example NYPE, Asbatankvoy and Gencon, and the main towage contracts, for example SUPPLYTIME, TOWCON/TOWHIRE and UKSTC.
• The three essential features of a bill of lading and the different types of bills.
• The Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims and other national limitation regimes.
• IMO Conventions, including SOLAS 1974, MARPOL 1997 and STCW.
• The Marine Insurance Act 1906 and the Insurance Act 2015.
• The application and effect of the MLC, national compensation and social security schemes.
• The application of the Athens Convention and Passenger Liability Regulation.
• The COLREGS and the interface between hull and P&I cover in relation to collision liabilities.
• The CLC and Bunker Conventions
• The interplay between hull and P&I cover in salvage and wreck removal, the Nairobi Wreck Convention, the key wreck removal charterparties and the role of SCOPIC.
• General Average and the York-Antwerp Rules.
• The Hague and Hague-Visby Rules and other relevant legal regimes governing contracts of carriage.

Skills

• Competent in handling all P&I claims, including specialist operations and contractual claims, in line with handling authority and without supervision.
• Competent in writing coherent and comprehensive agenda notes on own claims and reports to reinsurers.
• Competent in leading meetings with Members and brokers, as well as internal meetings, conveying confidence and anticipating queries.
• Trusted to represent the Club, travelling solo to visit Members and brokers who have generated claims.

The ability to

• Where necessary, appropriately appoint correspondents, lawyers and experts.
• Identify and evaluate evidence.
• Analyse liability and quantum.
• Litigate, arbitrate, mediate or settle by negotiation.

Experience of handling Legal Costs Cover claims (such as through qualification as an English solicitor) would be beneficial, though is not a requirement.

• Behaviours
• Putting service first. Going the extra mile to ensure the service our Members receive is to the highest standard.
• We communicate effectively and honestly. Communicates openly, constructively, with integrity and with respect for others.
• We work together.

Builds strong working relationships, helps to create a strong team ethic and always leads by example.

Demonstrates a mentor mentality and helps develop others for the mutual benefit of the Club.

• We are accountable and take personal responsibility. Takes initiative, works accurately and pays attention to detail to ensure we deliver ‘right first time’.
• We are self-aware.

Always aims for higher levels of performance by recognising own development needs, seeking opportunities to improve and being open to change by embracing new ideas.

The salary for this role is flexible and dependent on experience.

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