Job title: Manager, Physical Damage Claims

Job location: Remote (Ontario)

Reason for hiring: Current Vacancy

Salary Range: The expected base salary range for this position is $110,000 - $140,000.

Who we are:

The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group isn’t just another insurance company — we’re a property & casualty mutual insurer with deep roots in Ontario communities. We’re proud to lead the industry by offering a mutual experience grounded in history, opportunity, and exceptional service.

At The Commonwell, we believe in profitable growth, creativity, development, and having fun while doing meaningful work. We support work-life balance and take pride in delivering on our promises.

What sets us apart? Our commitment to authentic personal relationships. While technology helps make the process easier, it’s the human connection that truly makes the difference.

Our promise to you:

At The Commonwell, we’re all about Protecting Individuals, Together. Our vision is to create a workplace where everyone can thrive, be their authentic selves, and bring their whole self to work.

We are committed to inclusion in recruitment, hiring, career development, and advancement. We actively work to eliminate bias from our processes and welcome diversity of thought, background, and experience.

We promote open dialogue, offer unconscious bias and inclusivity training, and support employee resource groups to ensure that diverse perspectives are heard and valued.

The Opportunity:

Reporting to the Director, Claims, you are responsible for managing the APD (Auto Physical Damage) and Property Claims teams and achieving Commonwell’s corporate goals, strategy, business plans, and budget. You are accountable for the ownership of decisions within the APD and Property units and will ensure alignment to the corporate claims handling philosophy. You own achieving the vision, strategy, and direction of the APD and Property teams, and developing a highly effective team that is aligned to business priorities.

In your role you will demonstrate exceptional people leadership skills along with senior level claims knowledge and application of industry/claims best practices. At times, you will be responsible for handling complex property and auto claims and supporting other Claims Leaders and teams when catastrophic events occur.

Who you are:

You are someone who brings energy, curiosity, and care to your work. You thrive in a collaborative environment and are passionate about delivering exceptional service.

Some key qualities you bring:

- Ability to build and maintain active and trusted relationships with all functional units of the organization
- You will have a strong ability to effectively recognize and manage interpersonal communication needs
- You will have the ability to work as a cross-cultural team including flexibility in supporting multiple locations when necessary
- You will have excellent interpersonal skills in areas such as teamwork, facilitation, and negotiation
- You will have excellent people and managerial skills to support the development and mentorship of junior staff

How you will create an impact:

- Attends and participates in enterprise meetings relating to a variety of claims and non-claims issues
- Effectively coaches negotiation strategies with members, third parties, claimants, and lawyers on behalf of the APD and Property teams
- Lead the enhancement of sustainable employee engagement index scores through effective communication, recognition,



and authentic leadership
- Consistently demonstrates empathy and fairly assess loss entitlements and fair treatment of customers
- Provides guidance in investigation strategies
- Oversees resolution of disputes presented by dissatisfied claimants when necessary
- Performs quality assurance audits and provides reporting on team performance, identifying areas for maintenance and improvement, developing corrective measures where necessary
- Acts as Privacy Lead ensuring process and procedural compliance with PIPEDA and other regulatory requirements within team
- Key point of contact for external auditors
- Leads and/or participates in projects/new initiatives as that advance the claims value proposition
- Continuously monitors and coaches’ coverage decisions, and adequate reserving practices.
- Monitors APD and Property Adjuster Claim Count and Pending to ensure there is equitable distribution of work and appropriate measures are taken to maintain workload
- Familiar with enumerative statues and regulations and recognizes situations when they are to be applied
- Liaise with industry regulatory bodies such as the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FRSA) to communicate information, coordinate changes and resolve areas of concern
- Liaise with Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan (FarmRe) representatives
- Liaise with brokers and agents to communicate information and explain APD and Property claims procedures, and objectives
- Drives continuous improvement, standardization, and process efficiencies in ongoing leadership routines
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with all levels of leadership and employees, and use influence and negotiation skills to gain support, achieve consensus and foster engagement
- Actively participates in organizational leadership meetings relating to our key strategic enablers
- Monitors reinsurance recoveries to ensure recoveries are being paid in accordance with reinsurance contracts
- Participate in the review and possible revisions of policy wordings, including assistance with product enhancements.
- Ensure adherence to corporate governance
- Organize APD and Property team meetings to keep the team informed of recent decisions or changes taking place in the company and the industry
- Review a variety of system generated reports such as Outstanding Loss Register for each adjuster within the APD and Property teams, Gross Incurred Claims reports, etc. as necessary
- Assist with the development, implementation and communication of corporate goals and objectives to support the business plan
- Develop, in coordination with the Director, Claims, and implement the APD and Property department budget, monitoring expenses to forecasted amounts to control costs
- Monitoring adherence to policies and procedures for all aspects of APD and Property claims handling by claims personnel, as well as assessing the quality of claims servicing, through periodic file review, which include formal audits and other appropriate investigative techniques




- Monitor workflow within the APD and Property department and workload of team to ensure efficient and productive processes
- Completes performance reviews, recommends promotions and salary increases
- Attend Committee meetings as required to provide information and guidance
- Coordinate APD and Property department activities with other members of the Leadership team
- Overseeing, managing, and coaching an engaged and an effective APD and Property teams through talent development, compensation, performance management and succession planning
- Working with the Vendor Manager, provide feedback on vendor issues/programs and selection/de-selection of preferred vendors

What you will bring:

Qualifications include

- 7-10 years of related experience in a Claims position at the leadership level with direct reports
- Completion of post-secondary education in business, insurance management or a related field
- Completion of Certified Insurance Professional/Fellowship Certified Insurance Professional designation is an asset
- Proven superior organizational skills and ability to multitask is required
- Ability to manage complex situations while utilizing critical thinking skills
- Thorough attention to detail is a must to ensure accuracy of claims documents
- Effective communication skills: verbal, non-verbal and written
- Sound morals, ethics, and confidentiality with ability to develop trusting and effective working relationships with employees and outside contacts
- Exercise of confidentiality and empathy are required when deaing with insured and claimants
- Superior problem-solving skills and negotiation skills are required of this position
- Ability to lead, develop and motivate both the APD and Property team
- Ability to delegate and provide clear direction to APD and Property claims leadership, with the appropriate levels of follow-up
- Valuable analytical and interpretation skills
- Ability to conceptualize and develop new ideas and ways of doing things
- High level of critical and logical thinking, analysis, and/or reasoning to identify underlying principles, reasons, or facts
- Strong computer literacy, proficiency in all Microsoft Office programs and Internet navigation

Perks of being a Commonwell Crew Member:

- Remote-first workplace
- Flexible Work Policy
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Opportunities for training and career development
- Community involvement and volunteering opportunities
- Corporate Wellness Program

About the Salary Ranges:

Please note that the salary range mentioned in this job posting should serve simply as a guide. The final compensation offered may vary based on a variety of factors, including a candidate’s experience, skills, and location. Our company is committed to providing a fair, equitable, and competitive package that reflects the value an individual brings to the organization and that aligns to the market.

Our Hiring Approach

We believe in human-centred hiring. The Commonwell does not use artificial intelligence to screen or evaluate candidates — your application will be reviewed by a real person on our team.

We thank all applicants for their interest however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Accommodations:

The Commonwell is an equal prospect employer committed to ensuring barrier free employment practices. Should you require accommodations throughout the recruitment process, please let us know, and we will work with you to meet your needs.

JOIN THE #Commonwell Crew! We saved you a spot!

📌 Manager, Physical Damage Claims (Ontario)
🏢 The Commonwell Mutual Insurance Group
📍 Ontario