Head of Claims Development & Operations

Practice Group / Department:

Legal Services Management - Newcastle

Job Description

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. We provide the world's preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service.

With over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide, our culture is the thread that connects us, as well as our values of unity, quality and integrity. Our strategy and culture are connected – defined by shared ambition, global collaboration and a one-team mindset. We believe pioneering work happens when people are empowered to think beyond boundaries, explore new opportunities and grow through diverse experiences. Alongside the right skills and experience, we look for people who are innovative, commercially minded, and motivated by the impact of the work they do – ready to share in our ambition and help shape what comes next.

Because while individuals can do well, together we achieve something extraordinary.

Our Disputes Practice

With 50 offices across the globe, we have one of the largest disputes legal practices in the world, with significant experience resolving domestic and cross-border mandates, international arbitrations and investigations and enforcement for clients across all the key industry sectors including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; transport; technology; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets.

We have a unique offering of our 'on the ground' strength, advising clients on disputes issues across emerging markets including Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, together with deep experience in the mature markets of the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada.

The Claims Team

Our Claims Team complements our wider disputes practice and sits in Newcastle, providing end-to-end claims and dispute management services. The team delivers scalable, technology-enabled solutions across complaints handling, pre-litigation disputes, ADR and litigation support, ranging from bespoke engagements to large-volume managed services.

The Role

The Head of Claims Development and Operations will be expected to grow and enhance our volume claims and disputes offerings. Working collaboratively with internal and external client teams, and exploring the market, they will seize on new business and product opportunities. Building on existing relationships and helping to forge new ones, those services and initiatives can be of all sizes and scope, from low volume transactions to high volume and fully outsourced managed services. They may range from pseudo-legal complaints or pre-litigation cases, to County Court or Alternative Dispute Resolution pathways. The Head of Claims Development and Operations will oversee the commercial success and client service delivery of our offerings, whilst providing support to teams around our global network.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement and oversee the operational strategies and service delivery for internal and external clients as well as the Claims Team’s own strategic roadmap.
• Accountable for the financial performance, profitability and growth of the Claims Team.
• Team leadership (including talent development, recruitment, performance) with support from the Claims Team Manager.
• Drive improvements to service and commercial performance of those matters and ensure services are delivered in accordance with regulatory, risk and quality requirements.
• Building relationships and working with senior stakeholders to engage in new business development opportunities, monitoring market trends and emerging opportunities.
• Leveraging use of technology and innovation, acting as product owner for claims solutions or products where required.
• Working closely with internal pricing and business development teams as required to produce accurate requirements and competitive value for service.
• Designing, producing and analysing client or internal case management data.
• Maintaining a presence, traveling to other NRF and client offices and acting as the subject matter lead for volume claims operations, supporting teams and clients across jurisdictions.

Key Skills and Experience

Essential

• Significant experience in claims operations, dispute management, or high-volume case management environments.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing operational and commercial strategies that drive growth, efficiency and client satisfaction.
• Experience identifying and securing new business opportunities and developing scalable service offerings.
• Strong commercial acumen, including responsibility for service delivery, profitability and performance improvement.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to build, manage and develop high-performing teams.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence clients, partners and senior leaders.
• Experience driving technology, automation and innovation initiatives to improve client outcomes and operational performance.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data to inform decision-making.
• Excellent organisational, project management and planning skills.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.

Desirable

• Experience within legal services, insurance, financial services or other regulated environments.
• Experience of managed services, outsourcing or large-scale operational delivery models.
• Knowledge of complaints handling, dispute resolution, ADR or litigation processes.
• Experience of digital transformation, workflow automation or AI-enabled solutions.

#LI-Hybrid

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential.
Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service. We offer a range of family friendly and inclusive employment policies and provide access to programmes and services aimed at nurturing our people’s health and overall wellbeing. Find more about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion here.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams. We strive to create an inclusive and accessible recruitment process for all candidates. If you require any tailored adjustments or accommodations, please let us know here.