The Director of Auto Physical Damage (APD) provides strategic and operational leadership for the Auto Physical Damage line of business across the Claims organization. This role is accountable for claim outcomes, technical excellence, customer experience, and financial results related to APD claims. The Director drives consistent execution of best practices, ensures regulatory and policy compliance, and partners closely with Claims, Underwriting, Finance, Legal, and Analytics to optimize performance and deliver high‑quality results.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Business Results
- Set and execute the overall strategy for Auto Physical Damage claims in alignment with enterprise claims and operational goals.
- Own APD claim performance, including severity, cycle time, leakage, litigation avoidance, and customer satisfaction metrics.
- Lead initiatives to improve operational efficiency, scalability, and consistency across APD claim handling.
Operational & Technical Oversight
- Provide strong technical oversight of Auto Physical Damage claim practices, guidelines, and standards.
- Ensure consistent, high‑quality decision‑making across estimating, total loss handling, subrogation, salvage, and vendor management.
- Partner with Quality Assurance and Training teams to identify trends and continuously enhance technical capability.
People & Talent Leadership
- Lead, coach, and develop leaders and teams responsible for APD claims handling.
- Ensure appropriate spans of control, clear role accountability, and succession planning within the APD organization.
- Foster a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Data, Analytics & Performance Management
- Use data and analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
- Hold leaders accountable for performance through scorecards, KPIs, and regular operational reviews.
- Drive fact‑based decision‑making and disciplined execution.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Underwriting, Actuarial, Finance, Legal, SIU, and Vendor Management to align strategies and improve outcomes.
- Support product changes, loss mitigation strategies, and process enhancements impacting APD claims.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure APD claim handling practices comply with regulatory requirements, company policies, and audit standards.
- Identify and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks.
Job Specifications:
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or professional designations (e.g., CPCU, AIC) preferred.
Experience:
- 10+ years of progressive claims experience in Property & Casualty insurance, with significant Auto Physical Damage expertise.
- Prior experience leading large, multi‑level claims organizations or complex claim operations.
- Deep technical knowledge of Auto Physical Damage claims, estimating practices, and vendor networks.
- Proven ability to lead change, improve performance, and drive outcomes in a metrics‑driven environment.
- Strong leadership, communication, and influence skills with the ability to partner at the executive level.
- Demonstrated strength in data analysis, financial acumen, and operational execution.
Working Conditions:
- General office environment.
- Occasional travel.
Pay Transparency Statement:
UFG Insurance is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary range for this position is $123,865 - $163,368 annually, which represents the typical range for new hires in this role. Individual pay within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, education, certifications, skills, internal equity, geography and market data.
In addition to base salary, UFG Insurance offers a comprehensive total rewards package that includes:
- Annual incentive compensation
- Medical, dental, vision & life insurance
- Accident, critical Illness & short-term disability insurance
- Retirement plans with employer contributions
- Generous time-off program
- Programs designed to support the employee well-being and financial security.
This pay range disclosure is provided in accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws.
Equal Opportunity EmployerThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 10+ years progressive claims experience in Property & Casualty with significant Auto Physical Damage expertise
- Prior experience leading large, multi-level claims organizations or complex claim operations
- Deep technical knowledge of Auto Physical Damage claims, estimating practices, and vendor networks
- Proven ability to lead change and improve performance in a metrics-driven environment
- Strong leadership, communication, and executive-level influence skills
- Demonstrated strength in data analysis, financial acumen, and operational execution
- Advanced degree or professional designations (e.g., CPCU, AIC)
What We Do
Founded in 1946 as United Fire & Casualty Company, UFG Insurance (Nasdaq: UFCS) is engaged in the business of writing property and casualty insurance through its insurance company subsidiaries. Headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, UFG is licensed as a property and casualty insurer in 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, and is represented by approximately 1,000 independent agencies. A.M. Best Company assigns a financial strength rating of “A-” (Excellent) for the members of United Fire & Casualty Group, with a stable outlook, reflecting long-term balance sheet strength.
.png)
