Total Loss Recovery Specialist

Position Summary:

The Total Loss Recovery Specialist is responsible for managing the end-to-end lifecycle of total loss recovery claims on behalf of the company. This role protects the company's financial interests by identifying recovery opportunities, establishing contractual and legal liability, and pursuing maximum recovery through skilled negotiation and professional engagement with customers, insurance carriers, and responsible third parties.

The Total Loss Recovery Specialist serves as the primary point of contact for customers navigating the total loss process, balancing the company's contractual right to full recovery with a commitment to professional, empathetic customer interactions. This role routinely engages with senior and executive leadership, requiring the ability to communicate complex recovery matters with clarity, conciseness, and strategic business context. The Total Loss Recovery Specialist must present information and recommendations in a manner that is both influential and solution-oriented — effectively advocating for the company's financial position while keeping the customer experience at the forefront.

Success in this role demands sound investigative judgment, confident and timely decision-making, and strong business acumen. The ability to translate data and claim outcomes into meaningful insights for leadership, while managing a high-volume portfolio with precision, efficiency, and integrity, is essential to driving results and earning organizational trust.

Major Responsibilities:

Liability Investigation & Claim Intake: 

Review claims to establish facts, determine liability, and identify the appropriate recovery path. Analyze and interpret contractual obligations, insurance coverage, and relevant documentation to determine the financial responsibility of all involved parties.

Documentation & Evidence Gathering: 

Research, obtain, and organize all supporting documentation necessary to substantiate the recovery demand. This includes damage assessments, appraisals, salvage valuations, photographic evidence, incident records, and billing documentation. Maintain complete, accurate, and well-organized claim files throughout the recovery lifecycle.

Demand Preparation & Negotiation: 

Prepare and issue formal recovery demands supported by thorough documentation. Evaluate and respond to opposing arguments from customers, insurers, and third parties with well-reasoned rebuttals. Negotiate settlements that maximize financial recovery while maintaining professional and constructive relationships. Complete all required transactional documentation to formalize settlements.

Stakeholder Communication & Status Management: 

Maintain proactive communication with internal and external stakeholders regarding claim status, valuation determinations, coverage gaps – including negligence regimes, and required actions. Ensure all relevant parties have timely visibility to facilitate appropriate next steps in the recovery and asset disposition process.

Financial Resolution & Reconciliation: 

Process incoming recoveries, ensure accurate financial application, and generate invoices for any outstanding customer obligations. Coordinate with internal financial partners to ensure proper account coding and reconciliation. Partner with senior and executive leadership to drive resolution of complex issues, provide strategic updates, and ensure alignment on financial and customer outcomes. Communicate final resolution to all stakeholders and formally close files.

File Documentation & Diary Management: 

Maintain thorough, timely, and professional documentation at every stage of the claim. Set and manage follow-up diaries to ensure no file is lost or delayed. Notes should reflect clear thinking, accurate facts, and sound decision-making rationale.

Other projects and tasks as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, Finance, Risk Management, or related field preferred. If no degree, equivalent work experience is required.
• Certified Subrogation Recovery Professional (CSRP), Associate in Claims (AIC), or associate in risk management (ARM) helpful but not required
• Minimum 3 - 5 years of experience managing total loss, or liability claims preferred. Experience negotiating with insurance carriers and commercial customers is strongly valued. 
• Internal Penske Liability Claims Examiner experience may suffice in lieu of external experience
• Knowledge of insurance claims principles, subrogation theory, and total loss recovery methodology
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply contract language including lease agreements, rental agreements, and related addenda
• Familiarity with commercial vehicle valuation methodologies and appraisal processes
• Understanding of corporate accounting structures and financial reconciliation processes
• Proficiency in standard business applications (Microsoft Office suite) and claims/risk management information systems
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage professionally at all levels, including senior and executive leadership
• Ability to convey complex recovery matters with clarity, conciseness, and strategic business context — adjusting communication style appropriately for audience
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills with a track record of achieving favorable outcomes
• Ability to maintain positive customer and business relationships while firmly enforcing contractual obligations
• Ability to make timely, fact-based decisions with limited supervision
• Ability to manage multiple open files simultaneously without loss of quality or attention to detail. 
• Regular, predictable, full attendance is an essential function of the job
• Willingness to travel as necessary, work the required schedule, work at the specific location required, complete Penske employment application, submit to a background investigation (to include past employment, education, and criminal history) and drug screening are required.

Physical Requirements:

• The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The associate will be required to: read; communicate verbally and/or in written form; remember and analyze certain information; and remember and understand certain instructions or guidelines.

• While performing the duties of this job, the associate may be required to stand, walk, and sit. The associate is frequently required to use hands to touch, handle, and feel, and to reach with hands and arms. The associate must be able to occasionally lift and/or move up to 25lbs/12kg.

• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Penske is an Equal Opportunity Employer