Senior Claims & Insurance Officer - Metrolinx

Role Overview

Metrolinx is dedicated to connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe, operating GO Transit, UP Express, and the PRESTO fare payment system. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, Metrolinx is also at the forefront of building new and improved rapid transit infrastructure, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and significant expansions to Toronto’s subway system. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core to Metrolinx's values of serving with passion, thinking forward, and playing as a team.

The Corporate Insurance Office is seeking a Senior Claims & Insurance Officer to play a vital role in protecting Metrolinx's interests. This position is central to the effective handling of Property & Casualty (P&C) claims stemming from both operational activities (Rail and GO Bus) and major construction projects. You will provide critical insurance advice, manage the Vendor Certificate of Insurance (VCOI) program, and deliver essential data analytics and reporting to senior management and various committees.

Your Impact

As a Senior Claims & Insurance Officer, your contributions will directly safeguard Metrolinx's assets and ensure compliance across its extensive operations and ambitious construction projects. Your responsibilities will include:

• Managing and facilitating the processing of first- and third-party claims on behalf of Metrolinx to determine liability.
• Seeking advice from external and internal counsel, and third-party adjusters to develop recommendations for claim handling, strategy, settlement authority, and related matters.
• Prioritizing high-value, complex, and sensitive claims by ensuring regular updates from external counsels and loss adjusters, and quarterly reporting of these claims to Senior Management.
• Representing Metrolinx in settlement negotiations, mediations, pre-trials, and other litigation proceedings, ensuring all claims are reviewed and updated monthly, and reserves are appropriate.
• Minimizing Metrolinx's contribution to claims by ensuring vendors/contractors protect Metrolinx's interest based on Defense & Indemnity provisions.
• Developing policies, processes, strategies, and tools related to the Claims & Insurance (C&I) function, and improving CRM Claims database capabilities for tracking, monitoring, and reporting.
• Maintaining an inventory of all IOCIP / OCIP litigation and non-litigation claims and monitoring their status through periodical meetings with CPG, PDT, and Community Relations teams.
• Providing insurance advice on various projects/contracts and non-construction agreements across Metrolinx, including reviewing contracts/agreements/leases and recommending insurance policy requirements, coverages, limits, sublimits, and deductibles.
• Managing Vendor Certificate of Insurance (VCOI) programs, working with procurement coordinators and insurance brokers to ensure vendor compliance.
• Providing informed data analytical and reporting support to management, developing Memos for SMT approvals, and analysing, evaluating, and reporting C&I activities to corporate finance, various committees, and the Board.
• Developing Third-Party Claims Handling Procedures for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) phases of construction projects and creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Leading the monitoring, updating, and presenting of a monthly claims monitoring control board.
• Contributing to the enhancement of ongoing operational safety and controls by analysing incidents by source and locations, and providing periodical reporting to business units for safety improvements.
• Identifying Continuous Improvement (CE) Processes by developing an A3 Template for claims handling improvements to enhance customer service and achieve significant savings on claims costs.
• Processing billings for insurance policies, endorsements, and broker fees, including reviewing and consolidating accounting discrepancies, and ensuring timely and accurate processing of vendor invoices.
• Participating in the development and delivery of internal training seminars.
• Assisting in the management/monitoring of vendors such as Metrolinx insurance brokers, external law firms, loss adjusters, and other vendors.
• Working on FOI requests, organising documentation, and obtaining Senior Manager and Director insurance consensus prior to providing documentation to the FOI team.
• Assisting Senior Manager and Director Insurance on developing Strategy Roadmaps for achieving operational efficiencies.

Qualifications

To excel in this Senior Claims & Insurance Officer role, you will bring a robust background in claims management and insurance expertise, coupled with strong analytical and communication skills. Metrolinx values practical experience and a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Completion of a diploma in Business Administration, or a related discipline – or a combination of education, training, and experience deemed equivalent.
• Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation is required; Canadian Risk Management (CRM) designation would be considered an asset.
• Demonstrated progressive experience handling property and casualty (P&C) claims; litigation claims management through examination of discoveries, mediation, and pre-trials; initiating the recovery of 1st party property losses from negligent third parties/vendors; and complaint handling processes.
• Demonstrated experience in handling rail operations, bus fleet operations, and construction insurance programs (OCIP – Owner Controlled Insurance Program); knowledge of various construction project models and insurance requirements related to those models.
• Knowledge of Builder’s Risk, Wrap-Up, Pollution Liability, and Professional Liability insurance policies is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of claims management systems, monitoring and reporting of KPIs, establishing reserves, incident management & reporting, as well as loss minimization through evidence preservation.
• Knowledge of creating Memos, establishing Purchase Orders (POs), and payment of vendor invoices through Oracle, iSupplier, and Accounts Payable (AP) systems.
• Knowledge of the public transportation sector and related legislative and regulatory structures.
• Data analytical and problem-solving skills to identify issues and potential control gaps in claims handling, develop trend analysis, and recommend solutions improving loss controls and enhancing efficiency in claims management.
• Prior experience of handling and monitoring Certificates of Insurance (COI) program.
• Interpersonal and communication skills to liaise effectively with all levels of staff, internal stakeholders, insurance professionals and brokers, adjusters, lawyers, and customers.
• Research and analysis skills to analyse previous claims to determine liability and to stay abreast of best practices and trends in the insurance field.
• Oral/written/presentation skills to develop a variety of correspondence and to develop and participate in internal training seminars.
• Proficiency with computer systems and software (e.g., MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Visio, MS Project etc.) to produce correspondence, spreadsheets, statistical reports, and to input to risk management information system.

Metrolinx encourages all interested individuals to apply, even if your past experience doesn’t align with every qualification. They are always looking for great talent and welcome applications from members of equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions, and sexual orientations.