JOB ADVERTISEMENT

Position: Head of Claims & Legal

Report To: Chief Operations Officer

Department: Claims & Legal

Supervision: Assistant Claims Manager, Legal Manager, Assessing Manager

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Head Office- Nairobi

PURPOSE:

To lead and transform the Claims and Legal function as a key driver of profitability, customer experience, and risk control. The role is accountable for managing the end-to-end claims lifecycle (FNOL to recovery/liability settlement, improving loss ratio performance and reducing claims leakage, overseeing litigation strategy and legal cost management, embedding data-driven decision-making and strong governance frameworks

KEY PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. CLAIMS PERFORMANCE & PROFITABILITY

• Own and manage claims performance against loss ratio and cost targets
• Identify and address leakage drivers across the claims lifecycle
• Implement cost control initiatives across repairs, legal, and settlements
• Provide claims insights to support underwriting and pricing decisions

B. END-TO-END CLAIMS MANAGEMENT

• Ensure efficient management of the full claims lifecycle:
  • Notification (FNOL)
  • Assessment and validation
  • Settlement
  • Recoveries
  • Salvage management
• Improve turnaround times and claims outcomes
• Drive consistency in claims decision-making

C. LEGAL & LITIGATION MANAGEMENT

• Define and execute the company’s litigation and settlement strategy
• Manage and optimise external legal service providers
• Ensure effective handling of court matters and disputed claims
• Control and monitor legal costs and outcomes

D. RECOVERIES, SALVAGE & THIRD-PARTY MANAGEMENT

• Develop and implement strategies to maximise recoveries and salvage value
• Oversee relationships with third-party providers, including:
  • Assessors
  • Repairers
  • Legal service providers
• Introduce and monitor performance standards and commercial accountability

E. DATA, REPORTING & ANALYTICS

• Ensure accurate and timely claims reporting and reserving
• Develop and utilise claims data to:
  • Identify trends and risks
  • Detect fraud, and inefficiencies
  • Support management decision-making
• Provide regular performance updates to management and EXCO

F. GOVERNANCE, RISK & COMPLIANCE

• Ensure full compliance with:
  • Regulatory requirements
  • Internal policies and procedures, and recommend improvements
  • Audit and actuarial recommendations
• Maintain strong controls and oversight across claims processes
• Ensure proper reserving discipline and file integrity

G. PROCESS IMPROVEMENT & TRANSFORMATION

• Continuously review and improve claims and legal processes
• Support the digitisation and automation of claims operations
• Partner with IT and business units to implement technology-enabled solutions

H. STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Manage relationships with:
  • Internal stakeholders (underwriting, finance, operations)
  • External stakeholders (customers, brokers, lawyers, regulators)
• Serve as a key advisor on claims and legal risk matters

I. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT

• Lead, coach and develop the Claims and Legal team
• Drive a performance culture aligned to business outcomes
• Ensure appropriate skills, capacity and capability within the function

J. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS)

• Loss ratio performance (overall and by line of business)
• Claims turnaround time
• Legal cost as a percentage of claims cost
• Recoveries and salvage ratios
• Reduction in claims leakage and disputed claims
• Compliance and audit outcomes
• Customer experience indicators (where applicable)

K. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS

• Ability to improve claims profitability in a challenging operating environment
• Strong control orientation and governance discipline
• Effective collaboration with underwriting and other business units
• Proactive management of litigation and high-risk claims
• Clear ownership and accountability for outcomes

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in insurance, Law, Commerce, or related field

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• ACII / AIIK or equivalent professional qualification
• Membership of a relevant professional body

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in claims, with at least 4 years in a senior leadership role
• Proven experience in:
  • Managing complex claims and litigation
  • Driving claims performance and cost control
  • Leading teams and operational improvement initiatives

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

• Strong commercial and analytical capability
• Leadership and people management skills
• Decision-making and problem-solving ability
• Stakeholder management and communication skills
• High level of integrity and professional judgment
• Ability to drive change and process improvement

Strong preference will be given to candidates with the above qualifications, skills, and experience. If your career aspirations match this exciting opportunity, please apply at https://apollogrouprec.peopleshr.com/ on or before 14th August 2026. As part of the application process, you will be directed to our online portal to create an account and submit your application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

APA Apollo Group is an equal-opportunity Employer.

• Own and manage claims performance against loss ratio and cost targets
• Identify and address leakage drivers across the claims lifecycle
• Implement cost control initiatives across repairs, legal, and settlements
• Provide claims insights to support underwriting and pricing decisions
• Ensure efficient management of the full claims lifecycle: Notification (FNOL), Assessment and validation, Settlement, Recoveries, Salvage management
• Improve turnaround times and claims outcomes
• Drive consistency in claims decision-making
• Define and execute the company’s litigation and settlement strategy
• Manage and optimise external legal service providers
• Ensure effective handling of court matters and disputed claims
• Control and monitor legal costs and outcomes
• Develop and implement strategies to maximise recoveries and salvage value
• Oversee relationships with third-party providers, including Assessors, Repairers, Legal service providers
• Introduce and monitor performance standards and commercial accountability
• Ensure accurate and timely claims reporting and reserving
• Develop and utilise claims data to identify trends and risks, detect fraud, and inefficiencies, and support management decision-making
• Provide regular performance updates to management and EXCO
• Ensure full compliance with Regulatory requirements, Internal policies and procedures, and recommend improvements, Audit and actuarial recommendations
• Maintain strong controls and oversight across claims processes
• Ensure proper reserving discipline and file integrity
• Continuously review and improve claims and legal processes
• Support the digitisation and automation of claims operations
• Partner with IT and business units to implement technology-enabled solutions
• Manage relationships with Internal stakeholders (underwriting, finance, operations) and External stakeholders (customers, brokers, lawyers, regulators)
• Serve as a key advisor on claims and legal risk matters
• Lead, coach and develop the Claims and Legal team
• Drive a performance culture aligned to business outcomes
• Ensure appropriate skills, capacity and capability within the function

• Strong commercial and analytical capability
• Leadership and people management skills
• Decision-making and problem-solving ability
• Stakeholder management and communication skills
• High level of integrity and professional judgment
• Ability to drive change and process improvement

• Bachelor’s degree in insurance, Law, Commerce, or related field
• ACII / AIIK or equivalent professional qualification
• Membership of a relevant professional body
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in claims, with at least 4 years in a senior leadership role
• Proven experience in managing complex claims and litigation
• Proven experience in driving claims performance and cost control
• Proven experience in leading teams and operational improvement initiatives