Claims managers make sure that their team of claims handlers deal efficiently with insurance claims. They can work for insurance companies or insurance brokers.

The work of an insurance claims manager includes:

• managing and coaching a team of claims staff
• working with brokers, agents and loss adjusters
• making sure that claims are dealt with according to Financial Services Authority (FSA) rules
• dealing with customer complaints and appeals
• working on complex or fraudulent cases that need more experience or specialist knowledge
• maintaining quality and customer service
• keeping accurate records
• taking responsibility for the department’s productivity and profit.

Claims managers tend to specialise in one type of insurance, such as motor, household or life insurance.

Hours and Environment

As an insurance claims manager you will usually work 35 to 40 hours a week, in an insurance office or contact centre. Normal hours in insurance offices are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. In contact centres, shift work is common and may include evenings and weekends.

You will be office-based but may travel to visit brokers, solicitors, and clients.

Skills and Interests

To be a claims manager you will need:

• good spoken and written communication skills
• the ability to lead and motivate a team
• excellent customer service skills
• organisational skills
• accuracy and attention to detail
• a calm and assertivetact and assertiveness when dealing with complaints
• the ability to analyse information
• good administrative and computer skills.

Entry

You will usually start as a claims administrator or handler, and progress to claims negotiator and claims manager as you gain experience.

Entry requirements can vary between employers when you join the insurance industry. Companies often prefer you to have some GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3) including English and maths. Some employers may ask for A levels/Highers or similar qualifications to get onto management training schemes.

If you have a degree, you may be able to join a large insurance firm’s graduate training scheme. Most degree subjects are accepted, but you may have an advantage with a good degree (class 2:2 or above) in a business or maths-related subject.

You could also go into claims management if you have experience in other areas of the insurance industry and can show a good understanding of claims. It will help if you have insurance industry qualifications such as:

• Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) Certificate and Diploma in Insurance
• Institute of Financial Services (IFS) Certificate in Regulated General Insurance (CeRGI).

You may be able to get into the insurance industry through an apprenticeship scheme. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Training

As a trainee claims manager, you will usually learn on the job from experienced claims staff. Larger insurance companies often provide structured training programmes covering technical insurance knowledge and management skills.

You may improve your career prospects by taking professional insurance industry qualifications from the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) or the Institute of Financial Services (IFS).

The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) provides a clear career structure from trainee to professional level, known as Pathways, with qualifications as follows:

• CII Certificate in Insurance
• CII Diploma in Insurance
• CII Advanced Diploma in Insurance, leading to Associate membership of the CII (ACII status).

Many employers expect you to have or be working towards full ACII status.

If you deal with specialist claims such as aviation or marine insurance in the London Market, you can also take the CII’s Lloyd’s and London Market Introductory Test (LLMIT).

See the CII’s website for more information about their qualifications (contact details in Further Information below).

The Institute of Financial Services (IFS) offers:

• IFS Certificate in Regulated General Insurance (CeRGI)
• IFS Advanced Diploma in Risk and Insurance Management (Applied DFSM – Risk and Insurance).

You should continue to develop your knowledge and skills throughout your career. Both CII and IFS offer a range of training opportunities and higher levels of membership. See websites for full details.

You may also find it useful to gain NVQ/SVQ Levels 3, 4 and 5 in Management.

Opportunities

The UK’s insurance industry employs over 330,000 people. As a claims manager, you could work for insurance companies or brokers of all sizes. Jobs are available all over the UK.

Prospects for qualified and experienced claims staff are good, because of a rise in the number of insurance claims being made.

Jobs may be advertised in the local press, in specialist industry magazines like Post Magazine, Insurance Age and Insurance Times, and by financial services recruitment websites and agencies.

With experience, you could progress into senior management. You could also move into other areas of insurance like loss adjusting, broking, sales or compliance.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Trainee managers may start on £17,000 to £20,000 a year.
Experienced claims managers can earn £22,000 to £40,000 a year.
Managers of large departments may earn over £40,000 a year.

There may be extra bonuses based on personal or company performance. A salary package may also include a company car allowance, insurance and pension benefits.

Further information

25 The North Colonnade
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5HS
Tel: 020 7066 1000 20 Aldermanbury
London
EC2V 7HY
Tel: 020 8989 8464 Peninsular House
36 Monument Street
London
EC3R 8LJ
Tel: 020 7337 9960 IFS House
4-9 Burgate Lane
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2XJ
Tel: 01227 818609 51 Gresham Street
London
EC2V 7HQ
Tel: 0845 257 3772