Strategic Claims Counsel - External Counsel Lead

Wawanesa; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Wawanesa in Toronto, ON, is seeking Strategic Claims Counsel to establish and lead the enterprise framework for external counsel governance, performance management and legal spend oversight. You will drive panel counsel strategy, manage vendor onboarding, define KPIs, and ensure alignment between legal services, claims strategies and business priorities.

This role collaborates with Claims, Finance and Procurement to optimize costs, improve outcomes, and deliver data-driven insights for

Qualifications

• 7+ years of litigation experience, preferably in insurance defence and complex claims.
• Expertise in external counsel management and vendor governance.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder influence across levels.
• Ability to use data-driven insights to drive decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead external counsel governance program with KPIs and reporting.
• Develop claims-wide panel counsel strategy with firm selection and geographic alignment.
• Support vendor selection, onboarding, and RFP evaluations.
• Maintain governance frameworks, engagement guidelines, and service standards.
• Oversee billing guidelines, cost tracking, and spend management.
• Translate data into actionable vendor strategy improvements.
• Collaborate with Claims, Finance, Procurement, and Vendor Management.
• Lead performance reviews of law firms using quantitative and qualitative data.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical thinking

Financial acumen

Education

Law degree

Job description

Wawanesa in Toronto, ON, is seeking Strategic Claims Counsel to establish and lead the enterprise framework for external counsel governance, performance management and legal spend oversight. You will drive panel counsel strategy, manage vendor onboarding, define KPIs, and ensure alignment between legal services, claims strategies and business priorities.

This role collaborates with Claims, Finance and Procurement to optimize costs, improve outcomes, and deliver data-driven insights for