Head of Claims Operations

Partners Life; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary sacrifice/bonus scheme

Life insurance and income protection

Flexible hybrid working

Birthday leave

Parental leave benefits

Job summary

Partners Life is seeking an experienced Head of Claims Operations to lead our Claims Leadership Team. This pivotal role drives administrative and operational support, enabling claims teams to deliver outstanding customer outcomes across the end‑to‑end journey.

Reporting to the GM Claims, you will shape the operating framework and capacity planning while guiding multi‑year transformation through AI and digital enablement.

Qualifications

• Seasoned leader of complex operational teams within financial services or insurance.
• Strong understanding of claims governance, risk and regulatory requirements.
• Experience using data to inform decisions and drive improvements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational delivery, workflow and administration of claims across teams.
• Balance service, quality, capacity, productivity and customer outcomes.
• Collaborate across Claims, Operations and wider business to remove friction and improve outcomes.
• Use data and performance trends to identify continuous improvement opportunities.
• Drive transformation, automation and digital enablement in claims processes.
• Ensure governance and regulatory compliance across claims operations.
• Develop and coach a high‑performing team with clear leadership.

Skills

Operational leadership

Claims governance

Regulatory compliance

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Job description

• Make a meaningful difference for customers during some of life's most important moments
• Lead a high performing claims administration and operations function through a period of growth and transformation
• Lead AI, automation, process and operational transformation while delivering exceptional customer and distributor experience

• Make a meaningful difference for customers during some of life's most important moments
• Lead a high performing claims administration and operations function through a period of growth and transformation
• Lead AI, automation, process and operational transformation while delivering exceptional customer and distributor experience

Partners Life is one of New Zealand’s largest life and health insurance companies. As part of the Daiichi Life Group, a leading global insurance provider, we are writing our next chapter of growth and opportunity.

We know the industry needs bold thinkers and passionate people to help reshape the future of insurance, and that is exactly who we are looking for. We are committed to doing things differently, lifting industry standards, challenging the status quo, and delivering real value through innovation and personalised advice.

If you are looking to join a company that’s redefining the insurance landscape and backed by the strength of a global group, Partners Life is the place to grow your career and make a real impact.

About The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Head of Claims Operations to join our Claims Leadership Team. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for leading the administrative and operational support function, that enables our Claims teams to deliver exceptional customer outcomes across the end to end claims journey.

Reporting to the General Manager Claims, you will lead the operational performance, service delivery, workflow management and administration capability across Claims. You will be responsible for strengthening the Claims operating framework with customer centred service pathways that support flow, scalability and consistency. This will include operational design, triage, work allocation, service delivery and capacity planning, while driving process and system transformation across the claims environment.

The role will play a key part in shaping the future of claims at Partners Life. You will help lead a multi year transformation journey focused on improving efficiency, scalability and customer experience through AI, automation and digital enablement, while ensuring the right balance with human judgement and empathetic customer interaction.

As our Head of Claims Operations, you will:

• Lead the operational delivery, workflow effectiveness and administration of claims across our Claims teams
• Drive operational performance by balancing service, quality, capacity, productivity and customer outcomes
• Partner with teams across Claims, Operations and the wider business to remove friction points and improve outcomes for customers and advisers
• Use data, insights and performance trends to identify and deliver continuous improvement opportunities
• Lead transformation, automation and digital enablement initiatives across the claims function
• Ensure strong governance, risk management and regulatory compliance across claims operations
• Build and develop a high-performing team through coaching, capability development and clear leadership
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, customer focus and continuous improvement

About you

You are a strong operational leader with a proven ability to lead complex teams, create structure in busy environments and deliver meaningful improvement. You know how to balance day to day operational performance with longer term transformation, and you bring the leadership maturity to guide teams through change with clarity and confidence.

You may bring experience from insurance, financial services or another highly regulated, operationally complex environment. Claims or insurance experience would be valuable, but your strength as a people leader, operational thinker and transformation driver will be critical. You are comfortable working with data, technology and cross functional teams to redesign processes, improve workflow and deliver better outcomes.

You are excited by the opportunity to help shape a modern claims function where technology and AI enable better decisions, better service and better experiences for customers, distributors and our people.

Attributes that will help you thrive in this role:

• Extensive experience leading complex operational teams and functions within financial services or insurance
• Strong understanding of claims governance, risk management, regulatory and conduct requirements
• Experience driving operational improvement, transformation, automation or digital initiatives
• Strong analytical and commercial thinking, with the ability to use data to inform decision making
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop high performing teams and people leaders
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to build credibility at all levels
• A customer focused mindset, coupled with resilience, pragmatism and a passion for continuous improvement

What we offer

At Partners Life, we believe our people are our greatest asset and are proud to invest in their growth, wellbeing and success. As part of our team, you will have access to a range of benefits, with eligibility varying by benefit and employment type:

• Support to make a meaningful leadership impact in a growing, evolving business
• Genuine career development and progression opportunities
• Participation in our discretionary bonus scheme after 12 months of service
• Life insurance and income protection covers at our cost, plus discounted medical insurance
• Birthday leave (where eligible)
• Long service leave
• Parental leave salary top-up, reduced hours options and secondary parental leave
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements (where eligible)
• A modern office with stunning views in the heart of Takapuna

To be eligible to apply for this role, you must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

We are not engaging recruitment agencies for this role.