Manager, Claims (Lower North Island & Southern)

Asteron Life Limited; Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career pathways and mobility

Learning platforms and professional发展

Medical plan and wellbeing programs

Life, income protection and trauma覆盖

Job summary

Asteron Life Limited is seeking an experienced Claims Manager to lead a high-performing Life Insurance Claims team. Based preferably in Wellington or Christchurch, you will coach 8–9 specialists, provide technical oversight, and shape claims strategy while balancing customer outcomes with risk and governance.

You will drive continuous improvement, leverage data insights, and manage complex life and income protection claims.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Life Insurance claims management experience.
• 2+ years of leadership experience in a claims, insurance or customer-focused environment.
• Experience assessing complex medical, financial and liability-based claims.
• Strong governance and delegated authority understanding.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of Claims Specialists to deliver high performance and exceptional outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership across life and income protection claims and ensure risk-based decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes, technology and service delivery.
• Build trusted advisor relationships with advisers, customers and internal stakeholders.
• Translate strategy into actionable team priorities and monitor performance metrics.

Skills

Claims management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance

Data analysis

Change leadership

Job description

About Asteron Life Asteron Life has been supporting New Zealanders for nearly 150 years. We are here to help customers build bright futures and protect what matters most. We offer a range of personal, business and employee insurance products that can help our customers through just about anything life throws at you. We work with our financial advisers, who provide expert insurance advice and match the right insurance needs to help our customers live life to the fullest, and our strategic partners who provide tools and information so customers can assess their needs and find the cover that’s best suited to them. We value diverse backgrounds and perspectives, foster an inclusive, collaborative and flexible working environment, that will support your professional growth and reward your contribution.

The Opportunity

We’re looking for an experienced and people-focused Claims Manager to lead a high-performing Life Insurance Claims team and play a key role in shaping the future of claims at Asteron Life. Based preferably in Wellington or Christchurch, this is an exciting leadership opportunity for a seasoned claims professional with strong expertise in life and income protection claims, including medical, financial and liability assessments. Leading a team of 8–9 passionate and highly engaged claims specialists, you’ll provide coaching, direction and technical oversight, while using your delegation authority to make sound, customer-focused decisions that balance fairness, risk and business outcomes. Reporting to the Executive Manager Claims & Customer Solutions, you’ll drive operational excellence, champion continuous improvement and help deliver market-leading claims experiences for customers and advisers. You’ll work across the business to influence strategy, improve performance, leverage technology and automation, manage escalated and complex claims matters, and ensure strong governance and risk management practices. This role is perfect for a resilient and emotionally intelligent leader who can inspire teams through change, build strong stakeholder relationships and translate strategic priorities into measurable results. We’re seeking someone with 5+ years of Life Insurance claims experience and at least 2 years in a leadership role, who combines deep technical expertise with a genuine passion for developing people. If you’re someone who thrives in a complex environment, enjoys solving problems, driving improvement and creating exceptional customer outcomes, this is an outstanding opportunity to make a significant impact within a business committed to excellence, innovation and customer care.

How will you make an impact?

Lead, coach and inspire a team of Claims Specialists, creating a high-performance culture that balances accountability, development and exceptional customer outcomes. Provide technical leadership and oversight across complex life and income protection claims, leveraging your expertise to support sound decision-making and claims governance. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, service delivery and claims outcomes through process optimisation, technology and automation. Build trusted relationships with advisers, customers and key business stakeholders, proactively identifying opportunities to improve the claims experience and service standards. Translate business strategy into actionable team priorities, ensuring operational performance, risk management and customer commitments are consistently achieved. Use data, insights and industry knowledge to identify trends, influence claims strategy and deliver innovative solutions that support both customer needs and business performance.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate the following:

• 5+ years’ experience in Life Insurance claims management, with strong technical expertise across life, disability and income protection claims.
• Proven experience assessing and overseeing complex medical, financial and liability-based claims, with the ability to provide expert guidance and make sound risk-based decisions.
• 2+ years’ leadership experience within a claims, insurance or customer-focused environment, with a demonstrated ability to lead, coach and develop high-performing teams.
• A strong understanding of claims governance, delegated authority frameworks and risk management principles, with the confidence to review and approve decisions above standard team limits.
• Experience managing stakeholder relationships across advisers, customers, reinsurers and internal business functions to deliver positive outcomes and resolve complex issues.
• Demonstrated success driving operational performance, process improvement and customer service excellence within a claims environment.
• The ability to analyse claims trends, performance metrics and business insights to identify opportunities for improvement and influence strategic decision-making.
• A resilient and adaptable leadership style, with experience leading teams through change and navigating challenging, fast-paced and high-volume operational environments.

Why Join Us?

At Asteron Life, we provide a flexible work environment and access to a range of employee benefits that will support you both personally and professionally including:

• Career pathways, including local and global mobility opportunities.
• Leading Learning Platforms and support in professional development.
• Medical Plan and Wellbeing Programs.
• Life, Income Protection and Trauma Cover.

Accessibility and Checks Before commencing employment in this role, you will need to provide two references, full working rights and complete police and credit checks through an online provider. As an equal opportunity employer strongly committed to working in a diverse and inclusive workforce you will be provided with any support or accessibility requirements throughout your interview process.

At Acenda Life, we exist to help our customers and their families live, save and retire with confidence. A member of the Nippon Life Group – the world’s largest mutual life insurer – we are one of the largest life insurers in Australia and New Zealand, supporting more than two million customers through life insurance, wealth protection and retirement solutions. With over 175 years of combined experience, we take a long-term view, building for customers over decades, so they can be confident at every stage. That same belief shapes how we work. We empower our people to grow boldly, aim high and make an impact, and we’re looking for talented people who are curious, driven and committed to making a difference. Join us and you’ll work alongside experienced professionals, take on meaningful challenges and explore diverse career and learning pathways. Your development matters here. Whether you want to deepen your experience or expand your expertise, you’ll find the resources, support and flexibility to build a rewarding career while helping millions of people achieve confidence that lasts a lifetime. Explore our current opportunities and discover where you can take your career at Acenda Life.