Chief Litigation Officer

ACC - Association of Corporate Counsel; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Tuition support

Matched retirement plans

Job summary

Mercy is seeking a visionary leader to serve as Vice President, Chief Litigation Officer, providing executive leadership for litigation, claims management, and insurance risk financing. The role oversees significant claims, complex litigation, self-funded liability programs, and strategic risk initiatives to protect the health system and mission.

You will advise senior leadership and the board on material exposures, litigation strategy, and insurance matters, while guiding practical risk

Qualifications

• JD required.
• Bar membership in Missouri (or other Mercy operating states).
• 10+ years in professional liability litigation, complex claims management, or healthcare litigation leadership.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for litigation, claims management, and insurance risk financing.
• Oversee significant claims, complex litigation, self-funded liability programs, and related strategic risk initiatives.
• Advise senior leadership and the board on material exposures, litigation strategy, and insurance matters.
• Guide risk management and governance to support Mercy's mission and patient-centered care.

Skills

Litigation leadership

Risk management

Claims governance

Insurance strategy

Regulatory investigations

Governance advisory

Patient safety collaboration

Education

JD

Job description

Find your calling at Mercy!

The Vice President, Chief Litigation Officer provides executive leadership for the health system’s litigation, claims management, and insurance risk financing functions, including oversight of significant claims, complex litigation, self-funded liability programs, and related strategic risk financing initiatives. The role advises senior leadership and the board on material exposures, litigation strategy, and insurance matters, while providing practical, strategic guidance that supports the mission and objectives of a nonprofit, patient-centered health system.

Position Details

This role will focus on supporting Mercy’s litigation and risk management functions. Skills desired include the following:

• Litigation Risk and Liability Management: Deep expertise identifying, assessing, and mitigating claims, litigation and liability exposures across clinical, operational, regulatory, and strategic domains.
• Malpractice and Complex Claims Oversight: Significant experience overseeing medical malpractice risk, catastrophic and high-severity claims, systemic loss trends, class actions, and other material exposure matters, including reserving strategy and claims valuation.
• Government Investigations and Complex Litigation: Experience managing high-risk litigation and investigations, including False Claims Act/qui tam matters, regulatory enforcement, and significant commercial disputes.
• Risk Financing and Insurance Strategy: Expertise managing self-funded liability programs, insurance funding and reserving strategies, excess and commercial insurance coverage, and enterprise insurance program design, including evaluation of alternative risk financing structures such as captive insurance arrangements.
• Claims Governance and Litigation Management: Ability to oversee claims governance, reserve and settlement strategy, outside counsel management, litigation portfolio performance, and related processes to align claims outcomes with organizational objectives.
• Patient Safety and Loss Prevention: Experience partnering with patient safety and quality functions to support loss prevention strategies and reduce preventable harm.
• Regulatory and Governance Leadership: Ability to advise executive leadership and boards on risk governance, emerging exposures, insurance oversight, and enterprise risk strategy.

Qualifications

• JD required
• Bar membership in Missouri (or other state(s) where Mercy operates)
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in professional liability litigation, complex claims management, insurance coverage, risk financing, or related healthcare litigation leadership roles.

Why Mercy?

From day one, Mercy offers outstanding benefits – including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, tuition support, and matched retirement plans for team members working 32+ hours per pay period.

Join a caring, collaborative team where your voice matters. At Mercy, you’ll help shape the future of healthcare through innovation, technology, and compassion. As we grow, you’ll grow with us.