Claims Specialist, Environmental Claims

axiscapital; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 87,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

AXIS Capital in Chicago is seeking a Claim Specialist, Environmental Claims to manage primary and excess environmental claims across AXIS-issued policies, including pollution, contamination, toxic tort, and remediation.

You will collaborate with internal claims leadership, counsel, underwriting, brokers, reinsurers, insureds, and vendors to investigate, evaluate, and resolve claims in a disciplined, timely, and technically sound manner.

Qualifications

• Experience handling environmental, pollution, toxic tort, construction defect, casualty, or other complex liability claims.
• Strong understanding of coverage, liability, damages, reserving, litigation management, and settlement evaluation.
• Ability to assess complex facts and policy language and develop practical claim strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise claim summaries, reserve rationales, and recommendations.
• Ability to work effectively with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, vendors, brokers, insureds, reinsurers, underwriters, actuaries, and claims leadership.
• Sound judgment in evaluating litigation

Responsibilities

• Assess environmental claims to determine coverage, liability, damages, settlement value, and appropriate claim strategy.
• Manage a pending inventory of primary and excess environmental claims, including pollution, contamination, toxic exposure, remediation, and related bodily injury or property damage matters.
• Investigate facts, evaluate policy terms, and coordinate with coverage counsel where appropriate.
• Establish and maintain appropriate reserves based on liability, damages, coverage, litigation posture, and settlement potential.
• Collaborate with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, environmental consultants, vendors, and insureds to drive claim resolution.
• Develop litigation and resolution strategies for complex, high-exposure, or contentious claims.
• Manage legal, expert, and vendor costs in coordination with Litigation Management and Vendor Management teams.
• Communicate effectively with senior claims leadership, brokers, reinsurers, actuaries, underwriters, insureds, auditors, and external business partners.
• Prepare clear claim notes, coverage assessments, reserve rationales, settlement recommendations, and large loss reports as needed.
• Identify trends, emerging exposures, coverage issues, and portfolio risks impacting Environmental Claims.
• Support claim process improvements, best practices, and consistent claim handling standards.
• Participate in industry events, professional associations, and continuing education to stay current on environmental claims trends.
• Serve as a resource to colleagues on environmental claim handling, coverage issues, litigation management, and resolution strategy.

Job description

This is your opportunity to join AXIS Capital - a trusted global provider of specialty lines insurance and reinsurance. We stand apart for our outstanding client service, intelligent risk taking and superior risk adjusted returns for our shareholders. We also proudly maintain an entrepreneurial, disciplined and ethical corporate culture. As a member of AXIS, you join a team that is among the best in the industry.

At AXIS, we believe that we are only as strong as our people. We strive to create an inclusive and welcoming culture where employees of all backgrounds and from all walks of life feel comfortable and empowered to be themselves. This means that we bring our whole selves to work.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any basis prohibited by the laws that govern its operations.

About the Team

AXIS is hiring a Claim Specialist, Environmental Claims for its North America Claims Team. This role involves managing primary and excess environmental claims, including matters involving pollution, contamination, toxic tort, remediation, bodily injury, property damage, and related coverage issues. The role will support the handling of complex environmental claims across AXIS-issued policies and will work closely with internal claims leadership, coverage counsel, defense counsel, underwriting, actuarial, brokers, reinsurers, insureds, and vendors. How does this role contribute to our collective success? The Claim Specialist will contribute to AXIS's success by investigating, evaluating, and resolving environmental claims in a disciplined, timely, and technically sound manner. The individual will assess coverage, liability, damages, litigation strategy, reserve adequacy, and settlement value while helping drive strong claim outcomes and consistent execution across the Environmental Claims portfolio. This role requires strong judgment, technical claims capability, collaboration with business partners, and the ability to manage complex matters involving long-tail exposure, environmental remediation, regulatory considerations, and contested coverage or liability issues.

What Will You Do In This Role

• Assess environmental claims to determine coverage, liability, damages, settlement value, and appropriate claim strategy.
• Manage a pending inventory of primary and excess environmental claims, including pollution, contamination, toxic exposure, remediation, and related bodily injury or property damage matters.
• Investigate facts, evaluate policy terms, and coordinate with coverage counsel where appropriate.
• Establish and maintain appropriate reserves based on liability, damages, coverage, litigation posture, and settlement potential.
• Collaborate with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, environmental consultants, vendors, and insureds to drive claim resolution.
• Develop litigation and resolution strategies for complex, high-exposure, or contentious claims.
• Manage legal, expert, and vendor costs in coordination with Litigation Management and Vendor Management teams.
• Communicate effectively with senior claims leadership, brokers, reinsurers, actuaries, underwriters, insureds, auditors, and external business partners.
• Prepare clear claim notes, coverage assessments, reserve rationales, settlement recommendations, and large loss reports as needed.
• Identify trends, emerging exposures, coverage issues, and portfolio risks impacting Environmental Claims.
• Support claim process improvements, best practices, and consistent claim handling standards.
• Participate in industry events, professional associations, and continuing education to stay current on environmental claims trends.
• Serve as a resource to colleagues on environmental claim handling, coverage issues, litigation management, and resolution strategy.

Base salary 87-110K

About You

We encourage you to bring your own experience and expertise to the table. While there are qualifications and experiences we are looking for, we are open to discussing how your individual knowledge may support this role and help us achieve our goals.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience handling environmental, pollution, toxic tort, construction defect, casualty, or other complex liability claims.
• Strong understanding of coverage, liability, damages, reserving, litigation management, and settlement evaluation.
• Ability to assess complex facts and policy language and develop practical claim strategies.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare concise claim summaries, reserve rationales, and recommendations.
• Ability to work effectively with defense counsel, coverage counsel, experts, vendors, brokers, insureds, reinsurers, underwriters, actuaries, and claims leadership.
• Sound judgment in evaluating litigation