Principal Claims Adjuster, SIU

PEMCO; Washington; On-site; USD 106,000 - 147,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Education Assistance Program

Scholarship program for PEMCO employee

Flexible Spending Accounts

Employee Assistance Program

Charitable gift matching

Discretionary bonuses

Tiered commissions and incentives

Vacation and eight paid holidays

Floating holidays and sick leave

Job summary

PEMCO, a mutual insurer headquartered near Seattle, seeks a Principal Claims Adjuster, SIU to lead fraud investigations for referred claims. The role requires travel to support investigations, training, CAT readiness, and collaboration with claims and enforcement partners.

Ideal candidates bring a decade of insurance investigations experience, strong analytical and communication skills, and a track record in personal auto and homeowners claims, with leadership in SIU or related fields.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in insurance claims, investigations, SIU operations, fraud detection, law enforcement, or related field.
• Experience handling multiple lines of insurance claims, including auto and homeowners/property, is strongly preferred.
• Certifications such as AIC/CPCU/CFE preferred.
• Strong interviewing, analytical, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Represent the company at industry association meetings with SIU professionals, insurance partners, and law enforcement.
• Serve as SME on fraud detection, investigation strategies, and SIU best practices; train and coach staff and partners.
• Provide fraud awareness training and investigative guidance to internal stakeholders.
• Partner with claims personnel to identify fraud indicators, generate referrals, and share trends.

Skills

Investigative expertise

Analytical thinking

Claims expertise

Communication

Collaboration

Confidentiality

MS Office

Driver's license

Compliance

Leadership

Education

B.A. or B.S. degree or equivalent

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Job Description

plicants must be a resident and work from one of the following states: WA, OR, or ID, with occasional travel to our headquarters, located in Seattle, WA.

Who We Are

At PEMCO, we’re all about people – our customers, our employees, and the community. We’re a mutual insurance company owned by our Northwest policyholders. We provide auto, home, renters, and boat coverage.

Job Description

Ap licants must be a resident and work from one of the following states: WA, OR, or ID, with occasional travel to our headquarters, located in Seattle, WA.

Who We Are

At PEMCO, we’re all about people – our customers, our employees, and the community. We’re a mutual insurance company owned by our Northwest policyholders. We provide auto, home, renters, and boat coverage. Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Insurance Companies in both Auto and Home for 2026, based on customer survey feedback, and by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces 2025. We are consistently recognized for our outstanding customer service, employee expertise, community partnerships, and social impact programs. All of which makes PEMCO a great place to work! Our social impact programs motivate high achievement by youth in education; build stronger and greener communities; and increase safety at home, on the road, and at play. We’re committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and to fostering an inspiring and inclusive workplace. These efforts create and cultivate an environment that builds fairness and understanding, encourages collaboration and flexibility, and celebrates all the ways in which we’re different and the same – enabling all individuals to achieve their full potential.

Why We Need You

PEMCO has an opportunity for a Principal Claims Adjuster, SIU to join our community. This position is responsible for the investigation of claims that are referred to the Special Investigations Unit.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Represent the company and actively participate in industry association meetings with SIU professionals, insurance industry partners, and law enforcement agencies.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on fraud detection, investigation strategies, and SIU best practices; provide training, coaching, and consultation to claims personnel and business partners.
• Provide fraud awareness training and investigative guidance to internal stakeholders; serve as a resource to claims personnel and company leadership.
• Proactively partner with claims personnel to identify potential fraud indicators, generate quality SIU referrals, and share emerging fraud trends and investigative insights.
• Travel as needed to support investigations, industry engagement, training initiatives, catastrophe response, and other business needs.
• Occasional CAT duty as needed.
• Review and evaluate incoming referrals to determine investigative needs, assignment priorities, and appropriate SIU involvement.
• Ensure claim referrals are proactively handled in accordance with all applicable statutes, regulations, policies, procedures, and compliance requirements; prepare annual fraud reports for regulatory agencies.
• Direct SIU investigations, including conducting examinations under oath (EUOs) when appropriate.
• Develop and execute investigative strategies for referred claims; conduct in-depth interviews of policyholders, claimants, witnesses, and other involved parties.
• Conduct thorough investigations in adherence with SIU policies, procedures, regulatory requirements, and industry best practices; gather and analyze evidence, develop investigative findings, provide recommendations, and engage internal or external experts as appropriate.
• Demonstrate behaviors consistent with PEMCO's values, Code of Ethics, and commitment to exceptional customer and employee experiences.
• Other duties as assigned.

What You’ll Bring

• B.A. or B.S. degree or equivalent work experience (business or related field)
• 10 years of progressively responsible experience in insurance claims, investigations, SIU operations, fraud detection, law enforcement, or a related investigative field required.
• Experience handling multiple lines of insurance claims, including both personal auto and homeowners/property claims, is strongly preferred.
• Associate in Claims (AIC) designation from AICPCU/IIA, Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU),

Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or other insurance, investigative, fraud, or law enforcement-related certifications preferred.

• Investigative Expertise: Demonstrated ability to conduct complex investigations, evaluate evidence, identify fraud indicators, analyze information from multiple sources, and develop defensible conclusions and recommendations.
• Analytical Thinking: Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to assess complex and often ambiguous situations, identify patterns and trends, and make sound business decisions.
• Claims Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of personal lines claims handling, including auto and homeowners/property claims. Ability to apply policy, coverage, and claims-handling knowledge to identify fraud indicators and support effective claim outcomes.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to conduct interviews, present findings, provide training, and effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with claims personnel, legal counsel, compliance partners, law enforcement, industry organizations, and other business partners.
• Confidentiality: A high degree of integrity, professionalism, and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• MS Office: Skilled proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and other business applications required.
• Job Specific: Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record required.
• Compliance: Knowledge and understanding of applicable insurance regulations, SIU requirements, investigative standards, and industry best practices.
• Business Environment: Strong understanding of the insurance industry, emerging fraud trends, claims practices, and regulatory environments; ability to adapt investigative strategies to changing business needs.
• Leadership & Subject Matter Expertise: Ability to serve as a trusted resource and subject matter expert by providing guidance, coaching, and fraud awareness education to claims personnel and business partners.

Compensation

The pay range for this role is shown below. Compensation decisions are determined based on an individual’s qualifications, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

• Greater Seattle area target pay range: $105,762 - $129,264. The full pay range is $88,135 - $146,891.
• Outside Greater Seattle area target pay range: $93,337- $114,079. The full pay range $77,781 - $129,634

Greater Seattle Area is defined as working within approximately 100 miles of Seattle.

Outside Greater Seattle is defined as working approximately 100 miles or more from Seattle.

Benefits

Regular part-time PEMCO employees working at least 24 hours per week and regular full-time PEMCO employees are eligible to elect coverage under medical, dental, and vision plans for themselves and their eligible family members with generous employer premium cost shares. In addition, as a benefits-eligible employee, you are:

• Covered by employer-paid basic life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance policies as well as long- and short-term disability benefit coverages.
• Eligible to participate in PEMCO’s 401(k) plan, which includes a generous employer match (2 for 1 on the first 6% employee pre-tax and/or Roth deferral, up to federal maximums).

PEMCO Provides a Variety Of Time Off Programs Including

• Vacation and eight (8) paid holidays.
• Granted four (4) floating holidays and up to ten (10) days of sick leave immediately upon hire (pro-rated based on hire date and full-time/part-time status).
• In addition, PEMCO provides paid time off for bereavement, jury duty, and employee volunteering in the community.

Other Miscellaneous Benefit Programs Offered By PEMCO Include

• Education Assistance Program after one year of service.
• Scholarship program for children of PEMCO employees after one year of service; children’s birthday gift program
• Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program, and charitable gift matching
• Other compensation, depending on role, contributions, and performance, may include:
• Discretionary bonuses.
• Tiered sales commissions and/or incentives

Equal Employment Opportunity

At PEMCO, we celebrate and support our differences. We know employing a team rich in diverse thoughts, experiences, and opinions allows our employees, our products, and our community to flourish. PEMCO is honored to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are dedicated to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Accommodations

At PEMCO, people are at the heart of our business. We’re committed to providing an inclusive hiring experience for all candidates. If you need reasonable accommodations to apply for a role or participate in an interview, please contact us by email with your name, the job reference number(s), your preferred contact method, and a brief description of the accommodation needed. Requests are considered on a case ‑ by ‑ case basis in accordance with applicable disability laws, including the ADAAA.

Applicants Have Rights Under Federal Employment Laws

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
• Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)