Process Optimization Manager

W. R. Berkley Corporation; Urbandale (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

W. R. Berkley Corporation, located in Urbandale, Iowa, is seeking a process improvement lead to support excellence initiatives within their claims operations. The role involves analyzing current processes, facilitating improvement sessions, and collaborating with various stakeholders to enhance operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of relevant experience, strong analytical and communication skills, and a Bachelor's Degree or higher in Business, IT, or a related field.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in process improvement or operational excellence.
• Certifications in process improvement or agile delivery preferred.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to translate findings into practical plans.

Responsibilities

• Lead process improvement initiatives, initially focused on claims operations.
• Conduct current-state process assessments and facilitate improvement sessions.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to develop process designs and efficiency enhancements.

Skills

Process improvement

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Business, IT, or related field

Tools

JIRA

Power BI

Microsoft Excel

Visio

ServiceNow

Job description

Company Details

“Our Company provides a state of predictability which allows brokers and agents to act with confidence.”

Founded in 1967, W. R. Berkley Corporation has grown from a small investment management firm into one of the largest commercial lines property and casualty insurers in the United States.

Along the way, we’ve been listed on the New York Stock Exchange, become a Fortune 500 Company, joined the S&P 500, and seen our gross written premiums exceed $10 billion.

Today the Berkley brand comprises more than 60 businesses worldwide and is divided into two segments: Insurance and Reinsurance and Monoline Excess. Led by our Executive Chairman, founder and largest shareholder, William. R. Berkley and our President and Chief Executive Officer, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., W.R. Berkley Corporation is well‑positioned to respond to opportunities for future growth.

The Company is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support initiatives/projects within a portfolio of process improvement and optimization initiatives, initially focused on claims operations and related value streams.
• Partner with operating company leaders, claims leaders, underwriting leaders, finance leaders, technology teams, shared services, corporate executives, and external vendors to identify and advance improvement opportunities.
• Conduct current-state process assessments, including interviews, data review, workflow observation, pain point analysis, dependency mapping, and documentation of process variations across decentralized business units.
• Facilitate value stream mapping, root cause analysis, process redesign sessions, and structured problem‑solving workshops with business and technical stakeholders.
• Develop future‑state process designs that improve quality, cycle time, productivity, transparency, control, customer or claimant experience, and overall operational effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities for workflow automation, technology enablement, process standardization, control improvement, data quality enhancement, and elimination of non‑value‑added activity.
• Assess improvement opportunities across people, process, data, technology, governance, and change management dimensions, recognizing that technology alone may not resolve operational pain points.
• Support development of project charters, implementation roadmaps, business cases, ROI estimates, resource plans, executive presentations, and decision materials for the group executive leader and senior stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross‑functional execution activities, including milestone tracking, issue/risk management, stakeholder follow‑up, dependency management, and preparation of project status materials.
• Collaborate with technology partners to translate business needs into practical requirements for workflow tools, reporting, automation, analytics, and other operational solutions.
• Contribute to the evaluation of AI, automation, RPA, analytics, and emerging technology opportunities, with emphasis on business fit, risk, practicality, adoption, and measurable outcomes.
• Prepare clear, concise, executive‑ready documentation, presentations, process maps, decision summaries, and recommendations for business and corporate leadership.
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, disciplined execution, operational learning, and measurable business value.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of relevant experience in process improvement, operational excellence, business transformation, management consulting, project management, business analysis, or a similar function.
• Certifications or formal training in process improvement, operational excellence, project management, or agile delivery, such as Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt, PMP, Agile/Scrum, or comparable credentials.
• Demonstrated experience assessing current‑state processes, identifying pain points, analyzing root causes, and translating findings into practical improvement plans.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, including storytelling skills.
• The ability to manage or support a portfolio of initiatives with multiple stakeholders, timelines, dependencies, risks, and deliverables.
• Ability to work effectively across business, operations, technology, finance, and executive stakeholder groups.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, communication, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with common business and productivity tools, including Copilot (or comparable Generative AI tools), Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and process mapping or visualization tools.
• Knowledge/experience across the insurance lifecycle (sales, underwriting, operations, finance, claims, reinsurance). Ideally, Claims experience.
• Proven track record in reviewing and improving business processes in operational environments.
• Strong stakeholder management and exceptional organizational skills.
• Creative problem‑solver who thinks “outside the box”.
• Experience with JIRA, Confluence, ServiceNow, Microsoft Project, Visio, Power BI, Tableau, SQL, Power Automate, or similar tools.
• Ability to travel approximately 25% - 50%, based on project and business needs.

Education Requirement

• Bachelor’s Degree or higher in Business, IT, or related field

Location and Travel

• Jacksonville, FL.
• Travel: Approximately 25% - 50%, based on project and business needs.