Senior Workers’ Compensation Program Lead

Orange-County-Transportation-Authority; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Paid time off

Vision insurance

Job summary

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is seeking a Senior Workers’ Compensation Program Specialist to lead OCTA’s workers’ compensation claims program and oversee the agency’s third-party administrator (TPA). In this exempt role, you will develop program goals, policies, KPIs, and cost-containment strategies, while providing strategic oversight of the TPA and managing complex claims.

You will collaborate with legal counsel, medical providers, TPAs, and stakeholders; prepare

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of five years of workers’ compensation claims experience.
• State of California Self-Insured Certificate required.
• Advanced knowledge of workers’ compensation laws and regulatory requirements.
• Experience overseeing third-party claims administrators and working with legal counsel, medical providers, and other business partners.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex claims and high-stakes workers’ compensation matters.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use claims and financial data to identify trends, evaluate performance, and recommend solutions.
• Experience developing KPIs, performance measures, reports, and cost-containment strategies.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a solutions-oriented approach to complex claims and program challenges.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to lead initiatives, influence stakeholders, and mentor others without direct supervisory authority.
• Experience with Origami Claims Management System.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an organizational expert on workers’ compensation policies, laws, practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and implement workers’ compensation program goals, objectives, policies, and advanced cost-containment strategies.
• Provide strategic oversight of the workers’ compensation TPA, including performance reviews and audits designed to optimize claims outcomes.
• Manage complex and high-stakes claims, settlements, employer-level investigations, and regulatory matters.
• Lead initiatives such as the Transitional Work Program and identify opportunities to improve program effectiveness and efficiency.
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs), benchmarks, and data analytics to evaluate program performance, identify injury trends, and reduce costs.
• Lead financial analyses and reporting, including cost-benefit analyses, reconciliation improvements, and return-on-investment measurements.
• Prepare and present financial, claims, and program performance reports to executive leadership.
• Support the implementation and effective use of claims management technology, including Origami.
• Ensure required Department of Industrial Relations reporting is completed accurately and timely.
• Develop and maintain effective partnerships with legal counsel, medical providers, TPAs, and other industry partners.
• Author and communicate policy and program updates to employees, leadership, and other stakeholders.
• Advise employees on workers’ compensation matters and champion timely, effective support for injured employees.
• Mentor and coach team members and stakeholders to strengthen workers’ compensation knowledge and promote continuous improvement.
• Represent OCTA on workers’ compensation matters at meetings, audits, presentations, and external forums.
• Support safety initiatives and related training activities as needed.

Skills

Workers' compensation expertise

Data analytics

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder management

Cost containment strategies

Leadership without supervision

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Business Administration or related field

State of California Self-Insured Certificate

Tools

Origami

Job description

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) is seeking a Senior Workers’ Compensation Program Specialist to lead OCTA’s workers’ compensation claims program and oversee the agency’s third-party administrator (TPA). In this exempt role, you will develop program goals, policies, KPIs, and cost-containment strategies, while providing strategic oversight of the TPA and managing complex claims.

You will collaborate with legal counsel, medical providers, TPAs, and stakeholders; prepare