Disability & Return-to-Work Innovation Leader

Discovery Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 1,000,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Discovery Limited is seeking a Vocational Rehabilitation Manager to lead the Disability Case Management function, shaping intervention velocity and rehabilitation pathways to improve member recovery and productivity. You will lead a high-performing team, ensure governance and regulatory compliance, and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver sustainable outcomes.

The role demands 8+ years in disability management, 3+ years people leadership, and experience across claims and rehab.

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ disability management experience.
• 3+ years people leadership experience.
• Claims and rehabilitation management experience representing the business and the industry as subject matter expert on insurance, employee benefits tax reform, regulatory interpretation, and governance standards.
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Occupational Health
• Masters Degree – Advantageous
• Business Leadership Qualification Advantageous

Responsibilities

• Driving disability and rehabilitation strategy by designing innovative intervention models that improve recovery outcomes, reduce disability claim duration, and support sustainable return-to-work.
• Leading a team of specialist case managers through coaching, performance management, capability building, succession planning, and the development of a high-performing clinical case management function.
• Providing clinical and operational oversight of complex and high-risk disability cases, ensuring best-practice decision-making, governance compliance, and excellent customer outcomes.
• Developing and implementing return-to-work frameworks that enable successful vocational rehabilitation, employer engagement, and improved workforce reintegration.
• Owning operational performance across the disability value chain, including caseload management, intervention velocity, service delivery standards, and productivity optimisation.
• Leveraging data and analytics to generate insights, monitor key disability metrics, identify trends, and deliver executive reporting that informs strategic decision-making.
• Delivering financial value through effective budget management, intervention cost optimisation, ROI evaluation, and the achievement of business case savings targets.
• Managing strategic external partnerships with healthcare providers, rehabilitation specialists, consultants, employers, reinsurers, and industry stakeholders to ensure quality service delivery and outcome-based performance.
• Influencing senior stakeholders by providing specialist disability management expertise, presenting recommendations to governance forums, and supporting key business decisions.
• Driving innovation and continuous improvement through the evaluation of emerging disability management practices, digital solutions, and future-focused rehabilitation models.
• Represent Discovery and the broader industry on local and international industry forums, fostering strategic stakeholder engagement, advancing industry perspectives, influencing policy discussions, and promoting best practices across the financial services and retirement fund sectors.

Job description

Discovery Limited is seeking a Vocational Rehabilitation Manager to lead the Disability Case Management function, shaping intervention velocity and rehabilitation pathways to improve member recovery and productivity. You will lead a high-performing team, ensure governance and regulatory compliance, and collaborate with stakeholders to deliver sustainable outcomes.

The role demands 8+ years in disability management, 3+ years people leadership, and experience across claims and rehab.