Claims Manager – Life Insurance (Durban)

About the role

The company is an established life insurer seeking a senior Claims Manager to lead its Life and Medical Claims team in La Mercy, Durban. You will own the end‑to‑end claims process, ensure fair assessments, and drive operational excellence while contributing to strategic decisions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and develop a team of claims assessors and administrators.
• Oversee life insurance claims assessments, maintaining service levels and quality standards.
• Manage complex and escalated claims, coordinating with legal advisors, reinsurers and internal stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement, process optimisation and automation initiatives.
• Monitor claims trends, identify risks and provide detailed reporting to senior leadership.
• Contribute to product development, underwriting reviews and risk‑management strategies.
• Maintain strong relationships with advisers, reinsurers and key stakeholders.
• Handle team performance, capacity planning, recruitment, training and budgeting.

Required profile

• Degree or qualification in a medically related field (preferred, not essential).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in life insurance claims assessment.
• Strong medical knowledge and understanding of life insurance principles.
• Proven leadership and people‑management experience.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, analytical and decision‑making abilities.
• Ability to interpret complex insurance contracts and manage risk effectively.
• High attention to detail and strong problem‑solving skills.

Required skills

What we offer

• Competitive total‑cost‑to‑company package ranging from R50 000 to R60 000.