Purpose & Overall Relevance for Organization:

The Risk Finance & Transfer Department is responsible for protecting adidas’ profit and assets through efficient & innovative risk financing, transfer and mitigation for relevant exposure by collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to analyze significant existing and emerging exposures.

The Manager Risk Finance and Transfer ensures the effective and compliant management of global insurance claims across multiple lines of coverage. By leading claims operations across multiple lines of coverage, with a particular focus on Workers’ Compensation and litigation in North America, the position contributes directly to safeguarding the financial resilience of the company. It also plays a key role in aligning insurance program structures with the global risk finance and transfer strategy and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities:

Global Claims Management

• Lead and manage claims incl. settlement negotiations (up to 100k EUR) across multiple lines of insurance globally, with a focus on NAM Workers’ Compensation and litigation, ensure proper documentation and legal review where required.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of claims to adjusters, brokers, and third-party administrators (TPAs).
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of claims from reporting to closure, including recoveries and coordination of litigation activities.
• Collaborate with internal Legal teams and external counsel to manage claims-related litigation and settlement processes.
• Analyze global claims data to identify trends, assess risk exposures, and support the development of loss prevention strategies.

Claims Operations Management

• Oversee daily operations of the claims function, ensuring timely and fair resolution.
• Design, implement, and continuously improve standardized claims handling procedures and best practices across all relevant lines of coverage.
• Ensure claims handling adheres to company policies and complies with applicable laws.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, regulatory developments, and industry standards impacting claims management practices.

Workers’ Compensation (NAM Focus)

• Serve as subject matter expert on state-specific WC regulations, including waiting periods, statutory compliance, and claim eligibility.
• Support the risk financing aspects of Workers’ Compensation, including loss projections, reserve analysis, collateral management, and budgeting, particularly in the context of insurance renewal and strategic planning.
• Partner with HR and Legal to ensure proper handling of WC claims and employee communications.
• Note: While the day-to-day claims management resides with HR, the overall Workers’ Compensation program is managed through an integrated approach by a single third-party claims administrator (TPA), ensuring consistency and efficiency across most cases.

Insurance Program Support

• Support insurance program management through policy review and fit-gap analysis across multiple lines to ensure strategic alignment.
• Drive certificate issuance, invoicing, and policy declarations.
• Review contracts for insurance compliance with landlords, suppliers, and third parties.
• Support the evaluation of emerging risks

Key Relationships:

• Internal: Health and Safety, HR, Legal, Finance
• External: Insurance Carriers, Brokers, TPAs, Loss Adjusters, Legal Counsel, Recovery Agencies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong expertise in multi-line insurance claims, especially Workers’ Compensation, CGL, Property, Cargo, and Auto.
• Excellent understanding of regulatory frameworks and litigation processes
• Strategic and tactical thinking to develop forward thinking solutions
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Highly motivated, driven to deliver and succeed
• Comfortable working independently and within a team
• Ability to maneuver in consistently changing environment
• Ability to operate cross-functionally and understanding of external business drivers
• Understanding of the complexity, interactions and dynamics within an international organization
• Ability to manage multiple and varied tasks with enthusiasm and prioritize workload with attention to detail
• Deep business understanding of processes and structure
• Experience in Project Management
• Very good communication skills for persuasion and convincing others both internally and externally
• Very good analytical skills, managing large data quantities from multiple sources
• Business fluency in English (written and spoken)

Requisite Education and Experience / Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree ideally with a focus in insurance, insurance law, risk management, or a related field or equivalent work experience or insurance apprenticeship combined with higher internal or external education in the field of insurance
• 3- 5 years’ experience in the insurance industry, ideally across multiple lines of coverage with a strong focus on insurance claims management including litigation.