Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

As Journey Owner, you will be responsible for designing, optimizing, and managing the customer journey across various touchpoints and channels to ensure a seamless and positive experience for customers/advisor. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including marketing, sales, product, customer support, and IT, to align strategies and initiatives that support the overall customer journey.

The Claims Journey Owner is responsible for developing and executing a strategy to deliver an exceptional market leading claims experience for policyholders, beneficiaries, advisors and other 3rd parties across all channels (digital, in-person, call center) and processing areas. The role encompasses end-to-end management of the claims process, optimizing customer satisfaction, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, mitigating risks, and driving operational excellence. The Claims Journey Owner will also lead a change enablement team focused on continuous improvement of processes to achieve the best claims journey in the market.

STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE:

Develop and drive a vision and strategy for delivering a market-leading claims journey, ensuring that it is aligned with business goals and customer service standards.Redefine success metrics to align with customer needs and expectations, shifting from internal-focused metrics (e.g., "% of claims finalized within 4 hours") to customer-centric outcomes (e.g., "% of claims finalized before the funeral").Utilize customer feedback and journey mapping to continuously improve the claims experience across all touchpoints.Removing friction, driving point of contact resolution, a seamless and integrated experience across all channelsDevelop a deep understanding of the customer journey, from awareness to post purchase support.Identify pain points and opportunities for improvement within the customer journey.Monitor and analyse customer behaviour and feedback to identify trends and insights that can inform decision-making.Drive initiatives to optimize and streamline the customer journey, leveraging technology and data-driven insights.Champion a customer-centric mindset within the organization and advocate for continuous improvement in the customer/advisor experience.Stay informed about industry trends and best practices related to customer/advisor experience and journey mapping.Develop and drive a vision and strategy for delivering a market-leading claims journey that aligns with business goals.Ensure that claims processes are designed to be transparent, efficient, and customer-centric, focusing on a seamless experience across all customer touchpoints.Utilize customer feedback and journey mapping to enhance the overall claims experience.

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY & PROCESS IMPROVEMENT, COST OPTIMIZATION AND AUTOMATION:

Oversee the re-engineering of front-office and back-office processes to reduce cycle times and improve efficiency.Apply Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies to identify bottlenecks and streamline workflows.Leverage automation, digitization, and technological innovations to improve the speed and quality of claims processing.Develop and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all aspects of claims processing, ensuring staff are well-trained and adhere to established workflows.Regularly review and update SOPs to align with process improvements, regulatory requirements, and best practices in claims management.Monitor compliance with SOPs to maintain consistent quality and efficiency in claims handling, processing, and resolution.Regularly review assessment criteria for equitable and fair claims handling.Define clear guidelines for escalation and transparent communication, particularly for "unhappy path" claims.Enhance proactive communication protocols during claims processing, especially those requiring additional checks (e.g., forensic or non-disclosure issues), offering empathetic explanations and managing customer expectations effectively.Leverage digital processes for improved data validation, ensuring robust and complete beneficiary and policyholder data before claims submission. Proactively prevent and resolve issues like "error in age" discrepancies and enhance data accuracy with third-party data sources to minimize potential issues.

QUALITY ASSURANCE & CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE:

Establish and monitor quality standards for all customer-facing and back-office claims activities to ensure high-quality service delivery and customer satisfaction.Implement training and performance management programs to ensure that staff engage with customers professionally, empathetically, and in a manner consistent with company values and customer fairness principles.Conduct regular quality assurance checks, audits, and coaching to ensure that staff interactions and claims processing meet required service standards, regulatory compliance, and customer expectations.

COMPLAINTS, ESCALATIONS AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION:

Establish and maintain a structured and fair complaints resolution process to handle claims-related issues effectively and efficiently.Ensure proactive and empathetic communication throughout the complaint lifecycle, with an emphasis on managing customer expectations and providing clear resolutions.Analyze root causes of complaints, identify opportunities for process enhancement, and drive improvements to minimize future escalations.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND ENABLEMENT:

Lead an Agile change enablement team to design and implement new processes, systems, and ways of working for improved claims handling.Develop stakeholder engagement strategies and change management plans to support smooth transitions and adoption of new processes.Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the claims and related teams.

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOPS):

Develop and maintain SOPs for all aspects of claims processing, ensuring staff are well-trained and adhere to established workflows.Regularly review and update SOPs to align with process improvements, compliance standards, and best practices in claims management.Monitor adherence to SOPs to maintain consistent quality, efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION, SELF-SERVICE ENABLEMENT & INNOVATION:

Drive digital initiatives to enhance the claims journey, including online claims submissions, self-service capabilities, and proactive customer communication.Leverage emerging technologies like AI, RPA, and data analytics to reduce processing times, improve data validation, and enhance customer experience.Foster an innovative mindset within the team to identify new opportunities to improve the claims journey through technology and process optimization.

RISK MANAGEMENT & COMPLIANCE:

Making sure all legislation applicable to the journey are met and there is appropriate risk monitoring and management.Implement and enforce quality assurance standards across all claims activities, ensuring that the highest levels of service quality, compliance, and operational accuracy are achieved.Identify, assess, and mitigate operational risks, including those related to fraud, compliance gaps, and inefficiencies.Manage operational losses by establishing controls and implementing early warning indicators to detect potential risks.Monitor reputational risks and ensure that claims decisions, communications, and processes align with the company’s values and brand integrity.Ensure all claims processes adhere to South African regulations, including the Longterm Insurance Act (LTIA), Financial Sector Regulation Act (FSRA), and Policyholder Protection Rules (PPRs).Implement Treating Customers Fairly (TCF) principles and ensure compliance with Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) guidelines.Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry standards, including the Association for Savings and Investment South Africa (ASISA), and ensure adherence to ethical conduct codes.Implement Know Your Customer (KYC) measures and anti-money laundering (AML) processes to detect and prevent fraudulent activities in the claims process.Align with the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) for financial crime prevention and ensure robust controls are in place.

CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION & SUPPORT:

Design a clear communication strategy to keep customers informed throughout the claims process, from initial request to completion, ensuring transparent and empathetic interactions.Develop communication templates, FAQs, and customer support protocols to enhance the quality and consistency of information provided to customers.Ensure that staff are trained to effectively manage customer inquiries and complaints related to claims in a timely and supportive manner.

PEOPLE LEADERSHIP:

Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team focused on process improvement, customer service, and claims excellence.Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture that emphasizes accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.Provide clear direction and set measurable objectives to empower team members and drive performance aligned with business and customer goals.

STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT: 

Understanding overall business objective, competitor landscape, providing thought leadership and foresight to ultimately to provide a leading customer journey experience

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION: 

Managing all stakeholders involved in the overall journey experience across departments and also across journeys where relevant.Deep understanding of all segments in which we operate and nuances to meet customer needs.Engage cross-functionally with product teams, finance, IT, customer service, and compliance to ensure the claims process is well-coordinated and aligned across all product touchpoints.Serve as a primary point of contact for internal stakeholders, ensuring they are informed about customer feedback, process improvements, and the overall claims journey.Facilitate open communication and collaboration to ensure that the claims journey is consistent and aligned with product rules and business strategies.

ANALYTICS AND PERFORMANCE MONITORING:

Use data analytics to monitor claims performance, track KPIs (e.g., turnaround times, NPS scores, cost per claim), and drive actionable insights.Develop and track KPIs for the claims journey, focusing on improving efficiency, customer satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness.Establish a continuous feedback loop to refine the claims journey based on customer satisfaction and process metrics.Redefine success metrics to align with customer needs and expectations. Transition focus from operational metrics (e.g., "% of claims finalized within 4 hours") to customer-centric outcomes (e.g., "% of claims finalized before the funeral"), driving data collection, process design, and outcomes centered around policyholders.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs):

Customer Satisfaction: Improvement in Net Promoter Score (NPS), Complaints reduction, Quality Assurance other customer satisfaction metrics related to the claims journey.Operational Efficiency: Reduction in claims processing times and operational costs, improved cycle times, self-service adoption, automation rates and claim accuracy.Compliance & Risk Management: Achieve and maintain regulatory compliance, minimize operational losses, and effectively manage risks.Team Performance: Development of a high-performing, motivated, and collaborative claims and change enablement team.Digital Optimization & Data Quality: Improvement in data accuracy, reduction of data-related issues, and enhancement of pre-claims data quality.Communication & Responsiveness: Improvement in proactive communication throughout the claims journey, including during investigations and on social media.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE (REQUIRED FOR THE JOB)

Appropriate Bachelor’s degreeProven track record of risk management experience.At least 8 years at middle/senior management level.Demonstrated experience in project and stakeholder managementExperience in managing cross-functional teams and driving process improvements.Proven experience in claims management, operations, journey mapping (or components thereof) or process optimization in the life insurance industry or financial services.Proven track record in managing customer complaints, escalations, dispute resolution, and claims processing in a regulated environment.Experience in digital transformation, self-service enablement & innovation leveraging emerging technologies like AI, RPA.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE (PREFERRED, NOT A REQUIREMENT)

         ▪    Knowledge of Agile methodology and experience in managing Agile Teams

COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

Strategic

Collaboration (Relating)

Customer (claim stakeholder) first

Execution

Innovation (Perspective)

Leading with influence

Personal Mastery (Learning)

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Data-Driven Decision Making

Technical Knowledge 

Agility to deal with changing regulative, legislative & procedural environments.

Skills

Analytical Thinking, Business Planning, Customer Experience (CX), Customer Satisfaction, Process Improvements, Stakeholder Management

Education

Bachelors Degree (B) (Required)

Closing Date

19 November 2024

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

Old Mutual Limited is pro-vaccination and encourages its workforce to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

All prospective employees are required to disclose their vaccination status as part of the recruitment process.

Please refer to the Old Mutual’s Covid-19 vaccination policy for further detail. Kindly note that Old Mutual reserves the right to reinstate the requirement to vaccinate at any point if it is of the view that it is imperative to do so.

The Old Mutual Story!