Head of Property Claims

Job Summary

Farmers Insurance is conducting a search for an exceptional executive to lead one of the most consequential Property Claims organizations in the P&C industry. This is not a build-from-scratch assignment or a mandate to diagnose and redesign — this role embodies a philosophy or continuous improvement and growth.

In Q1 2026, Farmers completed a significant redesign of its Property Claims organization — flattening the structure and transitioning from a regional to a national operating model. The foundation for consistency, scalability, and cross-team alignment has been established. What is needed now is a senior leader with the operational depth and transformation credentials to execute against a clear, well-resourced mandate: drive measurable productivity, efficiency, and accuracy improvements across a ~2,350-person organization managing $6.5 billion in annual indemnity.

Essential Job Functions

Reporting to the Chief Claims Officer, the Head of Property Claims holds full strategic and operational accountability for the Farmers property claims enterprise — encompassing field operations, centralized/inside operations, specialty, commercial, and catastrophe claims across both property and auto lines. This leader is also responsible for Farmers and Foremost catastrophe response across the entire United States.

The Head of Property Claims owns the national Property Claims strategy and performance, driving measurable gains in productivity while maintaining an unrelenting focus on speed, accuracy, and compliance. The role carries significant cross-enterprise influence and requires deep collaboration with Product, Distribution, Underwriting, Pricing, Legal, and Finance.

Key Responsibilities

Transformation & Productivity Leadership

• Drive improvement over the next 3+ years through targeted operational levers, workforce optimization, and accountability frameworks.
• Simplify the work: reduce complexity and over-specialization to create a more flexible, scalable claims workforce.
• Advance operational efficiency through streamlined processes and resource alignment utilizing the Farmers Business Services (FBS) platform.
• Lead clear, empathetic change communication through upcoming and future workforce adjustments, maintaining trust and morale through transition.

Strategic & Financial Ownership

• Accountable for all Property financial results including LAE and indemnity performance across a $520M operating budget and $6.5B annual indemnity footprint.
• Apply data-driven insights to continuously optimize claims performance — balancing productivity gains with speed, accuracy, and compliance.
• Define the Property Claims strategy in the context of overall Claims and enterprise objectives, in alignment with all legal and regulatory requirements.
• Act as the escalation point and decision-maker on complex cases, case strategies, and portfolio management.

Further Responsibilities

Cross-Enterprise Collaboration

• Collaborate with Product, Distribution, Underwriting, and Pricing leadership to support enterprise goal execution.
• Partner with the Board of Governors, CEO, and functional partners across Legal, IT, HR, Audit, Actuary, Finance, and Real Estate.
• Oversee best practices for vendor selection, integration, and national program contract negotiation and execution.

People & Culture

• Lead a team of ~2,350 claims professionals with 6 direct reports; accountable for performance management, talent development, compensation, and workforce planning.
• Develop and promote leaders capable of assuming critical roles across the broader Farmers Claims organization.
• Champion an inclusive culture that drives employee engagement, brand reputation, and organizational resilience.
• Establish and continuously foster a culture of compliance, integrity, and high performance.

Education Requirements

Experience & Background

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, JD, or equivalent) preferred.
• Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in claims leadership, with demonstrated success managing large-scale operations within a major P&C carrier.
• Proven track record in change leadership — navigating organizational redesigns, workforce transitions, and operating model shifts at scale.
• Experience driving productivity, efficiency, and accuracy improvements in a complex, multi-line claims environment.
• Background in catastrophe response and multi-state regulatory environments strongly preferred.

Technical & Domain Knowledge

• Extensive technical claims knowledge: policies, coverages, regulations, claims processing, and litigation management.
• Strong command of cross-functional and multi-LOB operations; product and underwriting awareness a plus.
• Working knowledge of emerging claims technologies, automation, and AI-assisted processing tools.
• Fluency in bad faith concepts, regulatory requirements, and the legal landscape governing property claims.

Success Factors

Within the first 12–18 months, a successful executive will have achieved the following:

• Established clear ownership of the roadmap — with measurable milestones, visible progress against targets, and organizational alignment around the path forward.
• Navigated near-term workforce adjustments with discipline and care — maintaining operational continuity, leadership credibility, and team morale through change.
• Deepened the integration of data and analytics into daily claims operations — building a culture where performance insight drives faster, better decisions.