Risk and Claims Manager

Location: Cincinnati, United States Keller Executive Search is partnering with a family-owned leader in the waste and recycling industry to recruit a Risk and Claims Manager based full-time on-site in Cincinnati, OH. Our client is one of the largest firms of its kind, delivering essential waste and recycling services to millions of residents, businesses, and communities, and it is growing quickly. This is a high-impact leadership seat within the Loss Control department, offering the chance to shape how a large, fast-expanding operation manages risk and resolves claims. Waste, recycling, and fleet operations carry some of the most complex and high-exposure risk profiles in the country, where commercial auto claims combine high frequency with significant severity. That makes disciplined, data-driven claims leadership a genuine driver of the bottom line. In this role you will lead a small, experienced team of claims professionals, own the timely and sound resolution of complex commercial auto, property-damage, and bodily-injury claims within settlement authority, and turn claims data into risk-reduction strategy that lowers the company's total cost of risk. This is a replacement hire with a built-in advantage: you will overlap with the current, long-tenured manager for hands-on knowledge transfer, so you can ramp with confidence rather than start cold. Beyond the desk, you will partner with safety, operations, HR, IT, and legal to design and measure loss-control programs, and present actionable trend analysis directly to senior leadership. As the company continues to grow, so will the claims function and the leadership structure around it, creating real room for advancement. If you combine mature claims judgment, practical team leadership, and an analytical loss-control mindset, this is a rare opportunity to make a lasting difference. Key Responsibilities Lead the overall planning, development, direction, and administration of claims handling across the team Manage a team of claims professionals to ensure files progress appropriately and resolve in a timely manner Provide technical guidance and direction on complex claim-file management Review complex and high-exposure claims, advise on resolution strategy, and exercise settlement authority within approved limits Present recommendations on matters exceeding assigned authority to the Assistant General Counsel for Claims and Litigation Analyze company and industry-wide claims trends, frequency, and severity to develop and present risk-reduction recommendations to leadership Use databases and dashboards to evaluate claims-handling trends and surface opportunities for improvement Support business continuity and catastrophe response planning for large-scale loss events, coordinating with TPAs and consulting experts Develop and recommend loss-control policies and procedures for implementation Partner with corporate and regional safety, operations, and HR teams to design, implement, and measure loss-control programs, safety policies, training, and corrective actions Monitor safety databases for data-collection and workflow improvements and work with IT to resolve performance issues Set consistent claims-handling and reserving standards and support the development of team members Additional Information Location: Cincinnati, OH Full-time, permanent, on-site at the corporate headquarters Occasional travel to other locations, approximately once per month Ability to work flexible hours, including nights, weekends, or holidays as needed during large-loss events Applicants must be legally eligible to work in the United States To apply, submit your application through this posting; Keller Executive Search manages this search on behalf of our client Requirements Essential ~10 years in commercial auto property-damage and bodily-injury claims, owning complex, high-exposure files Minimum 5 years managing and developing a claim team with accountability Strong critical thinking and trend analysis, translating claims data into actionable risk-reduction recommendations Substantial knowledge of insurance principles: loss reduction and control, claims management, adjusting, reserving, and subrogation Proficiency in Power BI or equivalent BI/data-analysis tools, able to analyze claims data independently Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Risk Management and Insurance, Finance, or related field Excellent written and verbal communication, with fluent, professional English Willing to work full-time on-site in Cincinnati, OH (relocation support available) Legally eligible to work in the United States Preferred Direct property-damage and auto claims experience for a carrier, TPA, or self-insured organization Industry exposure in waste, recycling, transportation, fleet, logistics, or field operations Catastrophe/large-loss response and TPA/consulting-expert coordination experience Cross-functional partnership with safety, operations, HR, IT, and legal on loss-control programs Advanced Excel, SQL, RMIS, Tableau, or Qlik claims analytics experience Approachable, consistent, communicative leadership style suited to a close-knit, in-person team Ideal Candidate Profile You are a hands-on claims leader who blends mature technical judgment with genuine people-management skill. You are comfortable owning complex commercial auto, PD, and BI files, setting settlement and reserving standards, and coaching a small team, while also analyzing trends and presenting loss-reduction strategy to leadership. Approachable, consistent, and analytical, you thrive in a collaborative, safety-oriented culture and are ready to commit to a full-time on-site role. Benefits Base salary of approximately $104,000 to $172,000, depending on experience, plus bonus potential up to 25% Health, dental, and vision insurance Matching 401(k) and life insurance Three weeks paid vacation plus paid holidays Relocation assistance available Structured onboarding with knowledge transfer from the current manager Career growth as the company and claims function expand Keller is a recruitment agency that provides services to clients ranging from startups and non profits to multinational corporations. 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