Manager, Liability Program

Job Purpose

The Liability Program Manager serves as a subject matter expert responsible for the strategic oversight and day-to-day management of Panera's auto, general, and product liability claims program. This role partners with Panera's Third Party Administrator (TPA) to investigate, evaluate, reserve, and resolve claims within the company's deductible. The Liability Program Manager directly handles claims not requiring TPA submission, manages litigation activity, drives TPA performance and accountability, and provides data-driven insights to leadership on program trends and cost-containment opportunities.

This position requires independent judgment, strong technical claims acumen, and the ability to balance legal strategy with business objectives across multiple jurisdictions.

Duties & Responsibilities

* Oversee the handling of auto, general, and product liability claims managed by the TPA to ensure compliance with Panera's claim handling instructions, reserving philosophy, and resolution expectations.

* Conduct periodic claim file audits to evaluate TPA adherence to best practices, accuracy of reserves, investigation quality, and timeliness of resolution. Document findings and communicate corrective actions.

* Monitor TPA performance metrics (closure rates, average cost per claim, litigation rates, reserve adequacy, diary compliance) and report results to management with recommendations for improvement.

* Assist TPA in establishing appropriate action plans for claim resolution, including cost mitigation strategies.

* Participate in TPA stewardship meetings

Claims Handling and Resolution

* Approve appropriate loss and expense reserves and payments within stated authority limit.

* Approve settlements within granted authority.

* Evaluate coverage applicability, policy terms, and risk transfer opportunities (contractual indemnification, additional insured status, tender of defense) on all reported claims.

* Work with internal and external customers and business partners in investigating and reaching an appropriate disposition of claims.

* Demonstrate technical proficiency through timely and consistent execution of industry-standard best practices.

* Directly manage and resolve liability claims that fall below TPA reporting thresholds or that are retained for strategic reasons, applying the same best-practice standards expected of the TPA.

* Manage subrogation recoveries; track recovery rates and pursue collection through all available channels.

Litigation Management

* Attend legal proceedings (virtual or in person), as necessary for case resolution.

* Oversee the selection, engagement, and performance of defense counsel in coordination with the TPA; ensure litigation management guidelines are followed.

* Review and approve litigation budgets, legal fee invoices, and expert retention requests. Monitor legal spend against reserves and flag variances.

* Proactively manage litigated files to resolution - ensure timely discovery, depositions, mediation, and trial preparation; evaluate settlement opportunities at each stage.

* Evaluate exposure on litigated claims and recommend escalation to excess carriers when appropriate.

Reporting, Analysis, and Communication

* Draft and present claim reviews to management that provide full evaluation of liability and damages and a proposed plan to resolve the claim; provide appropriate support for authority requests in excess of the individual's granted authority level.

* Analyze claims data to identify trends in frequency, severity, causation, and geography; translate findings into actionable recommendations for loss prevention and operational improvement.

* Prepare periodic portfolio reports (open inventory, reserve development, closure activity, large loss summaries) for management and key stakeholders.

* Utilize RMIS to maintain accurate and current claim data; ensure data integrity across all claim records.

* Partner with Safety, Operations and HR to communicate claim trends, support root cause analysis, and inform policy or procedural changes that reduce future loss exposure.

* Provide training and guidance to field operations and management on incident reporting, evidence preservation, cooperation with investigations, and general liability awareness.

Program Administration

* Coordinate with excess and umbrella carriers on claim reporting, reserve notifications, and coverage correspondence.

* Maintain current knowledge of legislative and regulatory developments affecting liability claims across all operating jurisdictions.

* Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

* 6+ years of relevant risk management experience or commercial casualty claims experience handling auto, general, and/or product liability claims across multiple jurisdictions.

* Experience with complex and litigated claims, including active involvement in litigation strategy, mediation, arbitration, and trial support.

* Demonstrated experience in TPA oversight, including claim file audits, performance monitoring, and service instruction…