SENIOR PROPERTY AND LIABILITY CLAIMS ADJUSTER

Job Summary:

The Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA), Risk Management Division (RMD), is seeking a highly skilled and seasoned professional to serve as a Senior Property and Liability Claims Adjuster. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for managing high-exposure claims and complex federal and state civil lawsuits filed against the State of Arizona, its agencies, employees, and public universities. This position demands the expertise to navigate sensitive and often catastrophic matters, ranging from severe personal injury and wrongful death to civil rights litigation, employment disputes, and highway design liabilities. You will also address intricate cases involving professional errors and omissions, as well as critical child safety and foster parent liability issues within the Department of Child Safety.

As a senior-level practitioner, you will perform work of extreme complexity with a high degree of autonomy and minimal supervision. The successful candidate must possess the analytical rigor to independently investigate major claims, establish accurate reserves, and prepare comprehensive settlement authority requests. Beyond file management, you will act as a primary negotiator with plaintiffs’ attorneys and pro se claimants, represent the State in mediations, and serve as a vital liaison between the Attorney General’s Office and outside counsel. This role requires exceptional independent judgment to identify tender opportunities and monitor key litigation milestones, ensuring the State's interests are protected through every stage of the claims process.

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

Job Duties:

• Comprehensive Claims Investigation: Conduct in-depth factual investigations by interviewing witnesses, law enforcement, and agency personnel; secure recorded statements and analyze all relevant incident materials to determine coverage and liability.
• Evidence and Discovery Management: Document and preserve physical evidence to substantiate facts and damages, collaborating closely with the Attorney General’s Office during the discovery phase to prepare for depositions and identify additional investigative needs.
• Legal and Strategic Analysis: Research and apply applicable tort, contract, and case law to evaluate exposure and prepare claims for litigation or resolution.
• Expert Procurement and Oversight: Perform rigorous cost-benefit analyses to determine the best course of action for the State, including the procurement and management of independent appraisers, engineers, architects, life care planners, and jury research consultants.
• Negotiation and Risk Mitigation: Secure appropriate settlement authority and lead negotiations to resolve claims; prepare all necessary closing and release documentation to ensure the State is fully protected from future exposure.
  

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):

Knowledge of:

• Extensive knowledge of the Arizona Revised Statutes, Arizona Administrative Code, and Executive orders.
• Extensive knowledge of state and federal court procedures, precedents, case law, and contract law.
• Extensive knowledge of the operations of state government, policies, and procedures, as well as a clear understanding of other public entity relationships and legal responsibilities that run concurrent with state obligations.
• Extensive knowledge of insurance practices and procedures, coverage regulations, and related terminology.
• Considerable knowledge of economic and accounting principles, financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Considerable knowledge of workers' compensation regulations.
• Considerable knowledge of annuity contracts and their uses.
• Comprehensive knowledge of medical terminology, medical treatment, and related procedures including surgical, dental, and psychological.
• Thorough knowledge of investigation techniques and evaluation methods.
• Thorough knowledge of property and liability laws and adjusting and subrogation principles.
• Thorough knowledge in preserving evidence.
• Knowledge of procurement procedures.
• Thorough knowledge in adjusting highway design claims, medical malpractice claims, slip and fall claims, employment claims, auto liability claims, and bodily/personal injury claims.
• Knowledge of DES/CPS care-custody and control claims, and other general liability claims.

Skills in:

• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills to ensure claims are resolved in the best interest of the State.
• Excellent research, investigative, and analytical skills.
• Highly complex problem-solving and active learning skills.
• Excellent communication skills, including speaking, active listening, reading comprehension, and writing.
• Excellent mathematics and cost-benefit analysis skills used to properly evaluate exposures and damages.
• Excellent negotiation, persuasion, and strategic positioning skills.
• Excellent formal mediation and arbitration skills.
• Public speaking skills.
• Excellent organizational and prioritizing skills to balance caseloads and conduct investigations in a complete and logical manner.

Ability to:

• Handle confidential information with tact and discretion.
• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines.
• Conduct investigations in multi-party situations.
• Synthesize complex information to form conclusions necessary to determine coverage, evaluate liability, and evaluate damage exposures to ensure claims are paid in a fair and equitable manner.
• Apply general rules to specific problems to produce logical and ethical solutions.
• Identify problems or details that may be detrimental to the State.
• Use logical and creative thought processes to develop solutions.
• Listen and understand complex information and ideas, both in writing and verbally.
• Communicate information effectively to others in a manner they can understand, even if they disagree with your position.
• Document work in progress, evaluation methods, and resolution decisions.
• Prepare and present accurate and reliable reports containing findings and recommendations.
• Control conflict situations with plaintiffs and attorneys.
• Work under stressful conditions and deal with emotional and volatile situations.
  

Selective Preference(s):

• 8+ years of relevant industry experience
• Proficiency in Google Workspace/Google Suite
  

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Valid Arizona driver’s license required by start date
• Willingness and ability to travel statewide for business purposes
• Background and reference check, including a criminal records verification

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply:

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Benefits:

The Arizona Department of Administration offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Sick leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program)
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance
  

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program . For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our

Retirement:

• Participation in ASRS Lifetime Benefit Pension Plan after 26 weeks of employment