AVP, Business Optimization - Glastonbury, CT or Remote

Crum & Forster Company Overview Crum & Forster (C&F) provides market leading property & casualty, accident & health, specialty and standard commercial lines insurance solutions. A true underwriting company, we have a 200-year history of helping our customers manage risk with laser-focused expertise, integrity and discipline. Our people are empowered to make decisions and problem-solve with you smartly and swiftly. Our annual gross written premium is 6.2 billion. C&F enjoys a financial strength rating of "A+" (Superior) by AM Best. Our most valuable asset is our people. We have 3000 employees, and locations throughout the United States and India. With our employee-first focus, the Company is consistently recognized as a great place to work, earning multiple workplace and wellness awards, including the Great Place to Work® Award, Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune Best Workplaces for Parents, Fortune Best Workplaces for Millennials, and many others. C&F is part of Fairfax Financial Holdings. For more information about C&F, please visit our website: Travel Insured International ,a Crum & Forster company, is hiring for an AVP, Business Optimization, on our Operations Leadership team. Travel Insured International is a leading travel insurance provider with more than 30 years in business. As a key component of our Specialty Business Unit, within the Accident & Health division, TII provides travel protection plans to help each individual travel confidently. Travel Insured International is proud to offer products to consumers and to agency partners of all sizes. We're committed to providing dependable coverage, great value, and end-to-end satisfaction for all customers. Job Description In this newly created role, the AVP, Business Optimization will provide leadership for workforce management, vendor governance, and operational transformation across TII's Claims and Contact Center operations. The AVP, Business Optimization, will partner closely with the Operations Leadership team, Claims, Service, Sales, Finance, Human Resources & Training, Compliance, IT, Legal, and external partners to optimize service delivery, strengthen governance, improve efficiency, and execute strategic transformation initiatives. This leadership role will bring deep experience in operational leadership, workforce planning, vendor oversight, performance management, and cross-functional execution. This leader will use data-driven decision-making, disciplined governance, and strong people leadership to improve operational results, cost efficiency, and organizational effectiveness. This role manages others and reports to the VP, Operations. What you will do: Lead business optimization across TII Operations, including workforce management, vendor management, and enterprise project/program execution. Drive scalable operational capabilities that support business growth, customer satisfaction, service delivery, and cost efficiency. Lead cross-functional initiatives that improve service quality, operational efficiency, customer outcomes, and overall organizational effectiveness. Establish governance frameworks, KPIs, scorecards, and reporting processes to monitor performance and support decision-making. Develop and present operational performance reporting, business insights, and executive updates to senior leadership. Support budgeting, financial management, ROI analysis, and expense optimization efforts across operational functions. Serve as a key escalation point for operational, service, and vendor-related issues. Build, lead, and develop high-performing teams, including workforce management resources and other operational support staff. Develop and maintain short- and long-term workforce forecasts across contact center and claims operations. Analyze business trends such as volume, seasonality, productivity, handle time, shrinkage, absenteeism, and growth to inform staffing and capacity strategies. Build and manage staffing and capacity models that support service levels, response times, claims processing targets, and operational SLAs. Oversee workforce planning and execution, including scheduling, PTO and holiday coverage, contingency staffing, peak-demand readiness, schedule adherence, intraday management, and resource allocation. Create and maintain workforce dashboards and operational analytics to identify trends, improve forecast accuracy, and optimize staffing efficiency and resource utilization. Ensure data integrity across workforce planning, scheduling, forecasting, and reporting systems. Lead third-party vendor management across claims, assistance, contact center, and other operational support functions. Design and continuously improve the vendor management lifecycle, including onboarding, governance, performance monitoring, renewals, risk assessment, and offboarding. Establish and maintain consistent vendor governance practices, including business reviews, standardized oversight routines, and stakeholder guidance. Monitor vendor performance against contracts, SLAs, KPIs, and operational expectations, and lead corrective actions and service improvement initiatives where needed. Lead or support RFPs, renewals, strategic partner evaluations, contract reviews, and related supplier decisions. Partner with sourcing, compliance, legal, and vendor risk teams to ensure effective third-party oversight, risk mitigation, and audit readiness. Leverage external partner capabilities, tools, and technologies to improve efficiency and customer outcomes. Lead enterprise project and program governance in support of strategic operational priorities and transformation efforts. Oversee a portfolio of initiatives to ensure strong prioritization, execution, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and measurable outcomes. Provide executive reporting on project progress, dependencies, risks, outcomes, and implementation readiness. Partner across the organization to drive business transformation, process improvement, automation, modernization, and change adoption. Other duties as assigned. What YOU will bring to C&F Strong understanding of insurance operations, claims processes, customer service, and contact center environments. Expertise in workforce management methodologies, forecasting models, staffing strategies, and scheduling practices. Knowledge of vendor governance, third-party risk management, contract oversight, and supplier lifecycle management. Strong project, program, and organizational management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously. Ownership mentality: action-oriented, and capable of understanding business needs and thinking critically about how to execute without explicit step-by-step instruction Transformational Experience: experience in leading and executing transformational initiatives, driving change, and implementing innovative solutions to enhance organizational effectiveness and competitiveness. Outstanding Communicator: Highly effective written and verbal communication skills, including proficiency in developing and delivering presentations. Ability to tailor communication styles to different audiences, including internal cross-functional teams and external customers and partners. Strategic mindset: Proven abilities to develop and execute operational strategies aligned with the organization's goals and objectives. Aptitude for identifying trends, patterns, and operational bottlenecks to proactively address challenges and optimize processes. Analytical mindset: Thinks analytically with the ability to articulate complex ideas into clear frameworks; uses data to conduct root cause analysis and develops high quality, consumable, and consistent metrics that drive strategic objectives and priorities. Customer Centric: skilled at prioritizing the customers’ needs and experiences, understanding what they want and delivering exceptional service. Has a thorough understanding of our industry, the relevant business landscape, and trends in growth and insurance environments; can spot early indicators of change and apply strategies to adapt quickly is required. Flexible and agile, comfortable with the ambiguity of a growing and transforming organization, skilled at working and building culture in remote environments. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required. 10+ yearsof experience in operations, workforce management, vendor management, PMO/project leadership, contact center operations, or related leadership roles is required. 4+ yearsof people leadership experience. Experience leading workforce forecasting, staffing, capacity planning, scheduling, and operational reporting programs is required. Experience managing third-party vendor relationships, supplier performance, contract governance, and risk oversight is required. Experience leading strategic initiatives, enterprise projects, or PMO-related functions is required. Experience with workforce management systems, reporting platforms, business intelligence tools, Salesforce, and Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced Excel capabilities. Insurance industry, Travel insurance or other regulated industry experience is preferred. What C&F will bring to you Competitive compensation package Generous 401K employer match Employee Stock Purchase plan with employer matching Generous Paid Time Off Excellent benefits that go beyond health, dental & vision. Our programs are focused on your whole family’s wellness, including your physical, mental and financial wellbeing A core C&F tenet is owning your career development, so we provide a wealth of ways for you to keep learning, including tuition reimbursement, industry-related certifications and professional training to keep you progressing on your chosen path A dynamic, ambitious, fun and exciting work environment We believe you do well by doing good and want to encourage a spirit of social and community responsibility, matching donation program, volunteer opportunities, and an employee-driven corporate giving program that lets you participate and support your community At C&F you will BELONG If you require special accommodations, please let us know. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and welcome everyone regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. If you require special accommodations, please let us know. Belonging at C&F, is a mindset. It’s about fostering a culture of inclusion and connection, where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to thrive and where our social impact efforts help strengthen the communities where we live and work. For California Residents Only: Information collected and processed as part of your career profile and any job applications you choose to submit are subject to our privacy notices and policies, visit for more information. Crum & Forster is committed to ensuring a workplace free from discriminatory pay disparities and complying with applicable pay equity laws. Salary ranges are available for all positions at this location, taking into account roles with a comparable level of responsibility and impact in the relevant labor market and these salary ranges are regularly reviewed and adjusted in accordance with prevailing market conditions. The annualized base pay for the advertised position, located in the specified area, ranges from a minimum of $95,600.00 to a maximum of $179,600.00. The actual compensation is determined by various factors, including but not limited to the market pay for the jobs at each level, the responsibilities and skills required for each job, and the employee’s contribution (performance) in that role. To be considered within market range, a salary is at or above the minimum of the range. You may also have the opportunity to participate in discretionary equity (stock) based compensation and/or performance‑based variable pay programs. #J-18808-Ljbffr Cfins