Strategic Claims Counsel, Vendor Strategy

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Strategic Claims Counsel, Vendor Strategy & Legal Operations

Job ID:10337

Employment Type: New Role

Work Environment: We offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work.You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB, Wawanesa, MB; Toronto (North York), ON; Kitchener, ON; Ottawa, ON.

Working Business Language: English

Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.

The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $120,000 - $160,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company
Founded in 1896, The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, 100% owned by its members, with more than $4.1 billion in annual revenue and $12.5 billion in assets. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Wawanesa is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance solutions throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, a leading national distributor of personal and business insurance. In March of 2026, Wawanesa entered into an agreement to acquire Everest Insurance Company of Canada to strengthen its commercial insurance capabilities and advance its long-term growth strategy.

Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.8 million members and we are home to more than 3,000 employees across Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $4 million annually to charitable organizations, including more than $2 million each year in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

This role is responsible for establishing and leading the enterprise framework for external counsel governance, performance management, and legal spend oversight. Leveraging insurance litigation expertise, vendor governance, and data-driven insights, the role drives the quality, consistency, and value of legal services while ensuring alignment between external counsel performance, claims strategies, and business objectives.
As the organization's lead for external counsel management, the role provides strategic oversight of panel counsel relationships, performance standards, legal spend management, and vendor governance practices, supporting effective stewardship of external legal resources and improved claims outcomes across the enterprise.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a structured external counsel performance management program, including governance frameworks, processes, tools, and reporting.
• Develop and maintain a claims-wide panel counsel strategy, including firm selection, specialization, and geographic alignment.
• Support vendor selection and onboarding processes, including participation in RFPs and evaluation of external law firms.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, including engagement guidelines, service standards, and escalation processes.
• Support the development of formal vendor agreements and contracting approaches, including rate negotiation strategies.
• Ensure alignment between vendor services and claims strategies and business priorities.
• Design and implement a structured performance management framework, including defined KPIs and service expectations.
• Lead ongoing reviews of law firm performance using quantitative and qualitative data.
• Conduct file-level reviews and audits to assess quality and alignment with internal claims strategies.
• Analyze litigation performance and identify opportunities to improve outcomes, consistency, and service quality.
• Partner with Claims and Finance to establish and support legal spend management practices, including cost tracking, reporting, and budgeti