Claims Assessing Team Leader - Southern Cross Pet Insurance

About us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do -- delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive.

Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do -- and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About the role

We’re on a mission to protect the pet life and boost the quality time we have with our furry friends. Whether that’s boredom busters, tips and tricks for staying healthy, or helping them stay safe from harm. We’re with you to help your pets live their best pet lives for longer. 

We pride ourselves on giving our customers, and their pets, the best experience possible so you will need to be driven, have proven high performance, thrive in an agile environment and be passionate about growing within your role.

We are looking for aTeam Leader superstar to join our claims assessing team in Hamilton.

In this role, you’ll build an engaged and capable team that delivers fair, accurate and consistent claims outcomes. You’ll create clear direction, support sound decision-making and connect the team’s work to our wider business priorities. You’ll also help us improve our systems, processes and ways of working so we can provide an excellent experience for our customers and their pets.

What you’ll do

• Lead, coach and develop a team of claims professionals
• Set clear priorities and manage workflow, capacity and performance
• Support the team with complex claims, escalations and customer complaints
• Promote fair, accurate and consistent application of policy terms
• Monitor quality and performance, recognising progress and addressing issues early
• Build a culture where people take ownership, solve problems and contribute ideas
• Lead practical improvements to processes, systems and customer outcomes
• Keep the team informed about policy, product, process and compliance requirements
• Work closely with stakeholders across the business to resolve issues and deliver shared outcomes

What you’ll bring

• Previous experience leading, managing and coaching a team in a service environment
• Insurance experience and sound technical knowledge gained in claims, customer service or sales
• A supportive and empowering leadership style
• Strong communication, coaching and relationship-building skills
• Sound judgement and the ability to balance customer needs, policy requirements, risk and operational priorities
• Confidence leading people through change
• A practical approach to continuous improvement
• Self-awareness, accountability and a commitment to learning and feedback
• Medium to advanced capability in Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel

Most importantly, you’ll care about creating great outcomes for customers, developing people and helping pets live their best lives.

In your cover letter, please address the following questions so we can get to know a bit more about you! Why are you interested in working in the pet insurance industry? What unique skills make you stand out from a crowd?

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga. 

Join a proud diverse team, that's always there,always real,always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you’ll love working with us.  

We know that it is our team’s culture and wellbeing that will drive us forward. That’s why we prioritise not only professional development opportunities but opportunities to thrive personally, too. We offer exceptional work/life balance and our employees are encouraged to – and rewarded for – living well.   

Southern Cross employee benefits include:  

• Five days of wellbeing leave per year   
• Health insurance for you and your immediate whānau  
• Life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance   
• Extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support   
• Participate in our workplace wellbeing programme.    

That’s not all. Need more time to study, volunteer or support your whānau? You’ll have the opportunity to purchase flexi leave. Each year, you will also get to take part in a volunteer day, to contribute to a cause or community with your team.  

We are proud to have taken the Pride Pledge, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We also facilitate an active, employee‑led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, which includes our Rainbow Network, Māori Network, Pasifika Collective, and Neurodiversity and Whānau Support networks.

If you share our commitment and passion, we'd love to hear from you.