Head of Claims & Operations

Location Designation: Hybrid - 3 days per week

The Head of Claims & Benefits Operations will drive operational excellence within Claims & Benefits and lead enterprise-wide service execution across Service Operations. This leader is accountable for the end-to-end performance of a large, complex organization of claims professionals, including the Claims Contact Center, Life Claims, Annuity Claims, and Waiver of Premium Claims. The organization is responsible for paying approximately $5 billion in claims annually and plays a critical role in delivering on New York Life’s promise to policyholders and beneficiaries during pivotal life moments.

As a core member of the Service Operations Senior Leadership Team, this role guides and supports overall service strategy and execution, partnering closely with Service Experience, Technology, Risk, Compliance, Finance, and Field leadership to deliver a unified, customer-first service model.

Enterprise & Service Leadership: Set and execute the strategic vision for Claims & Benefits Operations in alignment with enterprise Service strategy and Service Operations SLT priorities. Serve as a senior member of the Service Operations SLT, guiding and supporting overall service strategy, execution discipline, and cross-service alignment beyond Claims & Benefits.

Operational Execution & Financial Accountability: Lead Claims & Benefits Operations with accountability for accurate, compliant, and empathetic delivery of approximately $5B in annual claims payments. Ensure disciplined execution through strong controls, transparent reporting, measurable outcomes, workforce strategy, capacity planning, and productivity management. Maintain delegated authority for high-dollar claims and claims-related settlements in partnership with Legal and Risk.

Unified Beneficiary & Agency

Experience:

Drive a more unified, end-to-end beneficiary experience across Life, Annuity, and Waiver claims, reducing fragmentation and improving clarity during emotionally significant moments. Partner with Agency leadership to support agents in capturing benefits and enabling comprehensive financial advice, reinforcing a One NYL experience for beneficiaries and agents.

Modernization & Continuous Improvement: Champion modernization initiatives including digital claim intake, auto‑adjudication, intelligent routing, and enhanced customer communications. Leverage data, analytics, and workflow insights to improve customer, beneficiary, agent, and employee experience while embedding Continuous Improvement principles and maintaining strong governance, risk management, and compliance controls.

Cross‑Enterprise Partnership: Partner closely with Technology, UX, Data, Operations, Compliance, Office of General Counsel, Risk, Training, and Communications to ensure aligned delivery. Provide executive oversight on complex escalations, regulatory matters, and sensitive cases while coordinating upstream and downstream service partners.

People Leadership & Culture: Lead and develop leaders across Claims & Benefits, cultivating a growth mindset and change leadership culture aligned to Service priorities. Build leadership bench strength, reinforcing accountability and ethical judgment, and ensuring succession planning for critical roles.

Experience: A minimum of 10+ years of experience leading large, multi‑functional operations within Financial Services or Insurance, with significant financial accountability. Demonstrated success executing multi‑year transformation and modernization initiatives. Strong enterprise leadership capability with experience influencing across highly matrixed organizations and operating in regulated environments.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related field required. Master’s degree in Business or related discipline preferred.

Please note: This role requires FINRA licensed and/or FINRA Associated Person pre‑hire fingerprinting.

Company Overview

At New York Life, our 180‑year legacy of purpose and integrity fuels our future. As we evolve into a more technology‑, data‑, and AI‑enabled organization, we remain grounded in the values…