Front Office Team Leader_Legal Recoveries

What will you do?

Up for a new challenge and feel you can make a difference? The Claims Legal Department is looking for a strategic, technically astute, and leadership-oriented individual to join us as the Team Leader for the Front Office. As the guardian of our legal "gatekeeping" process, you will lead a team of Advisors to ensure every claim is validated, investigated, and routed with surgical precision.

Role Purpose

The Legal Recoveries Administration Team Manager is responsible for the direct supervision, coaching, and operational performance of the Front Office Advisor team. You will oversee the initial validation, merit assessment, and tracing phases of the legal claim lifecycle. Your mission is to ensure that the team accurately identifies high-potential cases while maintaining rigorous standards for rejections, ensuring only quality files move forward into the litigation or recovery phases.

What will make you successful in this role?

Minimum Qualification Required

•    Grade 12/Standard 10/NQF 4
•    A relevant tertiary qualification (Law, Paralegal, or Short-Term Insurance) is highly beneficial.
•    Experience in investigative interviewing or tracing is an advantage.

Minimum Experience

•    Minimum 2–3 years’ experience in a Legal Liabilities or Recoveries role within the Short-Term Insurance industry.
•    Proven technical expertise in Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) merits and the Apportionment of Damages Act.
•    Experience in investigative techniques, tracing tools, and "front-end" claim rooting.
•    1–2 years of supervisory or "step-up" experience (mentoring, quality checking, or leading a sub-team).

Deliverables include, but will not be limited to

•    Technical Leadership: Provide expert guidance on complex merit assessments and motor collision law to ensure the team’s "proceed" or "no-proceed" decisions are legally sound.
•    Workflow Management: Oversee the daily distribution of new legal claims, ensuring the team meets strict SLAs for initial validation and "rooting."
•    Quality Assurance: Conduct regular audits on files to ensure investigative interviews and tracing reports meet the department’s standards of excellence.
•    Rejection Governance: Review and approve sensitive or complex rejections to mitigate reputational risk and ensure clear, legally defensible communication to stakeholders.
•    Performance Mentoring: Assist the Manager in the performance cycle by conducting 1-on-1s, identifying technical skill gaps, and coaching advisors on investigative "lead-following" techniques.
•    Escalation Management: Act as the first point of contact for brokers, clients, or third-party representatives regarding disputes on initial merit findings.
•    Process Optimization: Identify bottlenecks in the "Front Office" lifecycle and implement innovative solutions to speed up the transition from claim receipt to legal action.
•    Reporting: Compile weekly/monthly reports on volumes, "rooting" speed, tracing success rates, and the ratio of valid vs. rejected claims.

Competencies Required

•    Legal Acumen: Deep understanding of the Apportionment of Damages Act and case law related to motor collisions.
•    Operational Excellence: Ability to manage high-volume workflows without compromising on technical accuracy.
•    Investigative Strategy: Advanced knowledge of tracing tools and the ability to teach others how to follow digital and physical leads.
•    Conflict Resolution: Highly proficient in handling difficult negotiations and explaining legal rejections to unhappy stakeholders.
•    Analytical Thinking: Ability to quickly "root" a claim by identifying the core legal issues from minimal initial data.
•    Resilience and Agility: Thrives in a fast-paced environment where priorities shift based on claim volumes.

Knowledge and Skills

Personal Attributes

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. Deadline to apply: 20 August 2026.

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