Senior Travel Claims Specialist

Affinity Markets Travel Claims is looking for a highly motivated, quick-thinking and customer-focused individual to join our Travel Claims Risk Management Team at an exciting time. The team is moving away from shared mailboxes and spreadsheet logs to a new workflow platform that brings referrals, case files, approvals and audits together in one place, supported by AI-assisted tools that help specialists find, sort and review claim evidence faster.

Reporting to the Manager, this position requires an expert in travel claims (medical, trip cancellation/interruption, baggage, accidental death and dismemberment, collision damage) for both Affinity Markets and Group Benefit programs. You will review the more complex, contested and escalated claims referred by our Third-Party Providers, make sound final decisions, and help protect Manulife from financial, legal and reputational risk. Specialists stay the decision makers. The new tools are there to take on routine administrative work, such as logging, tracking and follow-ups, so you can spend more of your time on judgement, investigation and quality.

This is a hands-on role during a period of change. Alongside your day-to-day caseload, you will help test and shape the new way of working, share what works and what does not, and help colleagues and partners adopt new processes. Some processes will still be settling as you join, so comfort with change and a practical, problem-solving mindset are important. To be successful in this role, you must keep in mind that it is not only what you do, but how you do it as well.

Position Responsibilities:

• Work with Manulife’s Third-Party Providers of claims seeking direction, advice or policy interpretation, and give clear, consistent responses using standard templates.
• Manage referrals from intake to closure in the team’s workflow platform: confirm coverage, review the case file, track status and follow-ups, and keep case records complete and current.
• Review claim evidence, including claim forms, itineraries, receipts, medical records, call notes and prior correspondence, to establish the facts. Use AI-assisted summaries and document tools as a starting point and check their output for accuracy and consistency.
• Make final claims decisions, claims exceptions, and business decisions on contested and contentious claims, including second-level appeals, and obtain the required approvals within set authority limits.
• Handle travel litigated claims including corresponding with internal and external legal counsel, make recommendations on legal strategies and settlement offers, and represent Manulife at legal proceedings (including mediations, arbitrations, examinations for discovery, trials).
• Review and respond to appeals or correspondence submitted by lawyers on behalf of their clients.
• Investigate, resolve, and respond to Escalated Complaints submitted to, but not limited to, the President’s Office, the Complaints Office, Senior Management, social media and Insurance Regulators.
• Conduct monthly random and/or focused audits of travel claims (medical, out-of-country medical, visitor-to-Canada, trip cancellation/interruption, baggage, accidental death and dismemberment) and credit card benefits (collision damage, personal effects, extended warranty) processed by Manulife’s Third-Party Providers, using consistent review criteria and scoring across providers.
• Identify and report fraud indicators, payment errors and recovery opportunities found through claim reviews and audits.
• Assist in annual on-site audits of Manulife’s Third-Party Providers of claims and assistance and perform follow-ups to ensure appropriate responses and action plans are implemented.
• Take part in the rollout of new workflow tools: join testing and feedback sessions, help map current and future processes, provide real case examples (with personal details protected), and suggest improvements to templates, routing rules and reports.
• Help colleagues and Third-Party Provider partners adjust to new processes and support a smooth handover of work when claims between providers.
• andle sensitive personal and medical information with care, following Manulife’s privacy and information security standards in every system you use.
• Provide input on contract wording for new and existing products and plans.

Required Qualifications:

• University degree in any discipline or equivalent work experience.
• 3-5 years’ experience in adjudicating claims, preferably life, health or travel.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, medications and their applications, diseases, tests, and treatment modes is an asset.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven analytical, problem solving, decision making, and negotiation skills.
• Comfortable working in digital tools and quick to learn new systems.
• Experience with case management or workflow platform is an asset.
• Open to using AI-assisted tools in your daily work, with the judgement to question and verify what they produce before acting on it.
• Interest in improving how work gets done.
• Experience taking part in a system rollout, user testing or processing documentation is an asset.
• You think big and can evaluate alternatives and assess risks in making timely and effective decisions.
• You get things done together - Exceptional interpersonal skills with a high level of professionalism, enabling you to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with internal teams and external partners.
• You own it - Ability to identify potential problems and risks and be accountable for solutions.
• Adaptable and steady during change, with a positive attitude toward new ways of working.
• Exceptional customer service skills with the ability to respond under high pressure or in difficult/sensitive situations.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to effectively prioritize competing tasks and keep case records accurate and up to date.

When you join our team:

• We’ll empower you to learn and grow the career you want. 
• We’ll recognize and support you in a flexible environment where well-being and inclusion are more than just words. 
• As part of our global team, we’ll support you in shaping the future you want to see.

#LI-HYBRID

The role being advertised is an existing vacancy.

About Manulife and John Hancock

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. To learn more about us, visit https://www.manulife.com/en/about/our-story.html.

Manulife is an Equal Opportunity Employer

At Manulife/John Hancock, we embrace our diversity. We strive to attract, develop and retain a workforce that is as diverse as the customers we serve and to foster an inclusive work environment that embraces the strength of cultures and individuals. We are committed to fair recruitment, retention, advancement and compensation, and we administer all of our practices and programs without discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion or religious beliefs, creed, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, genetic characteristics, veteran status, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, family status, disability, or any other ground protected by applicable law.

It is our priority to remove barriers to provide equal access to employment. A Human Resources representative will work with applicants who request a reasonable accommodation during the application process. All information shared during the accommodation request process will be stored and used in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and Manulife/John Hancock policies. To request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact [email protected].

Referenced Salary Location

Waterloo, OntarioHybrid

Salary range is expected to be between

$51,975.00 CAD - $86,625.00 CAD

Employees also have the opportunity to participate in incentive programs and earn incentive compensation tied to business and individual performance. The actual salary will vary depending on local market conditions, geography and relevant job-related factors such as knowledge, skills, qualifications, experience, and education/training. If you are applying for this role outside of the primary location, please contact [email protected] for the salary range for your location.

Manulife offers eligible employees a wide array of customizable benefits, including health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage, adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans. We also offer eligible employees various retirement savings plans (including pension and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions) and financial education and counseling resources. Our generous paid time off program in Canada includes holidays, vacation, personal, and sick days, and we offer the full range of statutory leaves of absence. If you are applying for this role in the U.S., please contact [email protected] for more information about U.S.-specific paid time off provisions.

We use data and analytics technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), and automated processing tools, to analyze and process the information you provide to us or third parties in the application process. For more information, please refer to our personal information collection statement.