Valley Water is searching for top-tier candidates to fill this exciting opportunity. Internal candidates will get first consideration.
Overview:
Valley Water’s Risk Manager oversees the Risk Management program and staff which reside within the Office of the District Counsel. The Risk Manager manages, plans, and oversees the insurance and claims/liability programs and advises the business on indemnification and risk allocation matters. This position interfaces closely with business units across the organization and at all levels, including with senior leadership and, occasionally, the Board of Directors.
About Valley Water:
Valley Water is a public agency headquartered in San Jose, CA which manages an integrated water resources system that includes the supply of safe, clean water, flood protection and environmental stewardship of streams on behalf of Santa Clara County’s approximately two million residents. Valley Water manages 10 dams and surface water reservoirs, three water treatment plants, an advanced recycled water purification center, a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory, nearly 400 acres of groundwater recharge ponds, and more than 275 miles of streams to serve nearly two million people in Santa Clara County, which stretches 1,300 square miles and encompasses 15 cities and unincorporated areas.
 
Valley Water is governed by a seven-member publicly elected Board of Directors and has an annual budget of $857 million.
Key Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage the self-administration of Valley Water’s liability and property self-insurance and insurance, and loss exposure programs including investigation analysis and settlement of claims and litigation.
• Participate in the management of legal matters including defense strategy, setting cost allocation amounts and formulas, independently setting and monitoring claims reserves, and presenting claims to and negotiating with excess insurers.
• Analyze and evaluate functions and activities for loss exposures; advise and instruct management and staff on identifying and effectively dealing with complex risk exposures and technical risk transfer issues.
• Review, discuss, explain, and approve Certificates of Insurance and endorsements; develop and maintain a Certificate Tracking Database.
• Administer contractual risk transfer program; develop and implement insurance standards; examine and interpret written agreements to determine and assess contract and permit insurance requirement indemnification issues, limitations on liability provisions, waivers, and job shutdowns; work with vendors and community members on insurance issues.
• Negotiate the placement and provisions of Valley Water property, excess liability, auto, professional liability, workers’ compensation, non-owned aircraft, cyber, and crime insurance; direct application process, property valuation updates, and broker marketing and insurance review; meet with underwriters; analyze complex coverage issues and negotiate broker and third-party administrator contracts.
• Direct actuarial studies for self-insurance programs; collect and analyze loss and reserve data; determine assumptions and advise actuaries on anomalies; analyze actuarial study data and make recommendations for corrections.
• Direct the submission of property and excess liability claims to insurers; identify and deal with coverage issues internally or through coverage counsel; recommend insurer settlements.
• Perform on-site inspections and investigations with staff, attorneys, underwriters, brokers, and other public agencies to identify and review loss exposures and causal factors; perform stakeholder review of policies and procedures for risk assessment.
• Identify and direct subrogation or recovery activities against persons and entities responsible for damage to property or liability losses.
• Represent Valley Water to insurance brokers and service providers, underwriters, actuaries, external legal counsel, vendors, other public agencies, and customers/constituents.
• Provide training to staff on a variety of topics, including insurance, contractual risk transfer, and risk analysis.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes:
Applicants whose experience and background best match the ideal experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and education are considered ideal candidates for the position. To determine the top candidates, each applicant will be assessed based on the ideal candidate criteria as listed below.
Ideal Experience:

• Five (5) years of risk management experience, preferably overseeing a risk management program.
• Experience managing liability property self-insurance and insurance, and loss exposure programs including investigation analysis and settlement of claims and litigation.
• A minimum of two years of experience supervising risk management staff (regular, temporary, contract, and/or interns), including responsibility for employee evaluations, salary decisions, hiring, disciplinary actions, and work schedules.

Ideal Skills and Abilities:

• Administer complex, technical, and sensitive risk management programs in an independent and cooperative manner.
• Focus on quality and timeliness.
• Adept at working with cross functional teams and senior leaders.
• Political savvy.
• Excellent communication, presentation, organizational, and analytical skills.
• Use information to develop self-insured retention levels, cost allocation amounts, and formulas.
• Collect and analyze loss runs and reserve data, review and analyze financial and actuarial reports, and make recommendations for corrections.
• Conduct risk inspections and accident investigations, including conducting interviews, collecting, and analyzing evidence, making determinations, drafting report, and defending findings.
• Evaluate and develop improvements to risk management operations, procedures, policies, or methods.
• Conduct risk management research, evaluate alternatives, make sound recommendations, and prepare effective staff reports.
• Establish and maintain a variety of risk management program filing, record keeping, and tracking systems.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of risk management programs, services, and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner.

Ideal Knowledge:

• Legal requirements of claim processing including sufficiency, timeliness, and response.
• Principles and practices of claims investigation, evaluation, and valuation.
• Insurances, such as general liability, property, workers’ compensation, cyber, crime, errors, and omissions, auto and non-owned aircraft policies, insurance industry, certificates of insurance, limitation of liability issues, and complex coverage issues.
• Legal system, court system, and litigation system, including discovery, court hearings, settlement negotiations, and legal strategies.
• Organization and quality management practices as applied to the development, analysis, and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs of risk management programs.
• Principles and practices of risk management program budget development and administration, contract negotiation and management, and sound financial management policies and procedures.
• Practices of researching risk management issues, evaluating alternatives, making sound recommendations, and preparing and presenting effective staff reports.
• Fluency with common business and risk management software.

Ideal Training and Education:

• Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in risk management, business or public administration, or a related field.

• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license. Individuals who do not meet the driver's license requirement due to a disability will be considered for a reasonable accommodation on a case-by-case basis. 
• A valid Certified Risk Manager (CRM) certification from the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research (NAIER), Institute of Crisis & Risk Management (ICRM), Associate in Risk Management (ARM) Insurance Educational Association, RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional, or similar accredited risk management institution is desired.

To review the Job Description, please click hereRisk Management Unit (Position Code 524)Valley Water Telework Program: Eligibility for telework will depend on the type of work performed, operational needs, and the ability for the employee to perform the essential functions of their job duties while teleworking. Employment with Valley Water requires employees to live within 150 miles of their primary physical work location located in San Jose, California by their start date.
This position is eligible for a hybrid telework schedule, typically working 40% remote and 60% onsite.

(1) The selection process may include one or more of the following: application review, application assessment, performance exercise, written exercise and/or interview.
(2) The Employment Application, Qualifying Information Questions and/or Supplemental Questions will be evaluated based on the ideal candidate criteria listed above. Resumes are highly recommended.
 
NOTE: Position and start date is subject to availability of funds. Valley Water retains the right to repost this position as deemed necessary.
Consideration may be given to existing applicant pools within the same classification.

Valley Water's Equal Opportunity Non-Discrimination Policy is available for review upon request.
Valley Water will make reasonable efforts in the examination process to accommodate persons with disabilities. Please advise Human Resources in advance of any special needs by calling 408-630-2260.
Please be aware that once submitted all application materials become the property of Valley Water and will not be returned. Human Resources staff are not authorized to make copies of application materials for applicants.