Sessional Ombudsman – Insurance
Job Description
Enjoy the flexibility and variety of working on a flexible “on demand” basis as part of a busy decision-making team.
As a financial ombudsman, we are a for-purpose organisation that provides a free service for individuals and small businesses. We listen to and work with our customers and their financial firms to find solutions to complaints which have gone unheard or unresolved. This is your opportunity to make a difference.
About the opportunity
Joining AFCA means joining an organisation of passionate, intelligent people who are committed to fairness and driving positive change in the financial sector.
We are looking to appoint multiple Sessional Ombudsmen in General Insurance to work on a per engagement basis, as part of our busy decision-making team. Our Sessional Ombudsmen provide expert “on demand” support as part of a pool of talented decision makers who have ongoing access to AFCA resources, specialists and support. These flexible engagements can be a regular few days per week, or every few weeks or months. Your role will be to make and write decisions, individually or as part of a panel on more complex disputes in accordance with AFCA rules and financial fairness principles.
You are likely to be at a stage of your career where you have an interest in using your well-developed skills and experience to contribute towards a broader community service role, and equally value greater work-life balance and time for other interests.
Reporting to the Lead Ombudsman Insurance, this role suits a senior lawyer with significant experience, particularly in insurance, or an executive level legally qualified professional with a strong track record of significant achievement and a background in the financial services sector, particularly insurance. You will appreciate the challenge of making decisions about outcomes in general insurance complaints by consumers and small businesses in line with AFCA’s Rules, Operational Guidelines and Approaches. You will bring your expertise and experience to work collegiately with the insurance decision making team and help further enhance the team’s performance.
This is a Board appointed, fixed term role for a period of 3 years with the option for re-appointment.
About you
You are a natural leader who is consultative by nature, with the ability to effectively get to the heart of complex issues. You are efficient when working on engagements and know when to shift between working independently or collaboratively, with and through others. You have a sharp focus, highly effective written and verbal communication skills and a flair for dealing empathetically with a broad cross-section of the community.
Your resilient nature allows you to push through when dealing with criticism from consumers and financial firms. Your business or professional dealings over the last 3 years should not create any unavoidable reasonable perception of possible bias in favour of either financial services firms or consumers.
Applicants are required to hold legal qualifications and have a significant track record of achievement at a senior legal level within the insurance industry or a tribunal, EDR scheme, regulatory agency or related business entity.
Life at AFCA
Our people are at the centre of everything we do. We live and breathe our cultural qualities, which shape how we behave and how we engage with our customers. At AFCA, you will truly feel the difference of working at an organisation which supports people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities to thrive. Our consistently high employee engagement results reflect that AFCA is a truly great place to work and a place where people can contribute, belong and flourish!
To apply
If you are passionate about how we drive fairness in the financial sector and are looking for an organisation that values the human in all of us, we encourage you to apply – even if you don’t meet every single criterion.
We encourage applications from people of all ages, cultures, abilities, sexual orientation and gender identities. We strive to provide a recruitment experience that’s fair, inclusive and accessible. If you have any specific accessibility requirements, please reach out to the recruiter who is managing this process or email us at [email protected].
AFCA is a 2023 Circle Back Initiative Employer – we are committed to responding to every applicant.
