Job Advert Summary

(Land Bank) is South Africa’s only specialist agricultural bank established in 1912, the bank’s sole objective is to serve South African commercial and emerging farmers and bring specially designed financial services within their reach. These services enable farmers to finance land, equipment, improve assets and obtain production credit. The Land Bank provides financial services that have moved with the times and continues to provide services to agri-business and constantly reviews its offerings to ensure that they match the needs of an industry. As change has swept across the sector in South Africa the socio-economic makeup of agriculture has altered, bringing new entrants from historically disadvantaged backgrounds on to the land, these new farmers, facing the challenges of establishing sustainable agri-businesses across the agricultural value chain, Land Bank has been a commercial lifeline offering appropriately designed financial products that facilitate personal and commercial viability in a sector that is vital to the sustainability of South Africa and its people.
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB
To support the claims function is managing claims efficiently, driving down loss ratios and optimising crop damage assessment procedures.
To drive strategic projects with a view of improving underwriting results and maintaining desired business performance.

Key Performance Areas

1. Claims management

• Develop end to end claims and assessment management processes and procedures for the crop insurance business.
• Assess, validate and quantify major crop claims and provide detailed claims and damage reports to management.
• Develop processes to ensure that assessments are conducted in line with approved policies and procedures.
• Approve claim assessment costs and scrinitize any anomalies.
• Ensure that all claims are conducted by independent and appropriately accredited assessors.
• Analyse the claims loss ratio by commodity type and work with the underwriting, actuarial and sales team to drive improvements.
• Maintain geolocated claims data and use tools such as GIS to control claims exposure.
• Lead research and development in improving claim protocols and assessment procedures.
• Assist in training and accrediting new crop assessors.
• Participate in local and international industry forums on loss adjusting and drive the implementation of new technologies for facilitate remote assessment of small claims.
• Oversee the claims process relating to parametric insurance solutions for both crop and livestock products.
• Work with vetenerians and other assessors to assess and validate livestock insurance claims.

2. Strategic Projects

• Lead and develop the regional and commodity level climate change management strategy.
• Participate in industry climate change initiatives and keep abreast with international best practice.
• Build a repository and knowledge base on climate change and the impact on agricultural insurance.
• Work closely with the risk department to identify emerging climate risk patternrs at a regional and commodity level.
• Lead and develop the framework for premium discounting and rebates based on farmers adaptation of climate smart agricultural.
• Support on-going product development and enhancements to crop, parametric and livestock insurance products.
• Lead market reseach and farmer surveys to obtain insights that will drive new product development.
• Support the development o farmer development programmes and the development of consumer education programmes.
• Lead stakeholder site visits to farms and demonstrations of crop assessment procedures.

3. Facilitate Training

• Train the relevant Staff on products, processes, and claims.
• Receive a request for the training and analyse to determine the nature and extent of the training; or
• Identify the need for training in accordance with queries and staff application.
• Conduct a Training Needs Analysis to determine the exact learning requirement.
• Define the learning objectives in accordance with the learning requirement.
• Develop the learning material in accordance with the objectives; or
• Update and improve current training material to reflect new information and business imperatives.
• Consult the requester to ensure that the learning material will address the needs.
• Determine the facilitation technique required to facilitate the training.
• Determine the equipment required to assist in the facilitation of the learning
• Arrange the training event with the relevant role players.
• Facilitate the training in accordance with the learning objectives.
• Continuously evaluate the learning to ensure that the learners are competent.
• Evaluate the training to determine areas of excellence and areas of improvements
• Assess the attendants to determine competence level.
• Determine additional learning requirements and inform the relevant role players
• Conduct training in accordance with policies, procedures and legal requirements
• Conduct training within allocated time frames and budget.

Preferred Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Agriculture or Plant Production
• Experience in Crop Insurance - 8 Years
• Insurance Experience - 8 Years

Critical Competencies

• Advanced Microsoft Office
• Knowledge and understanding of the insurance products and services available to the agricultural industry to stay abreast of the industry with attractive agricultural insurance products and services
• Knowledge and understanding of the elements and instruments utilised in sound financial planning activities
• Knowledge of Short term and long term insurance industry
• Knowledge of relevant legislation applicable to insurance companies such as PFMA, Short and long term Insurance Acts,

Additional Requirements

• Travel extensively
• Extended hours as and when required and Driver’s Licence (Code 08)