Director of Claims, Safety, and Asset Protection

Position Summary

WKS Restaurant Group is seeking an accomplished and highly strategic Director, Claims, Safety & Asset Protection Strategy to lead the enterprise-wide oversight and performance acceleration of our claims, litigation, and safety programs. This Director-level role is responsible for driving the rapid closure of workers’ compensation and liability claims, developing collaborative litigation strategies, and ensuring alignment between third-party partners and internal stakeholders across Operations, HR, and Legal.

In addition to owning the claims lifecycle and litigation management, the role will serve as the strategic architect of our industrial safety framework, partnering with Compliance and Operations to strengthen execution of OSHA-aligned programs housed in our proprietary Simple But Needed (SBN) safety platform. The role also offers advisory leadership over asset protection and loss prevention, collaborating with field teams and investigative partners to identify and mitigate risks.

This role is built for a claims and litigation subject matter expert with exceptional skills in stakeholder leadership, partner accountability, root cause analysis, and outcome-based decision-making. It is central to WKS’s risk mitigation strategy and carries direct influence on operational performance, cost containment, and legal posture.

Key Responsibilities

Claims Management & Litigation Oversight (Primary Focus – 70%)

• Own and direct the full lifecycle of claims management—from intake to resolution—for all workers’ compensation and general liability claims, ensuring the organization achieves maximum speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
• Lead the performance management of TPAs, broker claims advocates, and outside defense counsel, including:

o Quarterly and annual scorecard reviews.

o Engagement protocols, service-level agreements, and escalation pathways.

o Reserve setting practices and litigation cost control.

• Develop and enforce litigation strategy playbooks, aligned to regional and brand-specific risk tolerances.
• Personally manage or direct high-severity, high-profile, or litigated claims, coordinating with Legal and external counsel to minimize exposure and liability.
• Proactively review claims trends and legal activity, flagging emerging risks, adverse jurisdictional trends, or operational gaps for corrective action.
• Interface with Operations and HR leadership to instill local ownership of claims and ensure accountability for reporting, witness engagement, modified duty coordination, and return-to-work efforts.
• Conduct monthly and quarterly claim review meetings with TPAs and internal stakeholders, preparing executive summaries and dashboards to inform senior leadership.
• Drive compliance with reporting requirements, insurer notifications, Medicare set-asides, and CMS filings as applicable. Safety Program Strategy & Partnership (20%)
• Act as the strategic advisor and program owner for industrial safety, partnering with:

o The Compliance Manager (for field-level adherence and reporting).

o The Operations Managers and GMs (for execution within each restaurant concept).

o The HR team (for training alignment and risk-related performance management).

• Leverage the Simple But Needed (SBN) safety platform to embed field-accessible resources, incident response protocols, Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) documents, safety checklists, and training logs.
• Advise on enhancements to the safety platform, data analytics, and usability, without assuming daily management responsibilities.
• Monitor OSHA activity, state-specific compliance changes, and safety-related citations, ensuring legal counsel and Compliance are informed for rapid remediation.
• Evaluate near-miss, first-aid only, and claim-converting incidents to identify root causes and system-level interventions.

Asset Protection & Loss Prevention Advisory (10%)

• Support field-driven asset protection and loss prevention strategies by advising on:

o Large-scale investigations or theft rings.

o Policy refinement related to cash handling, surveillance, and inventory control.

o LP training tools and field engagement practices.

• Collaborate with the SVP of Risk, HR & Legal and The Integritus Group, who retain primary ownership of AP program design and investigative execution.
• Monitor incident patterns, theft-related claims, and recurring vulnerabilities that may indicate breakdowns in controls or supervision.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as a key thought partner to Legal, HR, Finance, Operations, and Compliance, ensuring that claims, safety, and risk strategies align with enterprise goals.
• Participate in cross-functional working groups on enterprise risk, labor relations, and operational safety innovation.
• Assist Finance in legal spend tracking, claims reserve accuracy, and the integration of claims data into financial forecasting.
• Mentor and develop the administrative-level support role to ensure consistent documentation, vendor communication, and project execution.

Qualifications & Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in workers’ compensation claims, general liability, and litigation management; restaurant, hospitality, or retail industry experience strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of California and multi-state workers’ compensation laws, OSHA/IIPP requirements, and claim litigation trends.
• Demonstrated ability to lead external vendors, resolve escalated claims, and influence closure strategies with competing stakeholder interests.
• Experience guiding or contributing to safety compliance programs and understanding field-level operational realities.
• Strong working knowledge of claims systems, TPA platforms, and safety documentation tools (prior use of ViaOne, CareMC, Origami, Riskonnect, or similar is a plus).
• Executive presence and strong business acumen with the ability to translate data into action and present to senior leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; advanced degree, ARM, AIC, CSP, or similar credentials are desirable, and achievement of the ARM will be expected in the first 36 months of employment.

Compensation & Performance Incentives

• Base Salary: $165,000 – $175,000
• Annual Bonus Potential: 15%, based on:

o 40% achievement of individual Management Action Planning (MAP) goals.

o 60% based on company-wide financial target performance.

Work Environment & Travel Expectations

• Hybrid schedule: 80% remote, 20% in-person at WKS headquarters in Cypress, CA.
• Occasional travel (up to 10%) for field visits, TPA meetings, legal proceedings, and asset protection engagements as needed.