Director Of Risk Management Western Washington University

Join the dynamic team at Western Washington University on-site in Bellingham, WA, as their new Director of Risk Management! You'll play a crucial role in enhancing their resilience and responsiveness. They are all about a proactive approach to risk, not just building barriers but creating sturdy fences with a bold risk appetite. Your team-player spirit is key to success in this position. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience, you'll lead the charge in elevating enterprise Risk Management services. Be the driving force behind strategic direction, structured risk reduction, and collaborative Risk Management strategies.

Ready to make a positive impact? Apply now to build a resilient future with WWU!

Another Source’s client, Western Washington University (WWU), is recruiting a Director of Risk Management to join their team in Bellingham, WA.  

About the University  

Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings. 

Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties. 

About the Department  

The Department of Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity. 

The Department of Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience (RESR) works to ensure that the university can maintain and preserve its mission and strategic plan of advancing student success, increasing Washington impact, and enhancing academic excellence through providing a safe and healthy environment in which to learn, work, and visit. 

RESR’s vision is to create a resilient university while protecting the university by facilitating the coordination and integration of all activities necessary to ensure a safety-conscious, well-trained, well-equipped workforce that utilizes best practices and industry standards to support and improve the university’s ability to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, continue operations during, and recover from known and emergent risks. 

About the Position  

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Risk, Ethics, Safety, and Resilience (AVP-RESR), the Director of Risk Management is viewed as the university’s chief risk officer and is responsible for the daily operation and strategic direction of enterprise Risk Management at the university. The position's main responsibility is to elevate enterprise Risk Management services by providing direction, leadership, and a structured approach to reducing risk.  

The position also serves as provider and consultant to the university community for traditional Risk Management responsibilities by managing the university's insurance and self-insurance programs, working in partnership with individual areas to formulate, implement, administer, and evaluate Risk Management strategies to manage risk efficiently and cost-effectively within those areas.  Duties include conducting contractual risk analysis, seeking restitution from culpable third parties, and managing property and liability insurance claims. 

Primary Job Functions: 

Risk Management  

• Provides guidance and process to university employees and leadership on best practices and practical solutions for identifying, assessing, and responding to risk. 
• In collaboration with university stakeholders, develops and administers a comprehensive Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program to identify, assess and respond to strategic, reputational, operational, compliance, and financial risks. 
• Maintains current professional skills and knowledge regarding Risk Management practices, and risks related to higher education. 
• In coordination with management, the position develops, manages, and implements university policies and procedures to respond to risk associated with university activities. Member of the university's Policy Technical Review Committee.   
• May respond to emergencies and disasters as part of the university’s incident command system (ICS) or other response team. 
• Responsible for the daily administration of the university’s traditional Risk Management program and its related functions. 

• Provides advice to individuals within the university community who have substantive responsibility for managing risk in their areas. 
• This position supports the university’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program and activities. 

Legal, Contracts, Claims, and Restitution  

• Analyzes contracts and agreements entered into by the university with respect to indemnity, insurance, and other risk-related provisions and makes recommendations for mitigating contractual liability and risk.  
• Writes provisions relating to university contracts, agreements, and risk-related forms, focusing on indemnity, hold harmless, insurance and other risk-related provisions. 
• Reviews incoming and issues outbound Certificates of Insurance.  
• Participates in training and outreach with the university’s Contract Administration and Procurement offices.  
• Oversees claims and lawsuits by analyzing insurance policies or self-insurance for coverage, recommends possible resolutions, and facilitates insurance submissions and payments.  
• Conducts claim investigations and legal discovery when necessary.  
• Collaborates with the Attorney General’s Office, outside counsel, and the Washington State Office of Risk Management on litigation, potential litigation/claims, and represents the university in defense or settlement discussions. 
• Collaborates with insurance adjusters on property damage or loss claims. 
• Seeks restitution from culpable third parties, including those under contract, that cause damage or loss to university assets. 
• Collaborates with the university’s ethics advisor on responding to employee requests for guidance on the state ethics laws. 

Risk-Finance and Insurance  

• Negotiates, procures, and manages property, liability, and student insurance policies, and, if applicable, alternative risk-financing programs.  Assures timely renewals, policy issuances, provides underwriting data, and amends coverage as the university’s exposure to risk changes. 
• Establishes and implements the university policy for allocation of costs for insurance and other Risk Management expenses to appropriate divisions, colleges, departments or programs, or other stakeholders. 
• Arranges online self-enrollment and payment solutions for voluntary and hard waiver student insurance plans. 
• Develops and manages contractual and administrative relationships with third-party service providers, including insurance brokers, insurers, claims adjusters, and the State of Washington. 
• Assists university stakeholders in seeking public assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) and the Washington State Emergency Management Division when it becomes available. 

Administration  

• Manages several institutional and self-sustaining budgets related to Risk Management and insurance expenses.  Budgets are over $1,000,000 in expenses flowing through them each year.  
• Evaluates legislative proposals, which may affect the Risk Management and insurance program, and advises senior management on recommended actions regarding such legislation. 
• Develops and conducts training, briefings, and other presentations on Risk Management and insurance strategies for university audiences as requested. 
• Represents Risk Management on university committees and project teams. Chairs risk-related university committees and project teams. 
• Oversees maintenance of the Risk Management and insurance website and, if applicable, the Risk Management Information System.  
• Complies with university policies and procedures, state laws, and state regulations as required to successfully accomplish the duties of the position. 
• Serves as compliance owner or compliance partner for areas identified by the university compliance program. 

Supervision 

• Provides oversight, direction, and guidance to the university compliance program through the University Compliance Officer. 
• Oversees annual employee evaluations, employee training and development, equipment, payroll, and human resource needs. 
• Clearly communicates the unit’s mission and goals to the staff.  Facilitates, coaches, and supports the employee’s effort to succeed.    

Special Projects/Committees