Head of Claims and Insurance

Our client is a fully integrated shipping company, engaged in commercial vessel operations, ship management, marketing and consultancy. Their concept is “shipping with confidence” – reliable, affordable and sustainable delivery of commodities, products and equipment across the seven oceans. Their fast-growing team of proactive and passionate professionals is based in Cyprus, Greece, and the UAE.

Location: Cyprus (relocation required)

Languages: Fluent English and Russian (spoken and written)

About the Role:

We are a shipping company operating a mixed fleet of owned and chartered/leased vessels. We are looking for a Head of Claims and Insurance to take full ownership of our claims handling and insurance program. This is a hands-on leadership role: the successful candidate will personally manage claims and insurance operations, not only supervise a team. A team member currently handling claims is on maternity leave and will return to work under this position once back.

Key Responsibilities:

Claims Handling:

• Manage off-spec claims (claims related to substandard/poor-quality bunker fuel).
• Handle P&I (Protection and Indemnity) claims.
• Handle cargo claims.
• Handle crew-related claims.
• Manage all matters related to shipowners' liability insurance and Hull & Machinery (H&M) claims.
• Track claims from notification through to resolution and recovery, working with brokers, insurers, P&I clubs and legal counsel as needed.

Insurance Management

• Own end-to-end organization of the company's insurance program, covering both the owned fleet and the chartered/leased fleet.
• Manage the relationship with existing insurance brokers who support placement and servicing of the fleet's insurance.
• Maintain and update insurance reporting (a dedicated insurance ledger/tracking sheet).
• Support renewal cycles, coverage reviews and documentation.
• Escalate strategic insurance decisions to the CEO while owning day-to-day execution.

Requirements:

• Proven experience in maritime/shipping insurance and claims handling, ideally covering P&I, H&M, cargo, off-spec fuel and crew-related claims.
• Background can come from a law firm/maritime legal practice or from an insurance company's claims department — a legal degree is a strong plus but not mandatory.
• Practical experience with complex claims situations, including vessel arrests and cross-jurisdictional issues.
• Fluent English and Russian, written and spoken.
• Willingness to relocate to Cyprus.
• A hands-on, self-sufficient operator who is comfortable personally performing operational work, not only managing a team.

Nice to Have:

• Prior experience in a Head/Manager-level role overseeing both claims and insurance functions.
• Experience managing insurance programs across a mixed fleet (owned + chartered/leased vessels).

What They Offer:

• A permanent, senior leadership position with full ownership of the claims and insurance function.
• Competitive compensation (based on experience), plus performance-related KPIs tied to claims and insurance outcomes.
• Relocation support to Cyprus.