The Standard

Disability Claim Specialist

Portland, OR Full time

The next part of your journey is right around the corner — with The Standard.

A genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others is the foundation for everything we do. With a customer-first mindset and an intentional focus on building strong teams, we’ve been able to uphold our legacy of financial stability while investing in new, innovative technologies that support the needs of our customers. Our high-performance culture focused on operational excellence thrives thanks to remarkable people united by compassion and a customer-first commitment. Are you ready to make a difference?

Job Purpose

Evaluate and manage disability claims—including complex and high-liability cases—by analyzing medical, financial, and policy information. Ensure timely, accurate decisions and payments while delivering responsive service to claimants, group offices, and agents.

Key Responsibilities

  • Claim Evaluation & Decision-Making
    • Investigate medical, occupational, financial, and policy details to determine benefit eligibility.
    • Identify contestable coverage, discrepancies, and potential rescission; consult with internal partners as needed.
    • Approve and communicate claim decisions and issue accurate payments.
  • Disability Management
    • Develop and execute strategies tailored to each claim.
    • Monitor medical status, vocational options, policy provisions, and deductible income to ensure appropriate resolution and payment duration.
  • Stakeholder Communication
    • Handle complex inquiries from claimants, attorneys, policyholders, and field staff.
    • Collaborate across departments to resolve issues and serve as a liaison with Underwriting and Sales.
  • Leadership & Mentorship
    • Review and approve recommendations from junior staff.
    • Provide training and coaching within the team.
    • Support departmental leadership initiatives.
  • Liability Oversight
  • Accurately apply claim offsets and maintain precise system data.

Qualifications

  • Education
    • High School Diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
  • Experience
  • 3–5 years of progressive experience in Individual Disability Insurance (IDI) or Long-Term Disability (LTD) claims

Skills & Knowledge

  • Skills
    • Manage disability claims and respond to complex inquiries
    • Negotiate settlements up to $100,000
    • Identify potential fraud and escalate appropriately
    • Coach and train team members
    • Prioritize high-impact objectives and make sound decisions independently
  • Knowledge
  • Working: Financial and tax reporting for individuals and businesses
  • Advanced: Group and individual disability claims and account administration

Why Join The Standard?

We have built an enduring legacy of stability, financial strength and exceptional customer service through the contributions of the service-oriented people who choose to work at The Standard. To ensure we can attract and retain the best talent, when you join The Standard you can expect:

  • A rich benefits package including medical, dental, vision and a 401(k) plan with matching company contributions

  • An annual incentive bonus plan

  • Generous paid time off including 11 holidays, 2 wellness days, and 8 volunteer hours annually — PTO increases with tenure

  • A supportive, responsive management approach and opportunities for career growth and advancement 

  • Paid parental leave and adoption/surrogacy assistance

  • An employee giving program that double matches your donations to eligible nonprofits and schools

In addition to the competitive salary range below, our employee-focused benefits support work-life balance. Learn more about working at The Standard.

  • Eligibility to participate in an incentive program is subject to the rules governing the program and plan. Any award depends on a variety of factors including individual and organizational performance.

The actual compensation for this role will be based on a combination of education and experience, knowledge and skills, position budget, internal equity, and market data.

Salary Range:

$74,500.00 - $108,750.00

Positions will be posted for at least 5 days from original posting date.

Standard Insurance Company, The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc., StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC, StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc., and American Heritage Life Insurance Company and American Heritage Service Company, marketed as The Standard, are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status or any other condition protected by federal, state or local law. Except where precluded by state or federal law, The Standard will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. The Standard offers a drug- and alcohol-free work environment where possession, manufacture, transfer, offer, use of or being impaired by an illegal substance while on The Standard's property, or in other cases which the company believes might affect operations, safety or reputation of the company is prohibited. The Standard requires a criminal background investigation and employment, education and licensing verification as a condition of employment. After any conditional offer of employment is made, the background check will include an individualized assessment based on the applicant’s specific record and the duties and requirements of the specific job. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain and correct background information. All employees of The Standard must be bondable.