Operations Support Associate - 70393

DESCRIPTION/RESPONSIBILITIES: Penn National Insurance has a great opportunity to join our team as an Operations Support Associate. This is a hybrid position reporting to our office in Harrisburg, PA.

For basic, routine systems maintenance & enhancements, and non-complex new internally developed or purchased third-party software product/systems: * This position is responsible for designing, developing, coordinating and implementing automated & non automated solutions. * This position tests all internally developed or purchased third-party software and/or services to ensure quality and product expectations are met. * This position conducts business process analyses, needs assessments and defines functional, system and program requirements to ensure information technology solutions are aligned with business initiatives.

COMPETENCIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES OF THE OPERATIONS SUPPORT ASSOCIATE

Team Building    Training * Mentors and trains less experienced staff and new employees on new activities as assigned. * Creates system training manuals and job aids.  * Develops and delivers system training courses for corporate and service office business clients or agents on non-complex new and existing system functionality. 

Attention to Details Troubleshooting and Problem Resolution * Provides application help desk and incoming call support.  May be called upon to provide 2nd level call support in support of Operations Support Technician handling of calls.  * Reviews system-generated error logs and balancing reports.  * Researches system errors and production issues for assigned applications and independently works to resolve basic or routine problems and develops a course of action for correction. * Researches data quality issues upon request from the EDW Team. * At the direction of the Department Manager, Project Manager, or Systems/Operations Support Specialists, may research non-routine, non-complex issues to identify specific data problems, systemic issues, and root causes.    * Plans and coordinates problem resolution activities. Focus at this level is non-routine problems/issues of a non-complex nature and is cross-functional including Information Technology, Claims, Actuarial, and others as deemed necessary. * Provides guidance, direction and training to Operations Support Technicians who can't resolve problems independently.

Client Interaction * For assigned business requirements, change requests, state or line of business assignments, at the direction of the Department Manager, Project Manager, Systems or Operations Support Specialists, interacts with Home Office Underwriting Staff or other Division Management Staff to clarify and confirm project expectations; seeks understanding of upcoming requests; and when production issues occur, provides input on how issues may be resolved. * Interacts with IT, processing, underwriting and claims offices, CCC, claims, agents and vendors to clarify requirements and resolve production problems for their assigned systems.  * Incoming support requests (calls / emails from service offices and agents) -- may be regularly assigned to department Help Desk and email folders for assigned systems.  * May provide direction and guidance to less experienced staff assigned to incoming support requests (calls / emails from service offices and agents).

Documentation * Creates, updates and modifies systems documentation including, but not limited to: business or systems requirements, change requests, workbooks, test matrices, test cases, and report layouts on changes or non-complex new product development. Documentation is used by programmers/developers to program changes to production systems. * Develops and updates systems reference and user training manuals and Job Aids for assigned projects or at the direction of the Department Manager, Project Manager, or Systems/Operations Support Specialists. * Provides input on agency an office communications. * Develops agency and office communications.

Quality Orientation Research Analysis and Evaluation * Collaborates with technical, HO Underwriting, Claims and Finance, Division Management, etc. on changes/enhancements and non-complex new product development and resulting systems implications. Analyze and research business and systems information gathered from multiple and diverse sources.  Uses information to develop business and systems requirements. Focus at this level may be cross-functional, including Information Technology, Claims, Actuarial, and others as deemed necessary. * Selects best approach to complete assignments and gains by-in on approach for each assignment.  Following the guidance of the assigned Operations Support Specialist or Systems Support Specialist or Department Manager, identifies, develops and integrates new and existing processes/procedures, operational and strategic initiatives, including: quality, service, productivity, profitability, management information and expense management, Designs and creates basic ad hoc reports for the purpose of making business decisions. * Gathers and researches systems information from various sources and uses that information to develop non-complex business requirements or change requests.

Vendor Management For existing vendor partnerships/interfaces: * Creates, updates and modifies vendor systems documentation and business requirements. * Provides business and systems direction to vendor staff. * Works with vendor and IT to develop and execute project plans.

Leadership At the Direction of Department Manager or the Systems and Operations Support Specialist: * Reviews Operations Support Technician test results. * May coordinate and conduct cross-functional meetings. * Within defined parameters, negotiate target dates as necessary.  * Mentors team members. * Crosstrain team members.

Positive Approach   Initiative Based on direction provided by Department Manager, accommodates changing assignments, suggesting appropriate priorities to manager or team leader as needed.  Independently takes action to achieve goals beyond what is required, being proactive; makes constructive suggestions; actively participates in team meetings. * Provides assistance on other projects/duties as assigned. * Performs miscellaneous clerical duties as assigned.

Applied Learning  * Participates in self-development to maintain the currency necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Performs various projects requested or assigned by the Application Manager, Internal Operations Business Systems Support Manager or Project Manager

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE OPERATIONS SUPPORT ASSOCIATE

Education/Credentials * Associates degree required or 2 years comparable work experience required * Continuing education and self-improvement in insurance related courses such as IIA, CPCU, etc. preferred

Experience * A minimum of 3 years of experience in automated systems processing/testing within the Property and Casualty insurance environment

Technical/Professional Knowledge * Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook * Demonstrated multitasking skills. * Demonstrated ability to work in a team environment. * Demonstrated customer service skills * Demonstrated verbal and written skills * Demonstrated ability to manually rate all transactions for one or more lines of business. * Demonstrated ability to interpret