Manager, Data Services
Department: Data Services
Manager: VP of Data Services
Compensation: $110,000 - $130,000 | Exempt
Location: Preferred Local to MN / Open to Remote
About the Company
The Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Insurers Association (MWCIA) is a data-driven organization supporting Minnesota’s workers’ compensation system. We provide trusted, transparent information that strengthens the industry and ultimately helps protect people. At MWCIA, you’ll join a collaborative, purpose-driven team that values both precision and people.
Our work matters, and so do the individuals who do it. We are guided by our core values:
- Customer First – We listen, respond, and serve
- Quality Focused – We take pride in our accuracy
- Always Learning – We grow skills, knowledge, and community
- With Empathy – We care for people, not just the process
- Objective – We apply rules with fairness and clarity
MWCIA offers meaningful work and opportunities to grow professionally while contributing to a mission that impacts workers and employers across Minnesota.
Overview:
The Data Services Manager leads the team responsible for collecting policy and unit statistical data, and is accountable for data collection, coverage verification, and experience rating services the team delivers. The manager partners with internal stakeholders, MWCIA members, and industry partners to define business needs, resolve data quality issues, and improve systems supporting the organization’s mission. The manager ensures the team upholds MWCIA standards and complies with regulations from the State of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and U.S. Department of Labor.
A central focus of this role is leading the team through MWCIA’s modernization efforts, which will fundamentally change how data is collected – guiding the team through the transition, sustaining performance and data quality throughout, and helping shape how the function will operate in the new environment.
Key Responsibilities:
- People Management: Strong leadership and people skills to promote a culture of high performance. Provides coaching and critical feedback to direct reports. Ability to create performance plans, evaluate performance, and produce performance assessment documents.
- Change Leadership: Leads the Data Services team through organizational and technology transformation initiatives. Drives adoption of new business processes, systems, and operating models while maintaining service levels, employee engagement, and data quality. Builds readiness for change through communication, coaching, training, and continuous feedback.
- Data Governance: Accountable for the quality, integrity, and regulatory compliance of collected data. Ensures the team upholds data governance policies, data standards, data retention policies, and validations.
- Data Collection: Oversees the team who collects policy and unit statistical data and is responsible for the team complying with MWCIA standards and other regulatory requirements. Continuous refinement of data standards, data governance policies, edits, data validation tests, and data collection processes and tools including the reimagination of data collection through MWCIA’s multi-year legacy systems replacement initiative.
- Customer Support: Cultivates “customer first” behaviors in the team and accountable for the service experienced by stakeholders in the successful outcome of data reporting issues, transaction processing questions, and error resolution. Owns the fulfillment of the Proof of Coverage reporting service to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and USL&HW reporting to the U. S. Department of Labor.
- Systems Ownership: Responsible for the collection of business requirements and capabilities of new business applications and changes to existing systems. Supports user acceptance testing including regression testing of all system changes to ensure the highest quality outcome.
- Collaboration: Collaborates with cross-functional teams to address data accuracy issues. Works closely with both internal and external stakeholders to provide data-driven insights. Participates in industry groups, including committees and project teams, to promote uniformity and ensure that all proposed specifications are in harmony with MWCIA’s data quality standards.
- Communication: Prepares and presents clear and concise reports and presentations to communicate findings, recommendations, and process improvements.
- Risk Management: Leads periodic risk assessment exercises for Data Services. Identifies potential risks associated with data collection, business processes, and systems. Delivers risk assessment reports and recommended action plans to senior leadership. Develops contingency plans and strategies to address unforeseen issues.
- Continuous Improvement: Regularly evaluates the effectiveness of existing data collection infrastructure by gathering customer feedback and observing internal processing and procedures. Identifies and brings forward opportunities for improvement.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in data science, Business Administration, math, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- Proven leadership experience (5+ years) in a similar role, supporting data collection and validation for both internal and external stakeholders, managing individuals and teams.
- Proven ability to identify and implement process improvements.
- Strong problem-solving and analytical abilities.
- Experienced project lead/SME with strong project management skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficiency with MS Office 365 tools, Asana or other project management tools, database query tools, and Power BI.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Strong knowledge of Insurance, Workers’ Compensation, and data collection.
- Mature understanding of the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Organizations (WCIO) data reporting specifications and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI).
- Certification or experience in relevant industry domains (e.g.: WCIO, IAIABC, NCCI, NAIC, AIDA, CIDM, CPCU, WCP, etc.) is a plus.
Benefits & Perks
• 6 weeks (216 hours) of paid time off annually
• Medical and Dental coverage (75% employer-paid / 25% employee-paid)
• Vision coverage (employee-paid option)
• 401(k) plan options including Traditional, Roth, and After-Tax contributions with company match
• 100% employer-paid Short-Term Disability and Parental Leave
• Monthly employee activities, including catered lunches
• Convenient Edina location near I-494 & France Avenue with on-site restaurants
• Access to Centennial Lakes walking trails and complimentary fitness center
Equal Opportunity Statement
This job description does not necessarily list all the functions or accountabilities of the job. Employees may be asked by management to perform additional duties and tasks. Management reserves the