Manager, Actuarial Platforms

Pacific Life; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare

Life Insurance

Retirement plan

Gym membership

Volunteer time off

Job summary

Pacific Life Re seeks an Actuarial Platforms Manager to lead a team delivering reliable actuarial modelling and analytical platforms. You will manage people, plan work, govern processes and coordinate day-to-day activities, freeing the AVP to focus on strategic priorities and major changes.

The role requires strong leadership, governance, risk management and collaboration with actuarial stakeholders and wider Technology teams across global platforms.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading, managing and developing people with performance reviews and development planning.
• Strong workload management, prioritisation and resource planning skills.
• Experience in planning, tracking delivery and management reporting across multiple priorities.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with constructive challenge.
• Knowledge of technology risk, governance and controls including change and access management.
• Ability to own complex workloads and drive actions to completion with minimal supervision.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Platform Analyst team with regular one-to-ones, objective setting and development planning.
• Run team meetings, governance forums and prioritise workload across the team.
• Own quarterly planning, track delivery, risks and dependencies with escalation when needed.
• Maintain platform health, oversee issues, risks and continuous improvement.
• Coordinate audit, risk, control activities and governance actions across Actuarial Platforms.
• Engage with stakeholders and wider Technology teams to resolve priorities and resource constraints.

Skills

People leadership

Workload management

Delivery planning

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Communication

Job description

Job Title Manager, Actuarial Platforms

Job Description The Technology function is responsible for the security, resilience and evolution of Pacific Life Re’s technology estate. It is organised into four core areas: Global Technology Solutions, Platforms & Products Global Service & Infrastructure Management Enterprise Architecture & Data Technology Risk This role sits within the Actuarial Platforms team, part of Global Technology Solutions. The team supports technology used by Corporate Actuarial, Pricing, and Research & Development teams globally and is responsible for the reliable operation of business-critical actuarial modelling and analytical platforms. The platforms supported by the team include actuarial modelling tools, assumptions management, asset cashflow optimisation, analytical environments, Python and SQL-based solutions, and high-performance computing platforms used for large-scale workflow orchestration.

Role Overview

We are looking to recruit an Actuarial Platforms Manager to lead and support our team of Platform Analysts. This is an active management and coordination role with responsibility for the people, planning, governance and day-to-day coordination needed to keep the Actuarial Platforms function running effectively. The successful candidate will ensure that Platform Analysts have clear priorities, manageable workloads, appropriate support and opportunities to develop. Working closely with the AVP, Actuarial Platforms, the manager will take ownership of the day-to-day management, planning, governance and operational coordination of the Actuarial Platforms function. The role will ensure that routine management activities are driven to completion, freeing the AVP to focus on strategic priorities, technology direction and major change initiatives. The successful candidate must be comfortable working in a technical environment, asking appropriate questions, challenging constructively and ensuring that decisions and actions have clear ownership.

Role Responsibilities

People Leadership & Development

Manage the Platform Analyst team, including regular one-to-ones, objective setting, performance reviews and development planning. Coach and support team members, providing clear feedback and creating opportunities for development and progression. Build capability and resilience across the team through knowledge sharing, cross-training and succession planning. Support recruitment, onboarding and wider people-management activities across the Actuarial Platforms and Technology functions.

Team Management

Run regular team meetings, operational reviews, planning workshops and other team forums. Establish clear ownership and follow-through for team actions, decisions, risks and dependencies. Manage and prioritise workload across the Platform Analyst team, balancing operational support, change, project and governance activities. Coordinate team cover around leave, critical business periods and competing priorities. Continuously improve how the team organises, communicates and manages its work, reducing unnecessary administration where possible.

Planning & Reporting

Own and coordinate the Actuarial Platforms quarterly planning process, including demand, priorities, dependencies and resource requirements. Maintain the team's plans, actions, risks and dependencies, ensuring owners and deadlines are clear and follow-up happens. Track delivery against agreed priorities and proactively identify slippage, capacity constraints and areas requiring escalation. Produce concise management reporting and status updates for the AVP and relevant governance forums.

Operational Oversight

Maintain oversight of platform health, operational issues, recurring problems and risks across the Actuarial Platforms estate. Horizon scan for upcoming business activity, platform changes, lifecycle concerns, resource constraints and other emerging risks. Ensure significant issues have clear ownership, appropriate escalation and are followed through to resolution. Help drive continuous improvement across platform operations, resilience, monitoring, documentation and support processes.

Risk, Controls & Governance

Own the coordination and tracking of recurring audit, risk, control and governance activities across Actuarial Platforms. Coordinate user & privileged access reviews, control attestations, audit evidence, remediation actions and other recurring control obligations. Ensure governance actions and approvals are completed within agreed timescales, proactively chasing outstanding items. Review and authorise activities within delegated authority, escalating exceptions and material risks appropriately.

Stakeholder & Wider Technology Engagement

Act as a key management contact for the Platform Analyst team, working closely with actuarial stakeholders and wider Technology teams. Coordinate cross-team activity and help resolve priorities, dependencies, ownership gaps and resource constraints. Represent Actuarial Platforms in relevant operational, planning and governance forums. Support the AVP, Actuarial Platforms with wider resource management, reporting, governance and team activities.

Competencies

Skills & Experience

Essential Proven experience leading, managing and developing people, including performance management and objective setting. Strong workload management, prioritisation and resource planning skills. Experience of planning, tracking delivery and management reporting across multiple priorities. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the confidence to challenge constructively. Experience working within a Technology, Platforms, Application Support or similar technical environment. Good understanding of technology risk, governance and controls, including change, access management and audit. Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing demands and ensure actions are followed through. Ability to identify and manage risks, issues and dependencies, escalating appropriately. Proven ability to take ownership of complex workloads, proactively drive actions through to completion and operate effectively with limited supervision.

Desirable

Background in insurance, reinsurance, financial services or another regulated environment. Previous responsibility for teams supporting business-critical applications or technology platforms. Practical experience of audit, risk remediation, access reviews and change management. Familiarity of quarterly planning, demand management and resource forecasting. Broad understanding of modern technology platforms, infrastructure, cloud and automation.

Working For Pacific Life Re

Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of course, we take our work seriously and we know our team can operate under great pressure. We work hard and thrive on achievement, but we also know how to have fun and relax too. We regularly host a range of team building days to strengthen our team's connection with each other and reflect on their successes. Providing employees with a healthy work-life balance is very important to our culture. We have a wide range of employee benefits and we host regular social activities and well being initiatives. We are also committed to supporting our employee's involvement in their communities, by actively fundraising, hosting charity events and overseeing volunteering opportunities.

Benefits (Only for Permanent and Fixed Term Employees)

• Leave 25 days of annual leave with option to buy/sell more days
• Adoption and fertility leave
• Generous enhanced parental leave
• Healthcare Comprehensive private insurance coverage for employee and dependents
• Group Life Insurance coverage of 9x basic annual salary and Group Income Protection up to 75% of basic annual salary
• Optical benefits
• Savings & Retirement 15% combined employee/employer contributions
• Wellness Subsidized gym membership
• Access to Employee Assistance Program
• Cycle to Work and Electric Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Time off for volunteering
• Charitable matching of employee donations

You Can Be Who You Are

We are committed to a culture of diversity and inclusion that embraces the authenticity of all employees, partners and communities.

We support all employees to thrive and achieve their fullest potential.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we will provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. Please contact us about your needs so that we can discuss these with you to make sure that suitable adjustments are made, where possible.

Pacific Life Re Values

At Pacific Life Re, our vision is to bring an innovative and dynamic approach to the marketplace. Our global team is not afraid to disrupt and challenge industry thinking to provide the best life and health reinsurance services possible. Working in some of the most complex and fast-moving markets has taught us that knowledge and innovation go hand in hand. Today, we are continuing our rapid growth internationally with offices across Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and Bermuda. With over 1000 employees across the globe, we take pride in our inclusive culture, underpinned by our values and behaviours, providing an environment where everyone can grow and develop.