R&D Actuary

Vitality; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus schemes

Pension match up to 6%

Vitality health insurance

Life assurance: 4x salary

Job summary

Vitality is seeking an experienced R&D Actuary to join the Enterprise R&D Lab, driving development of innovative life and health insurance products. You will lead pricing design, strategic research, and cross‑functional collaboration with Technology, Change, and Operations to deliver viable propositions.

Responsibilities include translating strategy into commercial insurance solutions, presenting to executives, and mentoring the team to raise actuarial standards across the function.

Qualifications

• Qualified Actuary with a strong track record in product development, pricing or proposition design.
• Experience developing and implementing complex insurance products within a Life, Health or related financial services environment.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance customer outcomes, risk and business performance.
• Advanced actuarial modelling and analytical skills, with confidence interpreting data and translating insights into strategic recommendations.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience influencing senior leaders and presenting to executive audiences.
• Ability to lead and contribute to cross-functional projects involving Technology, Change, Digital and Operations teams.
• Experience defining business requirements and translating product concepts into successful operational delivery.
• Knowledge of actuarial modelling tools such as Prophet and proficiency in Excel
• Experience using analytical and data tools such as SQL, R or Python would be advantageous

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of innovative product propositions, translating strategic objectives into commercially viable insurance solutions.
• Own the actuarial design and pricing of new product structures, balancing customer value, commercial performance and risk considerations.
• Provide thought leadership on emerging market trends, customer needs and industry developments to identify future product opportunities.
• Develop compelling business cases and present complex actuarial concepts to executive audiences, influencing key strategic decisions and investment priorities.
• Act as a senior subject matter expert throughout product implementation, partnering with Technology, Change, Digital and Operations teams to ensure delivery aligns with original product intent.
• Take ownership of end-to-end product specifications, ensuring robust governance, clear requirements and successful operational execution.
• Establish and oversee product performance frameworks, using data-driven insights to evaluate outcomes and recommend enhancements or corrective action.
• Drive continuous innovation across Life and Health propositions, identifying opportunities to improve competitiveness, customer engagement and business value.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship within the R&D function, raising capability and supporting the development of actuarial best practice.
• Lead or contribute to high-profile strategic projects, acting as a trusted partner and escalation point for senior stakeholders across the business.

Skills

Product development

Actuarial analysis to actions

Stakeholder management

Education

Qualified Actuary

Tools

Prophet

Excel

Job description

About The Role

Team – Enterprise R&D Lab

Working Pattern - Hybrid – 2 days per week in the Vitality London Office. Full time, 37.5 hours per week.

We are happy to discuss flexible working!

Top 3 skills needed for this role:

• Proven product development experience


• Expertise in translating actuarial analysis into impactful business actions and outcomes


• Strong stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills

What this role is all about:

We're looking for an R&D Actuary to join our Enterprise R&D team, supporting the development of innovative insurance products across VitalityLife and VitalityHealth. This role will help develop and execute the R&D strategy while leading product research, design and pricing activities, working across the full product lifecycle from concept through to implementation and ongoing optimisation. The position partners closely with senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams to deliver commercially viable propositions that support business strategy and member outcomes.

Key Actions

• Lead the development and execution of innovative product propositions, translating strategic objectives into commercially viable insurance solutions


• Own the actuarial design and pricing of new product structures, balancing customer value, commercial performance and risk considerations


• Provide thought leadership on emerging market trends, customer needs and industry developments to identify future product opportunities


• Develop compelling business cases and present complex actuarial concepts to executive audiences, influencing key strategic decisions and investment priorities


• Act as a senior subject matter expert throughout product implementation, partnering with Technology, Change, Digital and Operations teams to ensure delivery aligns with original product intent


• Take ownership of end-to-end product specifications, ensuring robust governance, clear requirements and successful operational execution


• Establish and oversee product performance frameworks, using data-driven insights to evaluate outcomes and recommend enhancements or corrective action


• Drive continuous innovation across Life and Health propositions, identifying opportunities to improve competitiveness, customer engagement and business value


• Provide technical leadership and mentorship within the R&D function, raising capability and supporting the development of actuarial best practice


• Lead or contribute to high-profile strategic projects, acting as a trusted partner and escalation point for senior stakeholders across the business

What do you need to thrive?

• Qualified Actuary with a strong track record in product development, pricing or proposition design


• Experience developing and implementing complex insurance products within a Life, Health or related financial services environment


• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance customer outcomes, risk and business performance


• Advanced actuarial modelling and analytical skills, with confidence interpreting data and translating insights into strategic recommendations


• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience influencing senior leaders and presenting to executive audiences


• Ability to lead and contribute to cross-functional projects involving Technology, Change, Digital and Operations teams


• Experience defining business requirements and translating product concepts into successful operational delivery


• Strong communication and presentation skills, able to explain complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences


• Knowledge of actuarial modelling tools such as Prophet and proficiency in Excel


• Experience using analytical and data tools such as SQL, R or Python would be advantageous

So, what’s in it for you?

• Bonus Schemes – A bonus that regularly rewards you for your performance


• A pension of up to 12%– We will match your contributions up to 6% of your salary


• Our award-winning Vitality health insurance – With its own set of rewards and benefits


• Life Assurance – Four times annual salary

These are just some of the many perks that we offer! To view the extensive range of benefits we offer, please visit our careers page. Fantastic Benefits. Exciting rewards. Great career opportunities!

If you are successful in your application and join us at Vitality, this is our promise to you, we will:

• Help you to be the healthiest you’ve ever been


• Create an environment that embraces you as you are and enables you to be your best self


• Give you flexibility on how, where and when you work


• Help you advance your career by playing you to your strengths


• Give you a voice to help our business grow and make Vitality a great place to be


• Give you the space to try, fail and learn


• Provide a healthy balance of challenge and support


• Recognise and reward you with a competitive salary and amazing benefits


• Be there for you when you need us


• Provide opportunities for you to be a force for good in society

We commit to all these things because we want you to feel that you belong, and are supported to be happy and healthy.

About Us

We’re incredibly proud to be recognised for the culture we've created — recently being named one of Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2026, and in 2024 we were delighted to be awarded Top 10 Places to Work in the Sunday Times Awards.

Vitality is a multi-award-winning UK insurance brand, here to make the world a healthier, happier place. We’ve been a purpose and values-driven business from day 1-long before it became fashionable. Our core purpose is to make people healthier and enhance protect their lives. Vitality pioneered shared-value insurance. We incentivise people to live healthier longer lives – they benefit, our business benefits, and society benefits. We’re successful because we attract, develop, and retain the best people – and because we care. Plus, you get to join our 1.7+ million members with access to our unique health insurance and healthy living programme. Just to make sure you know our products inside and out.

Ready to find out if we’re the right fit for you? We can’t wait.

Diversity & Inclusion

At Vitality, we’re committed to diversity and inclusion because it’s good for our employees, for our business, and for society. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Vitality’s approach to sustainability

Vitality is a business that drives positive change. We reward people for making and sustaining healthier choices. But healthy people also need a healthy environment. To learn more please visit our Careers page. #LI-Hybrid

If we are fortunate in receiving a high volume of quality applications we may need to close this vacancy early. If you are interested, please submit your application as soon as possible.