Actuary (Benefits)

US Immediate Office of the Assistant Secretary for Management; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS develops, monitors, and updates actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of

Qualifications

• One year of actuarial experience equivalent to GS-12 level.
• Bachelor's degree with 24 semester hours in actuarial science or related fields, including at least 12 semester hours of mathematics with calculus prerequisites.
• 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science with 12 mathematics hours including calculus prerequisites.

Responsibilities

• Apply actuarial methods to annual valuations, assumption studies, actual-to-expected analyses, and liability calculations.
• Use analytical software to extract, validate, and analyze data (Excel, SAS, R, SQL).
• Prepare actuarial reports and presentations for management, auditors, and other stakeholders.

Skills

Actuarial methods

Analytical software

Actuarial reports preparation

Education

Bachelor's degree with actuarial courses

Tools

Excel

SAS

R

SQL

Job description

This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS is responsible for developing, monitoring, and updating actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Selective Placement Factor:

This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume.

• Must have obtained one of the following actuarial credentials from the Society of Actuaries (SOA): Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), as evidenced by an official transcript and certificate or by the applicant's presence in The Actuarial Directory. AND
• Must have a minimum number of years of relevant retirement, disability or annuity benefits actuarial experience (five (5) years for GS-13; eight (8) years for GS-14).

Individual Occupational Requirements

GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level:

Paragraph A.

1. One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12;

AND

A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements:

• Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics;
• Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.

Paragraph B.

Applicants may qualify for a position at grade levels GS-07 through GS-13 using the "Special Alternate Means" provisions described below. Applicants for all grade levels must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.

Successful completion of appropriate examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries (SOA), the Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS), or the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries (JBEA), as evidenced by an official SOA or CAS transcript, and specialized experience described below is fully qualifying at the grade levels shown below.

GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level:

One year of professional actuarial experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level

AND

Associateship in the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society or being an Enrolled Actuary.

You must also qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience

GS-13 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Experience applying actuarial methods to perform annual valuations, assumption studies, actual-to-expected analyses, or liability calculations while collaborating with actuaries and other subject matter experts.
• Experience using analytical software, such as Excel, SAS, R, SQL, or similar tools to extract, validate, and analyze data.
• Experience updating or assisting in the preparation of actuarial reports, documentation, and presentations for management, auditors, or other stakeholders.

Individual Occupational Requirements

GS-14 or Equivalent Grade Level:

Paragraph A.

One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13;

AND

A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.

OR

B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements:

• Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics;
• Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites.

You must also qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience

GS-14 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Extensive experience independently developing, maintaining, and enhancing actuarial valuation models, analyses and code used to produce actuarial benefit liabilities.
• Extensive experience providing technical review of actuarial models, analyses, and code, ensuring compliance with actuarial standards, federal financial requirements, and appropriate documentation controls.
• Experience preparing complex actuarial analyses, and presenting financial impacts and recommendations to management, auditors, and other stakeholders.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Local Commuting Area by Location

The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Washington, DC. This includes all locations that fall within a 50 mile driving distance from 810 Vermont Ave NW, Washington, DC 20420.