Actuary & Director (FSA), Model Risk Management

Pacific Life; Newport Beach (CA); On-site; USD 204,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Paid time off

Parental leave

401k with company match

Job summary

Pacific Life is seeking an Actuary & Director, Model Risk Management to lead second-line oversight for Life insurance models. This on-site role offers 4 days at the office and 1 day remote, with relocation assistance where needed.

You will partner with business leaders, model developers, and risk committees to ensure models are fit for purpose and aligned with governance standards. Strong leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of actuarial experience with an FSA designation.
• Deep experience in Life products: actuarial modeling, financial reporting, forecasting, pricing, or economic valuation.
• Ability to challenge technical work constructively and influence senior leaders and technical teams.
• Experience reviewing, validating, developing, or testing complex actuarial models.
• Strong communication skills to explain complex modeling issues in business terms.

Responsibilities

• Lead second-line reviews of Life models with actionable recommendations for owners and risk committees.
• Raise standards on methodologies and assumptions; identify risk and drive improvements.
• Provide guidance on efficient modeling techniques and robust governance.
• Collaborate with cross-domain experts to understand business impact and advance model risk framework.
• Stay current on emerging practices, modeling techniques, and regulatory developments.

Skills

Actuarial

Leadership

Communication

Model risk

Education

FSA designation

Tools

Prophet

Job description

Job Description

Pacific Life is seeking an Actuary & Director, Model Risk Management to join our team. This role is on-site 4 days per week and work from home 1 day per week in Newport Beach, CA, Omaha, NE, or Charlotte, NC. If you are not currently located near one of our offices, we offer comprehensive relocation assistance. This role is a strong fit for a senior life actuary who enjoys technical depth, independent challenge, and practical business impact. You will lead second-line model risk oversight for Life insurance models across Financial Reporting, Product Development, Forecasting, and related model uses. You will work directly with business leaders, model developers, and risk committees to assess whether models are fit for purpose. This role will report directly to the VP of Model Risk Management and offers broad visibility across Pacific Life’s products and functions.

How You Will Make An Impact

• Lead comprehensive reviews of Life models and provide clear, practical recommendations to owners, senior leaders, and risk committees.
• Raise the bar on methodologies and assumptions by challenging practices, identifying areas of potential risk and driving for meaningful improvements.
• Provide expert guidance on efficient modeling techniques and robust governance practices, to bolster model risk management.
• Collaborate with cross-domain subject experts to understand and impact the business more holistically and help advance Pacific Life’s model risk framework and practices.
• Stay current on emerging practices, modeling techniques, technologies, and regulatory developments.

The Experience You Bring

• 8+ years of actuarial experience with an FSA designation.
• Deep experience in Life products, in areas of actuarial modeling, financial reporting, forecasting, pricing, or economic valuation.
• Ability to challenge technical work constructively and influence senior leaders and technical teams.
• Experience reviewing, validating, developing, or testing complex actuarial models.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex modeling issues in clear business language.
• Strong project leadership, judgment, and stakeholder management skills.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Experience with Prophet.
• Familiarity in emerging AI tools and advanced analytics.
• Experience building validation / replication / challenger models.

Salary Ranges per Location

• Newport Beach, CA: $203,760 - $249,040
• Omaha, NE: $175,950 - $215,050
• Charlotte, NC: $185,220 - $226,380

Base Pay Range

The base pay range noted represents the company’s good faith minimum and maximum range for this role at the time of posting. The actual compensation offered to a candidate will be dependent upon several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications and geographic location. Also, most employees are eligible for additional incentive pay.

$203,760.00 - $249,040.00

Your Benefits Start Day 1

Your wellbeing is important to Pacific Life, and we’re committed to providing you with flexible benefits that you can tailor to meet your needs. Whether you are focusing on your physical, financial, emotional, or social wellbeing, we’ve got you covered.

• Prioritization of your health and well-being including Medical, Dental, Vision, and Wellbeing Reimbursement Account that can be used on yourself or your eligible dependents
• Generous paid time off options including: Paid Time Off, Holiday Schedules, and Financial Planning Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave as well as an Adoption Assistance Program
• Competitive 401k savings plan with company match and an additional contribution regardless of participation

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.

What’s life like at Pacific Life? Visit Instagram.com/lifeatpacificlife

EEO Statement

Pacific Life Insurance Company is an Equal Opportunity /Affirmative Action Employer, M/F/D/V. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request an accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career center as a result of your disability. To request an accommodation, contact a Human Resources Representative at Pacific Life Insurance Company.