Actuary

Discovery Limited; Sandton; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Discovery Limited, within Discovery Invest, seeks an actuary to optimise distribution remuneration, analyse churn, and support product strategy. The role combines actuarial rigor with analytics to guide retention, pricing, and strategic decisions.

The successful candidate will build MI dashboards, work on BI projects, and provide expert insights to senior management. Strong SQL and Tableau skills, plus Python/R, are advantageous for predictive analytics and data-driven decisions.

Qualifications

• Recently qualified Fellow actuary or nearly qualified.
• 5–10 years’ Invest, Life insurance or other relevant financial industry experience
• Database experience (SQL)
• Data visualization software (e.g. Tableau)

Responsibilities

• Analyse adviser and franchise net business flows to optimize distribution recognition and remuneration structures.
• Monitor and analyse adviser replacement and churning behaviour across products.
• Contribute to product innovation and development using data analysis and investigations.
• Provide ongoing actuarial and analytical support for production-related queries and challenges.
• Apply actuarial expertise to complex and non-standard business problems.
• Develop and maintain MI dashboards and data visualization solutions for senior management.
• Support strategic data analytics initiatives including BI and predictive analytics.
• Translate deep mathematical concepts into clear, actionable advice for executives.

Skills

SQL

Tableau

Data Visualization

Actuarial

Education

Actuary Fellowship (Fellow or near-qualified)

Tools

R

Python

VBA

Job description

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Actuary

Business Unit: Discovery Invest

Function: Actuarial Sciences

Date: 14 Sept 2026

About Discovery

Discovery’s core purpose is to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives. We seek out and invest in exceptional individuals who understand and support our core purpose, and whose own values align with those of Discovery. Our fast-paced and dynamic environment enables smart, self-driven people to be their best. As global thought leaders, Discovery is passionate about innovating in order to not only achieve financial success, but to ignite positive and meaningful change within our society.

About Invest

Launched in 2007, Discovery Invest offers the full range of investment products for any client need, providing access to our top performing range of Discovery funds as well as a wide selection of leading local and international fund managers. Recently, Discovery Invest launched a unique offshore offering to enable South African investors unparalleled ease in accessing international investment opportunities. Discovery Invest is seeking to leverage the shared-value model to promote financial health and freedom for millions of South Africans. Through unique behavioural incentives and benefits, we reward clients for positive investment behaviour with extra investment returns. Discovery Invest is the only shared value investment platform in the country maximizing client outcomes before and after retirement. It is important for our employees to provide world class service to our internal and external clients, thereby ensuring long and sustainable relationships.

Key Purpose

The main purpose of this role is to use analytics skills to optimise distribution channel remuneration and analyse churning experience.

Responsibilities

The successful applicant will be responsible for but not limited to the following broad job functions

• Analyse adviser and franchise net business flows to optimize distribution recognition and remuneration structures, including commissions, trail fees, franchise production-based recognition, franchise fees, and share allocation arrangements. This includes assessing the alignment between remuneration paid and the value of business retained, with a view to ensuring remuneration structures appropriately reflect sustainable business outcomes and fairly earned rewards.
• Monitor and analyse adviser replacement and churning behaviour across products, providing insights and recommendations on the effectiveness of retention and replacement rules and their impact on remuneration structures.
• Contribute to product innovation and development, using data analysis and experience investigations to support product design, pricing, and strategic decision-making, especially with regards to optimizing distribution remuneration and persistency experience.
• Provide ongoing actuarial and analytical support in resolving production-related queries, technical issues, and business challenges.
• Apply actuarial expertise to complex and non-standard business problems, delivering innovative and commercially sound solutions.
• Develop and maintain management information (MI) dashboards and data visualisation solutions that enable senior management to make informed decisions regarding retention, distribution, and recognition strategies.
• Support strategic data analytics initiatives, with scope to expand into broader business intelligence, predictive analytics, and decision-support projects as business needs evolve.
• Executive Communication, translating deep mathematical concepts and observed trends into clear, actionable advice

Education and Experience

• Recently qualified Fellow actuary or nearly qualified.
• 5 – 10 years’ Invest, Life insurance or other relevant financial industry experience
• Database experience (SQL)
• Data visualization software (e.g. Tableau)

Advantageous

• Industry experience applying ML/ regression models in analytics
• Experience with statistical software (R and/or Python)
• Previous systems implementation or software testing experience
• Programming experience and understanding. (e.g. VBA)
• Self-starter able to show initiative and drive projects to completion with guidance.
• Applying Expertise and Technology
• Analysing
• Creating and Innovating
• Working with People

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
The Company’s approved Employment Equity Plan and Targets will be considered as part of the recruitment process. As an Equal Opportunities employer, we actively encourage and welcome people with various disabilities to apply.