Actuary - Discovery Life Distribution Strategy

Discovery Limited; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Discovery Life seeks an actuary to join its Distribution Strategy team in Johannesburg. The role combines product development, data analytics, and market insights to grow new business through advisers and franchises. You will analyse data, develop launch material, and lead presentations for high-value clients and partners.

The incumbent will contribute to strategic thinking around ideation, development, and launches within the R&D team, collaborating across the business to drive opportunities.

Qualifications

• Matric with Mathematics
• BSc/BBusSc in Actuarial Science or equivalent
• Honours in Actuarial Science is advantageous
• At least 2 years of experience in Life Insurance or Financial Services is advantageous

Responsibilities

• Utilise market insights to guide development and launches of innovative products and services.
• Analyse big data to identify trends and opportunities for distribution channels.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to create and optimise products, processes and strategies.
• Develop in-depth competitor and industry analyses to inform strategy.
• Create and present targeted client and broker presentations for distribution channels.

Skills

Effective communications

Advanced analytical skills

Data analysis

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Outlook

Education

Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) in Actuarial Science

Honours in Actuarial Science

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS Outlook

Job description

Actuary - Discovery Life Distribution Strategy

Business Unit: Discovery Life

Function: Actuarial Sciences

Date: 10 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 Discovery Life

Discovery Life is an ever growing fast-paced and dynamic environment that provides innovative risk assurance to individual clients. This environment thrives on customer engagement and customer experience as well as mutually beneficial relationships with our brokers and other stakeholders. It is important for our employees to provide a world class service to our internal and external clients, thereby ensuring long and sustainable relationships

Key Purpose

A high functioning, dynamic personality with a broad set of skills pertaining to product development, data analytics and marketing. The role will require this Actuary to provide product, market and strategic insights to our distribution channel to increase new business market share and to unlock new support in the IFA space while forming an important part of the R&D team. The incumbent would be:

• Key part of Research and Development by utilising industry and new business insights to guide the development of innovative products and services that enhance our value proposition to financial advisers and their clients.
• Anaylsing big data to inform senior management of new business trends and opportunities.
• Collaberating with various stakeholders across the business to create and optimise products, processes and strategies.
• Developing in depth competitor and industry analysis.
• Analysing big data to identify sales opportunities for each distribution channel.
• Being a Discovery Life expert and having sound understanding of the competitive landscape in order to be a subject matter authority in meetings and presentations.
• Development of launch material for distribution.
• Lead meetings with high-net-worth clients and large life writers.
• Create and present targeted client and broker presentations.
• Intellectual leadership through claims documents, journalist articles etc.

The incumbent would be involved in strategic thinking around product ideation, development and launches and would form a crucial element of our broader Reseach and Development team.

Areas of responsibility may include but not limited to

• Utilising market insight to launch innovative new products and services on an annual basis
• Utilize technical product knowledge, including understanding of competitors, to identify business opportunities
• Develop compelling positioning and roll out of launch, roadshow and campaign material to our financial advisers and franchises to ensure successful execution of deliverables and targets
• Develop automated tools and dashboards to provide real-time insights for key business decisions
• Providing technical product support to Discovery Life’s various distribution channels to ensure successful execution of deliverables and targets
• Provide support to Life Executive Committee and related structures to ensure efficient functioning of the distribution team
• Contribute to strategies based on insights from market feedback, data and other monitoring structures for the collaboration of the broader product development team.
• Assisting with the conservation and retention as well as driving improved persistency of the life product across all channels

Education and Experience

• Matric with Mathematics
• Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) or equivalent degree in Actuarial Science

Advantageous:

• Honours in Actuarial Science
• At least 2 years of working experience in the Life Insurance or Financial Services Industries

Technical Skills and Knowledge

• Effective communications skills
• Advanced Analytical and Technical skills
• Knowledge on Data Analysis
• Proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel and MS Outlook
• Take initiative and learn quickly, while being adaptable

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.