Senior Actuarial Specialist

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

Job summary

Guardrisk, South Africa’s leading provider of alternative risk transfer, seeks an experienced actuary to join the Structuring and Solutions team in Sandton. You will contribute to pricing, product development and capital structuring for the Guardrisk cell captive business, collaborating with data scientists, actuaries and analysts.

Responsibilities include leading pricing reviews, developing new offerings, mentoring juniors and translating actuarial insights into actionable business decisions

Qualifications

• Actuarial or mathematics/statistics degree completed.
• Associate Actuary or progressing Fellowship level exams.
• F103 (General Insurance Principles) or equivalent exam completed.
• 5 years of relevant work experience.
• Modelling experience.
• Non-life pricing experience.
• Coding knowledge in SQL, Python and R is advantageous.
• Knowledge of SAM capital regime.

Responsibilities

• Take accountability for product development/pricing frameworks across CRS and VUMA portfolios.
• Lead rate reviews and re-pricing to maintain competitiveness.
• Assess/approve new offerings for viability and compliance.
• Review accuracy of teammates' work and provide guidance to juniors.
• Collaborate to structure new deals with actuarial input on underwriting and capital.
• Investigate deviations and advise corrective actions.
• Ensure projects meet audit and risk requirements.
• Work with external teams to define pricing models and processes.
• Support clients in designing bespoke products focused on profitability.
• Monitor product profitability and actuarial standards in reporting.

Skills

Data interpretation

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Self-motivation

Education

Actuarial or mathematics/statistics degree

Tools

SQL

Python

R

MS Excel

Job description

Guardrisk is South Africa’s leading provider of alternative risk transfer and specialist cell captive solutions. Since pioneering the cell captive model in the short-term insurance market in 1993, we’ve built a reputation for delivering customized risk financing solutions to a wide range of industries. Now part of Momentum Metropolitan Holdings, we offer structured short-term insurance products, traditional cell captive facilities, and access to professional reinsurance markets. Headquartered at The MARC in Sandton, with offices in Mauritius and Gibraltar, Guardrisk provides clients with both local expertise and international reach. Disclaimer As an applicant, please verify the legitimacy of this job advert on our company career page.

Role Purpose

The Structuring and Solutions team forms the key point of contact between the different segments and the technical support areas, focusing on client service and client solution development. This role forms part of a diverse team that includes experienced Data scientists, Actuarial analysts and Qualified Actuaries. This position will be to assist with pricing, product development and providing insights to the Guardrisk cell captive (“GRI”) business. The role will providing technical support in the form of pricing, product reviews and capital solution development of new and existing cell business.

Requirements

• An Actuarial or bachelor’s degree with mathematics or statistics as majors.
• Associate Actuary or making good progress with Fellowship level exams.
• Successful completion of F103 (General Insurance Principles) or equivalent short-term insurance exam.
• 5 years' relevant work experience.
• Modelling experience.
• Non-life pricing experience.
• Coding knowledge in SQL, Python and R advantageous.
• Knowledge of insurance products, contracts and relevant industry legislations.
• Sound numerical skills and computer literacy is essential especially in the use of MS Excel, MS Word and SQL.
• Exposure to the SAM capital regime.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Take accountability for all product development and pricing frameworks, and structuring initiatives across the CRS and VUMA portfolios.
• Lead rate reviews and re-pricing exercises for the existing product suite to maintain technical soundness and market competitiveness.
• Oversee the assessment and approval of new product offerings, ensuring they are commercially viable and compliant.
• Review and ensure the accuracy of fellow team members' work.
• Provide guidance to junior actuarial analysts.
• Partner with internal teams to structure new deals - providing actuarial input on optimal underwriting and capital structuring solutions tailored to client needs.
• Investigate, quantify and explain any deviations and advise on corrective measures.
• Ensure that all projects to be implemented adhere to audit and risk management requirements.
• Collaboration with external business support to define and develop the pricing models and processes.
• Support clients in the design and development of bespoke products, with a focus on innovation, profitability, and sustainability.
• Manage financial performance reporting, including monitoring product profitability and adherence to best-practice actuarial standards.
• Act as a senior technical advisor to both management and external stakeholders, translating complex actuarial insights into actionable business decisions.

Competencies

• Ability to examine and interpret data and provide insights.
• Strong technical expertise.
• Achievement orientation.
• Effectively manage time and ensure optimal productivity.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills.
• Results and solution focused.
• High degree of self-motivation and the ability to work independent of supervision.
• Naturally inquisitive mind set, with a strong innovative tendency.
• Self Confidence.
• Flexibility to cope with pressure and setbacks.
• Delivering results and meeting expectations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to network and consult across all levels of the organisation and with clients on technical structuring matters.