Actuarial Manager - Operations and Systems

SUMMARY:
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POSITION INFO:

Purpose of the Role:

At Dis-Chem Life, we are driven by a bold mission: to create groundbreaking products, technology, and solutions that WOW our customers and push the South Africa forward. Achieving that mission requires more than great products -it requires the operational infrastructure, data integrity, and process intelligence to bring those products to life and keep them performing at their best. This role exists to bridge the gap between actuarial intent and operational reality.  As our Actuarial Manager - Operations & Strategy, you will be the driving force behind how Dis-Chem Life translates its actuarial foundations into systems, processes, and decisions that work - at scale, in practice, every day.

Dis-Chem Life is growing, and with that growth comes complexity. We need someone who can bring order, clarity, and commercial rigour to complexity - using an actuarial lens to strengthen our business from the inside out. This is not a support function. This is a strategic capability that sits at the core of how we continue to build a sustainable, scalable, and customer-centric business.

Role Summary

As the Actuarial Manager - Operations and Strategy, you will work with business units across actuarial, data, and operations functions to design, enhance, and optimise the systems and processes that power Dis-Chem Life's business, translating actuarial insight into operational action - improving how we underwrite, how we service policies, how we manage claims, and how we use data to make smarter decisions faster. Building and refining the decision logic, system rules, and analytical frameworks that sit behind our products.

The Actuarial Manager – Operations and Strategy, will lead experience investigations, identify risk and performance trends, and develop automated solutions that reduce manual effort and improve business outcomes by directly strengthening our operational controls, improve data quality, and ensure our products remain commercially sound and scalable.

This role goes beyond analysis - it is about building and shaping the operational and data infrastructure that supports Dis-Chem Life's growth, partnering with senior stakeholders across the business to embed actuarial rigour into every corner of how we operate.

Benefits:

• Ability to work on groundbreaking projects with some of the largest data sets in the country and with leading pioneers in AI and data-driven insurance techniques  
• Flexible working hours with remote or hybrid work options
• Opportunities for personal growth and professional development, including access to cutting-edge technologies  
• A collaborative and inclusive environment that values your contribution and provides space for personal growth
• The chance to work on high-impact projects that shape the future of life insurance in South Africa
• Financial backing to complete relevant actuarial exams, professional certifications, and associated fees to support your career development and progression
• Generous Study Leave, if required
• Competitive Salary 
• Visionary Leadership  

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Team Management

• Directly manage and develop members of the team
• Set clear deliverables, KPIs, and performance standards
• Review and sign off on key investigations, analyses, and system changes
• Build scalable actuarial processes and frameworks
• Mentor and develop technical and commercial capability within the team

System and Process Development

• Provide actuarial input into the design and enhancement of policy administration, underwriting, and servicing systems
• Develop and refine underwriting decision trees, including automated acceptance, loading, and referral rules
• Optimise end-to-end policy lifecycle processes
• Perform actuarial validation of system, product, and rule changes prior to deployment

Experience Analysis and Investigations

• Perform regular experience investigations on: Lapse and surrender experience, Mortality and morbidity claims, Disability incidence and termination rates and Staff movement (joiners/leavers for group schemes)
• Calculate Actual vs Expected (A/E) ratios and investigate drivers of deviations
• Segment experience by relevant risk factors (age, duration, product, industry, salary band, distribution channel, etc.)
• Identify emerging trends and early warning indicators

Data Management and Validation

• Extract, clean, and reconcile data from policy admin and claims systems
• Perform data quality checks and investigate anomalies
• Maintain structured experience investigation datasets
• Automate recurring data preparation processes where possible

Actuarial Analysis and Reporting: 

• Conduct actuarial analysis across Dis-Chem Life products and Dis-Chem Better Rewards.
• Produce commercially focused reporting for senior management, highlighting trends, risks, and recommended actions
• Maintain transparent documentation of assumptions and models.

Process Improvement and Automation

• Identify manual or repetitive actuarial processes and propose and execute on automated solutions
• Develop automated workflows using Excel VBA, SQL, R, Python or other languages
• Improve data extraction, cleaning, and reconciliation processes
• Standardise and document repeatable processes
• Reduce turnaround times for investigations and reporting

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Engage with underwriting, claims, finance, operations, and product teams to help improve their processes.
• Assist in implementing product or assumption changes within systems
• Support audits and regulatory reviews

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in any of the following coding languages (VBA, Excel, R, Python, SQL, C#, HTML). 
• Familiarity with data visualization software (Power BI, Tableau, Superset) - advantageous
• Ability to build financial models and produce reports to guide decision-making and ensure regulatory compliance. 
• Experience handling large datasets, performing statistical analysis, and generating insights to inform business decisions
• Familiarity with underwriting and claims administration systems would be advantageous
  

• Excellent communication skills
• The ability to explain complex actuarial and financial concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong analytical thinking and the ability to provide creative solutions to complex financial challenges
• Ensuring accuracy in analysis, modelling, and reporting to prevent errors and ensure financial stability
• Ability to work effectively with teams to achieve business objectives and ensure alignment across departments
• Manage multiple high-priority tasks and deadlines with precision and adaptability, ensuring success under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Strong integrity, ensuring that all actuarial work adheres to the highest ethical standards and complies with regulatory requirements 

Experience:

• Between 5-8 years of experience in an actuarial role, with a focus on long-term insurance or related financial services sectors
• Experience with pricing, reserving, risk management, operations or analytics specific to life / long-term insurance is highly preferred
• Nearly / Newly Qualified Actuary
• Prior management or mentorship experience is advantageous

 Qualifications: 

• A Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, or a related field
• Good progress towards Actuarial exams and certification (ASSA, SOA, IFoA, or equivalent)
• Ongoing development towards actuarial certification
• Accredited with ASSA, or equivalent professional actuarial body