Head of Pricing

SUMMARY:
Our Corporate Client is an exceptional, premier commercial risk specialist in Africa who enables better risk decision across the continent is seeking an experienced Head of Pricing.  The candidate will be responsible for pricing across broker distribution, specialist insurance and one neighbouring country division with some governance pricing review support of the Client's insurance partners.

POSITION INFO:

Key Tasks and Accountabilities

• Pricing of existing and potential new lines of business of the Client’s short term insurance offerings including Commercial Lines, Personal Lines, Marine, Engineering and Hospitality.
• Manage and lead the pricing team, consisting of approximately 10 people.
• Managing various stakeholders across the business, including Broker Distribution and Underwriting, to ensure that the Client meets its ongoing financial targets.
• Analyse portfolio results on an ongoing basis to guide pricing decisions and inform alternative courses of action, where necessary to achieve the business goals.
• Develop and/or co-develop the required pricing best practice, including systems design and procedures to achieve business goals. Assist in the required implementation of systems and tools as needed.
• Overall responsibility for pricing tools used by the Client, including contracting, budgeting, implementation and alignment to best practices.
• Translate organisation plans into implementable pricing bases and risk management strategies. Ensure that process and standards are consistent with other Client’s Actuarial units and governance policies.
• Predict the outcome of alternative courses of action with reasonable accuracy using statistical techniques, design criteria and required specifications.
• Lead complex pricing assignments and projects that require high levels or integration across various business units.
• Provide actuarial support and advice to the business including insights into underlying performance.
• Create and maintain business reports to monitor the profitability and identify market opportunities.
• Support and participate in Profitability Review and Performance Assessment discussions.
• Support Reserving, Finance, market-facing business units, Broker Distribution, Claims, Risk, Capital Management, and other functions on pricing, and strategic business decisions as required.
• Assist in managing the flow and quality of data.
• The role operates at the professional level, with middle management responsibility for multiple teams.

• Translate Income statement deviations from targets into underwriting and pricing actions.
• Play a thought leadership role in data and analytics within the company and help drive pricing initiatives into general underwriting processes.
• Provide price and renewal strength monitoring against targets.
• Help translate capital charges and reinsurance cost into pricing processes.
• Do research and provide consultation on Business Unit level on pricing and underwriting decision taking.
• Participate in analyses related to Mergers & Acquisitions and/or special projects that are outside of normal business as usual or geographic responsibilities.

Internal:

• Business partners
• IT and Data Management
• Underwriting
• Claims
• Finance
• Risk Management
• Sales and Distribution

External:

• Consultants and software providers
• The Client’s Insurance Partners
• Network of contacts within the actuarial profession
• Participation in professional/ industry groups/ working parties

Qualifications, Experience and Behaviours:

• Minimum NQF Level 7, i.e. University degree in Actuarial Science or a related field.
• Qualified FASSA designation of the Actuarial Society of South Africa or an international equivalent will be given preference

Experience:

• Minimum five years’ short term insurance pricing experience, including modelling and deployment
• Experience of providing actuarial advice to senior management
• Underwriting and portfolio management experience with market practice acumen
• 5 or more years general management experience
• Experience in project management and past exposure to large IT development projects

Behaviours:

• Demonstrate ability to collaborate effectively across functions and influence outside of own function.
• Exhibits self-motivation and drive; takes initiative without the need for approval.
• Professional, enthusiastic and positive attitude.
• Demonstrate a proactive mindset to help drive business and profitability initiatives.
• Able to meet deadlines and work under pressure.
• Ability to manage a team of people to achieve the required performance outcomes.

Knowledge:

• Intermediate knowledge of actuarial professional guidance and relevant legislation, with exposure to pricing best practice an advantage.
• Advanced knowledge of finance and accounting practices, financial analysis, and reporting; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
• Intermediate knowledge of and awareness of economic trends, directions, major issues as they impact underwriting and pricing context, with ability to translate into action.
• Proficient product knowledge; understanding how policy wording is born out in policy response and claims handling processes. Familiarity with commercial and personal lines policy wordings an advantage.
• Proficient knowledge of the insurance industry's trends, directions, major issues, regulatory considerations, and trendsetters.
• Knowledge, insight, and understanding of business concepts, tools, and processes that are needed for making sound decisions in the context of the company's business; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
• Knowledge of practices and policies governing disclosure of information about the organisation, its business activities, and employees; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
• Knowledge of IT governance as it pertains to the software development cycle, with experience in drafting specifications and testing procedures.

Technical Skills:

• Proficiency in English with a preference for proficiency in at least one other language.
• Accomplished communicator of technically complex concepts to various audiences, combined with well-developed presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced computer literacy skills, e.g. SAS, VBA, Pricing Software, etc.
• Advanced knowledge of statistical and actuarial pricing tools and methods e.g., have in the past fit and validated pricing bases deployed into production.
• Knowledge of IT architecture, fault diagnosis and debugging as it pertains to dissemination of prices across integrated information and administration systems.
• Advanced knowledge of the policy underwriting life cycle and the calculation, measurement and monitoring of inflation indexation, changes in exposure, rate change at each stage.
• Intermediate knowledge and past exposure to enterprise underwriting strategy development and implementation.
• Advanced knowledge of portfolio management and optimisation methods and supporting analytics, that help coordinate underwriting work across business regions and units.
• Proven track record at root cause analysis of pricing processes and systems, and a well-developed ability to generate relevant practical solutions.

Additional Information:

• If you have not received a response within 14 days from the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful.
• The company reserves the right not to fill this position.