AVP, Specialist, R&D

This senior specialist role sits within the R&D London team. You have responsibility for bringing innovation and rigour to the development of biometric assumptions in the London team. You are part of a small team, with one other R&D specialist.

You will work closely with the wider R&D London team as a technical consultant to help the team build critical skills needed for effective basis development.

This will include providing guidance in the application of statistical techniques and making judgements. This aims to improve the quality of output, support efficiency and delivery, and ensure the assumptions remain at the cutting edge from a commercial perspective.

The specialist team also has responsibility for continued innovation in the Pacific Life mortality trend model framework. This includes getting a better understanding of historical trends in the national population and our insured books. You will work closely with the VP-Specialist in the team to provide mutual challenge to improve and quality assure our approach to mortality trend assumptions. You will also have responsibility for the approach for calibrating trend and shock risks and will lead the delivery of key basis development projects (e.g. UK and US trend)

You will work on topics beyond delivery of assumptions related to improving our understanding of demographic assumptions. This includes but is not limited to the monitoring of emerging data in new and established territories, detailed investigations into specific biometric topics, improving the modelling processes used across the company and looking to bring in new external data where possible. You will act as expert statistical consultant inside the Reinsurance Division and at Enterprise level as needed.

You will foster links with industry experts and academics in our key markets, so that we are abreast of developments and can influence where needed. This could take the form of industry talks or thought leadership articles.

You will act as a wider technical mentor and expert to the wider Division colleagues through providing statistical training and being there for questions and guidance to junior colleagues.

You will be working in a company that values your technical skills, the innovative ideas and solutions you bring into the work you do, and your ability to communicate those ideas effectively.

Duties

• Technical consultant to R&D London team to drive innovation and scalability Innovation of mortality trend model and delivery of key assumptions
• Working on wider projects and developing external industry and experts and academics
• Forging links with external industry experts and academics so that we keep abreast of developments
• Providing wider statistical training and guidance to teams in the organisation

Skills & Experience

• An established foundation in modern statistical techniques across a broad range of applications
• A good understanding of mortality trend modelling, including but not limited to the IFoA CMI Projections model.
• Masters or PhD in a statistical subject or interest in studying for this
• Well connected to other industry and academic experts
• Ability to think for yourself and challenge the status quo
• Qualified Fellow of the Institute or Faculty of Actuaries or equivalent
• Report writing and verbal communication skills, including ability to present to senior managers and to forge close relationships with other teams
• Demonstrable exposure to basis development with a reinsurer, life company or consultancy. This could be through working directly in a pricing or basis setting team or through a review function.
• A good understanding of the Longevity insurance/reinsurance market and/or the Protection insurance/reinsurance market
• Ability and desire to come up with and implement new approaches and techniques
• Organised and deadline focused
• Interest in programming and comfortable with or willing to learn software packages, such as Tableau, SQL (or comparable database language), R and Python.

Working For Pacific Life Re

Every person in our global team is valued for the unique qualities they bring to our business and we seek to build their expertise and support their individual ambitions at every step. Of course, we take our work seriously and we know our team can operate under great pressure. We work hard and thrive on achievement, but we also know how to have fun and relax too. We regularly host a range of team building days to strengthen our team's connection with each other and reflect on their successes.

Providing employees with a healthy work-life balance is very important to our culture. We have a wide range of employee benefits and we host regular social activities and well being initiatives. We are also committed to supporting our employee's involvement in their communities, by actively fundraising, hosting charity events and overseeing volunteering opportunities.

Benefits (Only for Permanent and Fixed Term Employees)

• Subsidised Gym Membership

• Season Ticket Loan

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Wellness Benefits

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we will provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure equal access to applicants with disabilities. Please contact us about your needs so that we can discuss these with you to make sure that suitable adjustments are made, where possible.