Actuarial Specialist (Cape Town CBD) at BDO South Africa

Description

• This is an entrepreneurial opportunity to become part of the founding team and participate in / lead the establishment of the actuarial team.
• The primary focus for the initial phase will be the delivery of actuarial audit support on a portfolio of existing clients including several blue-chip names.  Depending on the candidate’s interests and experience, the role will also offer opportunity to broaden expertise through a range of interesting projects outside traditional actuarial fields working with BDO Audit and Advisory Teams who provide advisory, consulting and audit services across South Africa. 
• BDO’s service offering and client portfolios provide an exciting and challenging environment.  This is a unique prospect in a newly established team within a dynamic successful growing firm.  We seek candidates who are energised by operating in a professional environment using their actuarial training and experience to deliver quality audit support whilst participating in establishment of a broader set of actuarial services to take to market.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Day-to-day responsibilities will include any number of activities such as, but not limited to:

• Actuarial audit support to a portfolio of clients across the insurance (general and life), retirement funding and medical scheme industries
• Reviews of technical provisions / IAS 19 liabilities / IFRS 17 liabilities including report drafting
• Involvement in IFRS 17 engagements including transition aspects, assisting clients understand impacts of various policy decisions, actuarial audits etc.
• Actuarial modelling and valuation work from a variety of perspectives including liabilities, remediation, due diligence, audit, reinsurance, capital optimisation, dashboards etc.
• Actuarial function assessments, assisting insurance and other clients to transform & enhance actuarial and risk management processes including model reviews, operating structures
• Research, data collection, analysis, production of actionable recommendations
• Professional engagement with internal and external stakeholders including clients and suppliers
• Operational activities underpinning establishment of the actuarial business unit
• Business development initiatives, proposal writing, thought leadership collateral.

Requirements:

Qualifications/Recognition of Prior Learning equivalent:

• Qualified or nearly qualified actuary

Work Experience:

• Experience in audit support environment across insurance (general and life), retirement funds, medical schemes

Knowledge:

• Relevant actuarial skills gained within audit environment or consultancy.  Knowledge of IFRS17, capital and solvency calculations, ORSA, reserving, reinsurance advantageous
• Familiarity with and practical experience in assignments under relevant audit standards, professional guidance and legislation including
• International Financial Reporting Standard 17 (IFRS 17)
• Solvency Assessment and Management (SAM) Quantitative Impact Study 3 (QIS 3)
• International Standard on Auditing 540 (ISA 540)
• International Accounting Standard 19 (IAS 19)
• International Financial Reporting Standard 13 (IFRS 13)
• Knowledge of relevant analytics platforms advantageous (Prophet, SQL, Python, SAS, Power BI, MATLAB)

Competencies: Technical & Behavioural:

Technical:

• Business writing skills including actuarial reports, proposals, client correspondence
• Outstanding communication skills (written and oral), ability to credibly engage clients and senior colleagues
• Ability to take on projects (familiar as well as new) and structure task allocations around critical goals
• Ability to prepare client recommendations utilising industry knowledge, tools and technology
• Confident and credible taking the lead in client interactions, undertaking research and building market profile

Behavioural:

• Proactive, self-driven, entrepreneurial
• Attention to detail, organized
• Hard-working with demonstrated ability in problem solving and managing multiple complex tasks