Manager: Product Strategy & International Support at Santam Insurance

A position for a Manager: Product Strategy & International Support has become available in the Product Management, Underwriting Services team, based at the Santam Head Office in Bellville, Tygervalley. This role will be responsible to design, implement and manage appropriate personal and commercial commoditised insurance products, to all target markets through all distribution channels; aligned to the department’s product range strategies for the Santam group.

What will make you successful in this role?

Technical

• Technical product solutions to complex challenges for the Santam Group that could include Sanlam Emerging markets (India, Malaysia, 29 African countries)
• Principle accountability for C&P product lines on all administration systems managing product, rate and rule in conjunction with Underwriting and Actuarial
• Accountable for changes and maintenance of commoditised products for South Africa
• Document design aligned to product architecture
• Document content draft (local and international)
• Wording clause draft, in conjunction with Underwriting (local and international
• Product guidance and support to operational environments (local and international)

Product Management

• Business Analysis: business plans, profit and loss analysis, margins and costs, forecasting and pricing
• Financial Acumen: interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions
• Product strategy: strategic planning, product research and analysis, vision and roadmap, product execution, keeping abreast of trends and changing client needs
• Product planning: product strategic roadmap considerations, identifying and capitalising on Sanlam group synergies, product gap analysis, prioritisation and implementation of relevant product actions
• Product design: product elements aligned to product architecture, brief to Actuarial for assumptions, predictive modelling, pricing and rating, brief to Underwriting for rules, pricing and underwriting standards, distribution channel definition, operational models consideration, impact analysis and solutions, claims models consideration, impact analysis and solutions, product training and marketing briefs
• Product implementation
• Product governance
• Product governance framework
• Treating Customers Fairly (Outcome 2)
• Regulatory product compliance and reporting
• Competitor product landscape understanding and cataloguing

Transformation

• Access accreditation of relevant products for group reporting (FSC scorecard)
• Product governance and control matrix design

Stakeholder Relations

• Ability to lead cross-functional teams and being perceived as a strategic leader in the company.
• Identifying relevant stakeholders and maintaining stakeholder relationships
• Close stakeholder engagement for successful implementation of products

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary degree
• General insurance and/or actuarial related qualification ideal

Minimum 10 Years’ Experience In Short-term Insurance (Personal Lines)

• 5 years’ experience in the Santam environment (preferable)
• Strong leadership experience
• Strong technical experience (underwriting, actuarial or claims) (minimum 5 years)
• Strong experience in product implementation - preferable
• Strong experience in product governance - preferable
• Extensive experience in all MS Office applications