Opening Positions at Santam Insurance

JOB DESCRIPTION

• We are looking for talented analytical professionals, with a specific focus on the personal and commercial businesses.
• The successful candidate will be accountable for a wide range of predictive modelling functions which will contribute to the profitable development and financial results of the Group. Working closely with the senior management team you will you’ll contribute to the development and execution of the broader strategy.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop and maintain effective pricing and risk management strategies across various platforms to balance profitability and growth
• Support current pricing, segmentation and optimisation models
• Performance monitoring of financial, underwriting and distribution indicators
• Create and maintain business reports to direct thought processes that drives action
• Continuous process improvement and strategy evaluation
• Participate in strategic projects where actuarial input is required
• Interacting with underwriting, distribution and claims departments with the objective of constantly incorporating market trends into the product solution value chain
• Supporting the development of product solutions for various market segments and channels
• Developing and maintaining of internal data assets to support predictive modelling initiatives

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Qualified/near-qualified actuary or equivalent qualification e.g. Maths, Statistics
• Strong modelling skills including experience in performing statistical investigations and building pricing / predictive models
• 5 years experience in a technical role
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills
• Advanced computer literacy skills, e.g. SAS, Emblem, SQL, Java, etc. 
• Leadership skills within own team and cross- functionally
• Strong data management skills

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PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES INCLUDE:

Project Planning and Execution:

• Develop project plans, including scope, goals, deliverables, timelines, resources, and budget.
• Lead project teams to execute plans effectively, ensuring milestones are met on time and within budget.
• Monitor and report on project progress, identifying risks and taking corrective actions as needed.

Stakeholder Management:

• Establish and maintain relationships with project stakeholders, including clients, team members, and third-party vendors.
• Communicate project updates, risks, and issues to stakeholders in a clear and timely manner.
• Manage stakeholder expectations and ensure alignment with project objectives.

Resource Management:

• Allocate resources effectively to ensure project tasks are completed efficiently.
• Coordinate with department managers to assign appropriate team members to project tasks.
• Manage resource conflicts and resolve any issues that may arise during project execution.

Risk Management:

• Identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize their impact.
• Proactively manage risks throughout the project lifecycle, monitoring for new risks and adjusting plans as necessary.

Quality Assurance:

• Ensure that project deliverables meet quality standards and customer expectations.
• Implement quality assurance processes and procedures to validate project outcomes.

Budget Management:

• Develop and manage project budgets, tracking expenses and ensuring that projects are delivered within budget.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Team Leadership:

• Provide leadership and guidance to project team members, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.
• Motivate team members to achieve project goals and overcome challenges.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide feedback to team members as needed.

Continuous Improvement:

• Identify opportunities for process improvement and implement best practices to optimize project management processes.
• Conduct post-project reviews to capture lessons learned and apply them to future projects.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• IT Degree or Diploma
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or another recognized project management certification
• Minimum 10 years of experience in the IT industry, with at least 5 years focused on software development.
• Demonstrate experience and sound knowledge of the system development lifecycle processes and methods from business concept to deployment stages.
• Experience working in the Financial Services or Insurance industry is a significant advantage.
• Experience working with industry-standard security frameworks and controls (e.g., NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls) is a significant advantage.
• Sound experience working with stakeholders at different levels across organisations/divisions; both on-shore and off-shore, face-to-face and remote.
• Demonstrate experience in applying industry-standard project management methodologies and processes. Working in an Agile environment, with knowledge of the Scrum method strongly preferred.
• Experience in using JIRA,  and Confluence.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Strong understanding of project management methodologies, such as Agile or Waterfall.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in project management tools and software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Well-honed MS Office skills.
• Agile and Scrum Method and Tool experience (JIRA, JIRA Portfolio and Confluence suggested).
• Facilitation skills
• Influencing
• Interpersonal skills
• Stakeholder management
• Financial and business acumen.
• Foster and support the Agile approach.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset in support of the Agile values and Santam culture: Trust, Respect, Collaborative, Self-organisation, Adapt, Transparent, Courage, Focus, Openness, Servant Leadership.
• Understands architectural considerations in order to effectively factor them into planning, decisions and recommendations and effectively communicate.
• Ability to identify project implications based on an understanding of systems, processes and business.

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What will make you successful in this role?

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Data Engineering, Information Systems, Science/Statistics/Applied Statistics/Applied Mathematics (Postgraduate preferable)
• 5-7 years practical experience in an Data engineering, BIBA, ETL development, analytical/quantitative environment or any other relevant field.

Skills

• Strong programming skills (SQL essential, SAS, Python and/or R highly desirable, Spark, Java)
• Data Pipeline Development: Design, build, and maintain efficient, scalable data pipelines using SAS, SQL, and cloud technologies. Ensure smooth extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of data from multiple sources into Snowflake or other data repositories.
• Data Modeling: Create and optimize data models to support underwriting analytics, and machine learning initiatives using tools such as SAS Viya and SQL.
• Cloud Data Integration: Implement and manage cloud-based data solutions, particularly with Amazon S3 and Snowflake, ensuring seamless integration of cloud services for data storage, processing, and analysis.
• SAS Viya Expertise: Leverage SAS Viya to process and analyse large datasets and support data-driven decision-making processes across the organization.
• Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Apply best practices in SDLC to manage data engineering projects, including version control, testing, and continuous integration (CI) and deployment (CD) processes.
• Automation and Optimization: Automate data processing workflows and optimize ETL pipelines for performance, ensuring reliable and timely delivery of data to users and applications.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams, including data scientists, business analysts, and stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into technical solutions.
• Data Governance and Quality: Implement data governance frameworks to ensure data integrity, quality, and compliance. Regularly monitor and maintain data pipelines to prevent errors and ensure high availability of data.
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Creativity
• Curiosity
• Financial acumen

Competencies

• Client Focus
• Collaborates
• Cultivates Innovation
• Drives results
• Flexible and adaptable
• IT Data Analysis
• Data Collection
• Advanced analytics to address business requirements
• New technologies and methodologies
• Stakeholder management