Product Specialist Lead at RPO Recruitment

Introduction:

RPO is currently seeking a highly motivated and experienced Product Specialist Lead to join our clients team. The ideal candidate will have a strong passion for technology and be responsible for leading a team of product specialists to drive the development and launch of innovative products. The Product Specialist Lead will work closely with cross-functional teams to identify market trends, conduct competitive analysis, and develop strategies to meet product goals.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ongoing management of retail discretionary participation business, including but not limited to the oversight, evaluation and projection of assets and liabilities;
• Identifying improvements to the discretionary participation book or the management thereof, including obtaining approval for the changes from the various governance forums;
• Assisting in the development of corporate structured and/or guaranteed investments including conducting the necessary quantitative analysis, solution research, stakeholder engagement, compiling detailed product specifications and preparation of product approval documents for the various governance forums;
• Reviewing and proposing changes to discretionary participation business management actions;
• Recommendation of bonus rates (interim, final, claim, reversionary or terminal where applicable) for discretionary participation business;
• Review and update of the bonus philosophy which may require creating new bonus smoothing formulae;
• Building, updating or reviewing appropriate models in order to quantify financial impacts appropriately;
• Reviewing and proposing changes to the segment Principles and Practices of Financial Management (PPFM);
• Managing the implementation of statutory and contractual requirements for retail discretionary participation business;
• Mitigating financial, legal, reputational and other pertinent retail discretionary participation business risks by ensuring administration systems are continuously rigorously tested for adherence to contractual obligations;
• Mitigating operational risks by adding a layer of governance to manual processes inherent within retail discretionary participation business;
• Reviewing legal documentation (for example, client contracts, counterparty agreements, etc.);
• Actuarial, compliance and performance reporting for retail discretionary participation business;
• Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with various internal and external stakeholders and assisting them in analysing, supplying and translating information on retail discretionary participation business;
• Driving projects to completion within stipulated timelines;
• Undertaking ad-hoc actuarial tasks including the resolution of technical queries; and
• Managing a small team. This requires delegation, review and analysis of work, and ensuring appropriate development opportunities for staff

Qualifications:

• Qualified or nearly qualified actuary;
• At least five (5) years’ relevant experience preferred;
• Experience with RiskAgility Financial Modeller will be advantageous;
• Good knowledge of discretionary participation business as well as structured and/or guarantee investments;
• Ability to work accurately under pressure;
• High attention to detail and quality orientation;
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills;
• Good written and verbal communication skills;
• Good time management skills; and
• Ability to work in a team as well as independently.