At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead reserving oversight for a multi-billion-dollar international short-tail portfolio.
- Company: Global specialty insurer based in Dublin with a focus on innovation.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, career development opportunities, and a dynamic work environment.
- Other info: Collaborate with global teams and contribute to special projects enhancing reserving methodologies.
- Why this job: Shape financial reporting and business strategy while making a real impact.
- Qualifications: Qualified actuary with non-life reserving experience and strong communication skills.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 € per year.
A senior actuarial leadership opportunity within a global specialty insurer, responsible for reserving oversight across a large international short-tail portfolio including Property, Construction, Climate and Structured Risk Solutions. The role covers multi-billion-dollar reserves and a significant annual premium base, playing a key part in shaping financial reporting, performance insight, and business strategy.
You will lead the reserving function across attritional losses, large losses, and catastrophe events, ensuring robust valuation frameworks and high-quality quarterly reporting. This includes leading Actual vs Expected analysis, assessing and challenging methodologies and assumptions, and driving improvements where needed.
You will present results, insights, and recommendations to senior stakeholders across actuarial, finance, underwriting, and executive leadership. A core part of the role involves close partnership with underwriting and pricing teams to understand portfolio performance, inform loss ratios, and support annual business planning.
You will also contribute to profitability analysis, legal entity reporting, and strategic portfolio management, ensuring reserving outputs are fully embedded into business decision-making. You will manage and develop a local actuarial team in Dublin, while working within a global actuarial network. This includes coordinating with central and regional actuarial teams, supporting external actuarial opinions, and ensuring consistency and governance across reporting cycles.
Beyond core responsibilities, you will contribute to special projects focused on enhancing reserving methodologies, improving processes, and developing analytical tools and insights across the wider actuarial function. This is a high-impact role suited to a qualified actuary with deep non-life reserving experience, strong technical expertise, and proven ability to operate in complex, global environments. You will bring excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate technical actuarial results into clear, actionable business insight.
Head of Short Tail Reserving employer: Oliver James
As a global specialty insurer based in Dublin, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic and inclusive work culture that prioritises employee growth and development. Our commitment to innovation and excellence is reflected in our comprehensive benefits package and the opportunity to lead a talented actuarial team, making a significant impact on our international short-tail portfolio. Join us to be part of a collaborative environment where your expertise will shape strategic decisions and drive meaningful change within the organisation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Short Tail Reserving
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the insurance and actuarial fields. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your technical knowledge and understanding of reserving methodologies. Be ready to discuss your past experiences with attritional losses and large loss analysis. Show them you’re not just a numbers person but someone who can translate those numbers into actionable insights for the business.
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t forget to showcase your leadership skills! If you’ve managed teams before, highlight how you’ve developed talent and fostered collaboration. Employers want to see that you can lead a local actuarial team while working within a global network.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and take the initiative to connect directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Short Tail Reserving
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV reflects the specific skills and experiences that align with the Head of Short Tail Reserving role. Highlight your actuarial expertise, especially in non-life reserving, and any leadership experience you have in managing teams or projects.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Mention your experience with multi-billion-dollar reserves and how you've contributed to financial reporting and business strategy in previous positions.
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since this role involves presenting insights to senior stakeholders, make sure to demonstrate your communication skills in your application. Use clear and concise language, and if possible, provide examples of how you've successfully communicated complex actuarial results in the past.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. This ensures your application gets to the right people quickly and allows us to keep track of all applications efficiently. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Oliver James
✨Know Your Numbers
As a candidate for the Head of Short Tail Reserving, you need to be on top of your game with numbers. Brush up on your understanding of multi-billion-dollar reserves and how they impact financial reporting. Be ready to discuss specific examples of how you've managed large portfolios and the methodologies you've used.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves managing a local actuarial team and collaborating with global teams. Prepare to share your experiences in leading teams, driving improvements, and fostering collaboration. Think about how you've developed talent in the past and be ready to discuss your approach to team management.
✨Communicate Clearly
You’ll need to present complex actuarial results to senior stakeholders. Practice translating technical jargon into clear, actionable insights. Consider preparing a few key points or a mini-presentation that demonstrates your ability to communicate effectively with non-technical audiences.
✨Understand the Business Context
Familiarise yourself with the broader business strategy and how reserving fits into it. Be prepared to discuss how your work can inform loss ratios and support annual business planning. Showing that you understand the interplay between reserving and underwriting will set you apart from other candidates.
