AVP & Actuary - Head of Life Insurance Valuation

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since1848, National Life Group has aimed to keep our promises, providing families with stability in good times and in bad. Throughout that history, we have provided peace of mind to those families as they plan their futures. Our mission extends beyond the insurance and annuities policies that we offer. We strive to make the world a better place through our grants from our charitable foundation, paid volunteer time for our employees, environmentally sustainable and healthy workplaces, and events that promote the work of nonprofits in our own backyard. We foster a collaborative environment with opportunities for growth and encourage our associates to live our values: Do good. Be good. Make good. Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Role Summary

The AVP & Actuary – Head of Life Insurance Valuation provides enterprise leadership for the valuation strategy, governance, and financial reporting of National Life Group's life insurance business. This executive leadership role is accountable for establishing actuarial valuation frameworks, ensuring the integrity of financial reporting under U.S. GAAP and statutory accounting, and influencing strategic business decisions that strengthen the Company's financial position, capital management objectives, and long-term growth. Reporting to the Head of Valuation, this role partners closely with executive leadership across Capital Management, Financial Reporting, Product Development, Inforce Management, Investments, Risk, and Internal Audit to evaluate strategic initiatives, including reinsurance transactions, new product introductions, evolving accounting and regulatory requirements, and enterprise transformation efforts. The ideal candidate is a highly accomplished actuarial executive with deep expertise in life insurance valuation and financial reporting who develops high-performing teams and models Servant Leadership. This position currently offers an onsite work schedule, with the expectation that you will be in the office four (4) days per week during onsite core days. Our current onsite core days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The work schedule type and core days are subject to change with advance notification and manager discretion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for all life insurance valuation activities supporting U.S. GAAP and statutory financial reporting.
• Establish actuarial valuation strategies, governance frameworks, and operational standards that support enterprise financial reporting objectives.
• Direct the timely and accurate calculation, validation, and governance of actuarial liabilities, reserves, and related financial balances.
• Lead valuation support for strategic reinsurance initiatives, including financial analysis, implementation, and ongoing governance.
• Partner with Capital Management, Finance, Investments, Product Development, Risk Management, and executive leadership to evaluate business initiatives and their valuation implications.
• Interpret and implement emerging accounting standards, statutory requirements, and regulatory guidance impacting life insurance valuation and financial reporting.
• Establish governance over actuarial assumptions, experience studies, model validation, and principles-based reserving methodologies.
• Direct the continuous enhancement of actuarial models, reporting processes, analytical capabilities, controls, and automation initiatives.
• Present valuation results, financial impacts, emerging risks, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership and governance committees.
• Serve as the Company's actuarial valuation representative with external auditors, regulators, rating agencies, and industry organizations.
• Lead organizational initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, governance, financial transparency, and regulatory readiness.
• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing actuarial organization while fostering collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Promote cross-functional partnerships that strengthen enterprise decision-making and support National Life Group’s strategic priorities.
• Model National Life Group’s Servant Leadership Tenets and organizational values while fostering an inclusive, high-performance culture.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Finance, Statistics, or a related quantitative discipline.
• Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) or equivalent actuarial designation.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible actuarial experience within the life insurance industry, including significant experience in valuation and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated expertise in U.S. GAAP, statutory accounting, principles-based reserving (PBR), and life insurance reinsurance structures.
• Proven experience leading actuarial teams and developing organizational talent.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional strategic initiatives with enterprise-wide impact.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, and influencing skills with the ability to communicate complex actuarial concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships with executive leadership, regulators, auditors, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to pass a full background investigation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading actuarial modernization or finance transformation initiatives.
• Experience implementing new accounting standards or significant regulatory changes.
• Experience supporting strategic reinsurance transactions and capital optimization initiatives.
• Expertise with actuarial valuation systems, financial reporting platforms, and model governance frameworks.
• Demonstrated experience influencing enterprise strategy through actuarial and financial insights.
• Active participation in industry organizations and actuarial professional committees.
• Experience with indexed universal life products.

AI Proficiency Expectations

At National Life Group, we view AI as an enabler of human potential. We use AI to help us work smarter, serve more clients, and keep our promises, while remaining a relationship-driven business where our people are our greatest strength.

All applicants are expected to:

• Leverage approved AI tools, where appropriate, to improve the efficiency, quality, and impact of their work.
• Stay curious and open to new AI-enabled ways of working.
• Exercise sound judgment by reviewing and validating AI-generated content.
• Maintain accountability for the accuracy, quality, fairness, and integrity of work products by adhering to National Life's AI guiding principles.
• Use AI responsibly and in accordance with company policies related to confidentiality, data privacy, security, compliance, retention, and intellectual property.

Core Competencies

• Establishes Strategic Direction- Shapes a compelling strategy through planning and alignment to set the organization apart from competitors; Ability to anticipate various outcomes and plans ahead; Has broad knowledge and perspective.
• Decision Making and Judgement- Makes informed decisions regarding business direction that considers facts, constraints, and risks.
• Drive Execution- Establishes accountability for hitting business targets; Tracks progress on key metrics; Balances long-term strategic objectives with short-term tactical goals.
• Demonstrates Emotional Intelligence- Exhibits the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions and how emotions can influence others; Uses a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and opportunities.
• Exhibits Critical and Creative Thinking- Engaging thinking skills that focus on logic and reasoning to make decisions (critical) and innovative solutions to solve problems (creative).
• Leads Organizational Change- Develops strategic goals and allocates resources to align with large-scale organizational shifts.
• Organizational Awareness- Uses knowledge of the organizational culture to solve problems and accomplish goals.
• Drives Vision and Purpose- Paints a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

Benefits

Benefits Your benefits start day one and are flexible and customizable to your and your family’s specific needs. Check out the BENEFITS of a Career at National Life!

Base Pay Range . The base pay range for this position is the range National Life reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors, including: prior experience and job‑related knowledge; education, training and certificates; current business needs; and market factors. Additional Compensation and Benefits . The total compensation package for this position may also include a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave), dependent on the position offered. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in National Life’s discretionary annual incentive programs, subject to the rules governing such programs. If hired, the employee will be in an 'at-will position' and National Life reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. National Life is accepting applications for this role on an ongoing basis and the role remains open until filled.

Salary Pay Range $183,750 — $269,500 USD

National Life Group® is a trade name of National Life Insurance Company, Montpelier, VT – founded in 1848, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, Addison, TX – chartered in 1955, and their affiliates. Each company of National Life Group is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. Life Insurance Company of the Southwest is not an authorized insurer in New York and does not conduct insurance business in New York. Equity Services, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, is a Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Adviser affiliate of National Life Insurance Company. All other entities are independent of the companies of National Life Group. Fortune1000 status is based on the consolidated financial results of all National Life Group companies.

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