Actuarial Director (FULLY REMOTE)

FTS, in collaboration with a cutting-edge client of ours, is seeking a highly capable Actuarial Director to join their in-house Health & Benefits actuarial team. The department supports employers across their health benefits strategies, including financial projections, plan design, IBNR valuations, benchmarking, renewal negotiations, and post-employment healthcare liabilities. This position will primarily support the Western Region, which spans California, the Pacific Northwest, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, and surrounding markets.

All candidates should make sure to read the following job description and information carefully before applying.

The Actuarial Director will serve as a senior, client-facing actuarial expert across a portfolio of approximately 90 clients, creating and presenting deliverables, leading complex engagements, and providing guidance to actuarial staff. This individual will be expected to take ownership of client engagements, serve as a lead actuarial consultant, and act as a trusted advisor to employers across a range of Health & Welfare strategies. Experience with OPEB / retiree medical liability valuations is valuable but is not required for the role.

This is also a long-term leadership opportunity. The Actuarial Director will ultimately assume responsibility for the Western Region actuarial function, including leadership of approximately four actuarial professionals and significant involvement in growing the team. The ideal candidate brings deep Employee Benefits/Health & Welfare actuarial expertise, strong client presence, experience leading consulting engagements, and the ability to step into broader regional leadership over time.

*** This is a FULLY REMOTE role ***

*** Only U.S. Citizens and Green Card Holders are eligible currently ***

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads development and oversees execution of client data and analytics strategies.
• Conceives, plans, and conducts actuarial studies.
• Leads actuarial consulting engagements and serves as a primary actuarial resource for employer clients.
• Ensures a financial forecasting system which generates accurate projections relative to cost, claims, administrative expenses, and underwriting gains/losses, with the ability to explain variances to senior management.
• Devises, collects, maintains, and reports financial and statistical information required to monitor cost and utilization trends in order to assure accuracy of the factors used in current financial arrangements.
• Independently determines methodologies and approaches for projects.
• Facilitates client meetings, client presentations, and internal team meetings.
• Serves as a senior actuarial subject matter expert and trusted financial resource to Employee Benefits clients.
• Leads the development of client deliverables, including written documents.
• Manages timelines, including completion of client deliverables, across a significant portfolio of Western Region clients.
• Ensures all work products are technically peer reviewed and submitted for consulting review.
• Actively communicates project status updates with internal team.
• Supports business development activities.
• Serves as mentor to staff within the department, monitoring work and providing guidance and support to ensure the passage of institutional knowledge.
• Performs team leadership responsibilities to include, but not limited to, being involved in hiring and termination decisions, coaching and development, rewards and recognition, performance management, and staff productivity.
• Develops toward broader responsibility for the Western Region actuarial function, including oversight and development of actuarial staff and participation in future team hiring decisions.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements:

• Seasoned actuarial experience within Employee Benefits / Health & Welfare, with a deep understanding of employer-sponsored healthcare programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading client engagements and serving as a lead actuarial consultant, with ownership of client relationships and actuarial strategy.
• Strong client-facing and consulting experience, with the ability to operate as a senior subject matter expert with clients ranging from mid-management through the C-suite.
• Experience with OPEB / retiree medical liability valuations is a plus, but not required.
• Experience supporting public-sector employers is a strong plus, but not required.
• Expert analytical skills – experience in data analysis or financial modeling.
• A creative and consultative approach, with an interest in thinking outside of the box.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven project management skills and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex projects and client engagements simultaneously.
• Experience presenting technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
• Strong presentation skills and consulting project experience – ability to translate results of data analysis into easy-to-understand recommendations for client decision-making.
• Deep understanding of health insurance, medical stop loss, reinsurance, and ancillary employee benefit products.
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities, including the ability to mentor and develop actuarial professionals and ultimately assume broader regional leadership responsibilities.
• ASA designation required; FSA strongly preferred.

Education, Training and Experience:

• ASA designation required; FSA designation strongly preferred.
• Significant actuarial experience within Employee Benefits / Health & Welfare, ideally within an actuarial consulting, employee benefits consulting, or brokerage environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading actuarial consulting engagements and directly managing employer client relationships.
• Experience with retiree medical/OPEB liability valuations is a plus, but not required.
• Experience working with public-sector employers or governmental health and welfare plans is a plus.
• Expert analytical skills – experience in data analysis or financial modeling.
• A creative and consultative approach, with an interest in thinking outside of the box.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven project management skills and creative problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Experience presenting technical concepts to a non-technical audience.
• Strong presentation skills and consulting project experience – ability to translate results of data analysis into easy-to-understand recommendations for client decision-making.
• Deep understanding of health insurance, medical stop loss, reinsurance, and ancillary employee benefit products.
• Experience mentoring, developing, or leading actuarial staff, with the capability to grow into leadership of a regional actuarial function. xhyhwjd

Remote working/work at home options are available for this role.