Associate Director, Actuarial Systems & Innovation

Come join one of America’s fastest-growing insurance companies. Since 1848, 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.

Role Summary

Please note that we do not offer visa sponsorship for this position.

The Actuarial Innovation team is a forward-looking group focused on advancing actuarial capabilities through modern data, analytics, automation, and technology solutions. The Associate Director will partner closely with Actuarial Valuation, Modeling Center of Excellence (MCoE), IT, Finance, and other cross-functional teams to support actuarial production processes, system maintenance, data analytics, change management, process automation, and actuarial platform modernization.

The Associate Director will help translate business needs into actionable technology and data solutions, support prioritization of actuarial system and data requests, coordinate testing and implementation activities, and ensure that actuarial systems and data processes are reliable, scalable, well-controlled, and aligned with business objectives.

This position is expected to serve as a hands-on partner to the Senior Director, helping execute the actuarial systems and data roadmap while supporting day-to-day issue resolution, stakeholder coordination, governance, documentation, and continuous improvement efforts.

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

Actuarial Systems Governance & Change Management

• Support the actuarial change management lifecycle for systems, data pipelines, model-related infrastructure, reporting processes, and production workflows.
• Assist with intake, prioritization, planning, and execution of actuarial data and systems requests across Actuarial Valuation and MCoE.
• Support compliance with company policies, actuarial governance standards, and regulatory expectations related to actuarial systems, data, and model-supporting processes

Actuarial Data Management & Platform Enablement

• Partner with IT, Actuarial Valuation, and MCoE to improve data quality, consistency, accessibility, lineage, and controls across actuarial systems and platforms.
• Assist with enhancements to the Actuarial Data Platform and analytical capabilities supporting valuation, modeling, forecasting, experience studies, and financial reporting.
• Support data governance practices that improve the reliability, transparency, and usability of actuarial data across lines of business.
• Assess IT-sanctioned tools, platforms, and software capabilities for potential use in actuarial data processing, modeling, analytics, and reporting.

Technology Partnership, Transformation & Process Improvement

• Translate actuarial business needs into clear requirements, user stories, process documentation, and implementation plans.
• Support backlog management, roadmap execution, stakeholder communications, and prioritization discussions.
• Foster collaboration across actuarial, IT, finance, and business teams to ensure solutions are practical, sustainable, and aligned with enterprise technology standards.
• Support transformation initiatives involving actuarial models, data platforms, systems, processes, and controls.
• Support AI innovation opportunities by identifying practical use cases for automation, advanced analytics, and AI-enabled tools that improve actuarial data processing, modeling, reporting, controls, and decision-making.Top of FormBottom of Form

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in actuarial, finance, data analytics, technology, or related roles within the life insurance industry.
• Proven experience partnering with Actuarial, Finance, Data, and IT teams to support business-critical systems, data processes, analytical platforms, or reporting environments.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to prioritize competing requests, manage timelines, track dependencies, and coordinate cross-functional deliverables.
• Strong understanding of data management principles, including data quality, data controls, reconciliation, lineage, documentation, governance, and issue resolution.
• Working knowledge of the system development lifecycle, including requirements gathering, change management, testing, deployment, production support, and control frameworks.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose issues, identify root causes, evaluate alternatives, and drive practical solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to translate business needs into clear requirements and partner with technical teams to design and deliver effective solutions.
• Ability to build relationships, influence without direct authority, and collaborate effectively across actuarial, technology, finance, data, and business teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical, data, and process concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Data Science, Finance, Engineering, or a related field.
• PMP, Agile, data management, cloud, technology, or related professional certifications.
• Hands-on experience or working knowledge of SQL, Databricks, Python, cloud data platforms, workflow automation tools, business intelligence tools, or similar technologies.
• Experience supporting complex system implementations, data platform enhancements, process automation, actuarial modernization, or enterprise transformation initiatives.
• Experience developing and maintaining business requirements, process documentation, control documentation, data lineage documentation, test plans, user acceptance testing materials, deployment plans, and production support procedures.
• Prior experience mentoring analysts, coordinating project teams, or serving as a lead for cross-functional initiatives.

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.

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. The final salary or hourly wages offered may be outside of this range based on other reasons and individual circumstances.

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

$114,375—$167,750 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.

Fortune 1000 status is based on the consolidated financial results of all National Life Group companies.

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National Life Group

1 National Life Dr

Montpelier, VT 05604