Head Actuary, Pricing - Employee Benefits

Equitable•Syracuse, NY

3d•$360,000 - $500,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Equitable, we help clients secure their financial well-being so they can pursue long and fulfilling lives- a mission we’ve honed since 1859. Equitable is seeking a dynamic and experienced Actuary to serve as Head Actuary of Employee Benefits Pricing. This is the senior actuarial leader for the Employee Benefits business, remaining hands-on and accountable for setting pricing strategy and ensuring its effective execution. Focus will be on establishing robust pricing governance, refining profitability through disciplined renewal strategies, and scaling the actuarial team to support ambitious growth targets. You will foster strong cross-functional partnerships with Finance and Senior Leadership, acting as a key financial steward to drive sustainable, profitable growth while building a best-in-class pricing organization from the ground up.

Requirements

10+ years actuarial experience in the Employee Benefits/Group Insurance industry, with deep expertise in pricing, managing risk and proven success delivering sustainable, profitable growth.
Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) designation required plus a record of maintaining SOA Continuing Professional Development requirements and professional credentials in good standing.
Extensive experience leading or overseeing pricing for Group Employee Benefit product lines, including Life, Disability (STD & LTD), state PFML, Dental, Vision, and Supplemental Health, with a strong understanding of portfolio‑level performance and margin drivers.
Leadership experience.
Deep functional knowledge of Employee Benefits business dynamics, including broker‑led distribution models, underwriting practices, employer segment economics, claims and experience modeling, and the effective use of reinsurance structures.
Accuracy and Attention to Detail: Understanding the necessity and value of accuracy; ability to complete tasks with high levels of precision.
Communicating Complex Concepts: Knowledge of effective presentation tools and techniques to ensure clear understanding; ability to use summarization and simplification techniques to explain complex technical concepts in simple, clear language appropriate to the audience.
Cross-functional Collaboration: Knowledge of collaborative techniques and approaches; ability to promote a culture of continuous improvement and working together across functions to solve business problems and meet business goals.
Influencing Through Expertise: Knowledge of the methods and techniques used for skill and career development; ability to use these to deepen own expertise and coach, mentor and challenge others both inside and outside the organization.
Insurance Products: Knowledge of insurance products, product groups and services; ability to apply the knowledge of products and services appropriately to diverse situations, including but not limited to marketing development and product consulting.
Results Orientation: Knowledge of the importance of meeting or exceeding established targets; ability to drive critical activities to completion.
Statistics and Actuarial Modeling: Knowledge of statistical and actuarial modeling tools and techniques; ability to apply modeling processes and techniques to facilitate risk management decisions.

Responsibilities

Serve as the top actuary for the Employee Benefits business, with end-to-end ownership of pricing strategy, execution and financial outcomes.
Lead assumption development and pricing model design, establishing scalable governance, tools and processes as pricing function matures.
Lead annual pricing reviews and ongoing assumption refinement across all products, balancing speed, discipline and transparency.
Develop a disciplined renewal strategy with Underwriting to continually improve inforce profitability, with hands-on involvement in complex cases and portfolio actions.
Oversee actuarial product development, including the development of actuarial memorandums and model validation, advancing pricing capabilities toward insight-driven decision support.
Build, scale and lead the pricing organization, including talent, operating rhythm and prioritization, aligned to Employee Benefits growth and margin goals.
Serve as a key financial steward for the business, monitoring earnings drivers, profitability initiatives, and projects tied to broader financials in closer partnership with Finance.
Design and improve workflows and ways of working, bringing a builder mindset to a lean, start-up like environment.
Lead Employee Benefits actuarial and pricing strategies, with accountability for advancing the pricing maturity model.
Partner closely with Distribution/Sales, Underwriting, Operations, Finance and third-party vendors to align pricing actions with profitability and growth levers.
Lead senior-level discussions on pricing, financial performance and trade-offs with clarity and confidence.
Produce concise, executive-ready written materials that translate technical analysis into commercial insight.
Demonstrate a hands-on, execution-oriented mindset, working effectively across Finance, Risk, Product and Distribution.
Present pricing and financial results at Monthly and Quarterly Business Reviews with focus on earnings, margins and strategic implications.
Partner closely with the CFO and Finance on quarterly reporting, emerging experience and earnings implications.
Support Distribution and Sales initiatives with pricing and financial analysis tied to compensation, contracts and growth strategies.
Collaborate with Analytics to advance data-driven and predictive pricing capabilities.
Partner with Head of Product on pricing strategies for new product launches, aligned to financial and growth objectives.