About the position
Guardian is seeking an Actuarial Illustrations Project Manager to join the Individual Life and Annuity Product Illustrations Team. Working with a team of professionals, you will complete plans to implement new life and annuity products, features, and enhancements in Guardian's innovative, critically important illustration system, the Guardian Proposal System (GPS). You will be responsible for translating life & annuity actuarial product descriptions into detailed and comprehensive illustration system specifications, developing quality assurance testing tools, and completing test plans to ensure quality product implementations in support of our goal to grow market share in our life and annuity business. You will also assist the Head of Life & Annuity Illustrations in defining project scope, developing project & resource allocation plans, and providing direction to analysts and testers. At Guardian, "We do the right thing"; "We believe people count"; "We courageously shape our future together"; and "We go above and beyond for the people we serve". We demonstrate our core values by acting with accountability, leading with the consumer at the center, committing to collaborate, communicating transparently, and connecting with empathy & compassion.
Responsibilities
- Support the implementation of new life & annuity products, features, and enhancements in the illustration system.
- Collaborate with colleagues in Product Development, Actuarial, Compliance, IT, and Policy Administration/Operations, as well as with our illustration software vendor (iPipeline/WELIS) in both the planning and implementation phases.
- Assist the Head of Life & Annuity Illustrations in defining project scope, developing project & resource allocation plans, providing direction & consultation to analysts and testers.
- Translate complex actuarial product requirements and/or high-level end-user requirements into detailed illustration system specifications for product calculations.
- Develop, modify, and employ Excel based tools to verify the accuracy of illustration calculations.
- Create detailed numerical examples to assist the software development team (third party vendor) in delivering quality code.
- Develop, review, & contribute to the documentation and execution of detailed test plans to ensure that illustration calculations align with product requirements and end user needs.
- Identify, report, and reconcile system defects on a timely basis.
- Coordinate User Acceptance Testing with our business customers and obtaining their sign-offs on software deliverables.
- Evolve the team's standard processes for requirements documentation & system testing.
- Regularly communicate status on current projects and initiatives.
- Participate in the after-business hours' testing of our software production deployments (approximately 6 times per year).
- Troubleshoot complex technical problems with product calculations and/or rates with a sense of urgency.
- Provide production support for inquiries / problems surfaced by end-users.
- Serve as a back-up to the Illustrations Project Managers and other teammates.
- Provide cross training and knowledge sharing to ensure the team's continuous growth & development.
- Perform ad hoc calculations for illustrations requiring manual workarounds for requests beyond the system's current functionality.
- Distill complex illustration processing to non-technical field or colleague audience.
- Advise cross-functional teams on project impacts to their systems due to interdependencies and restrictions with the illustration system.
- Coordinate, implement, & test complex illustration system changes required due to new policy administrative practices or systems.
Requirements
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in the life insurance & annuity industry as a senior business systems analyst and quality assurance tester, with a high level of expertise in life and/or annuity illustration systems and/or policy administration systems.
- Life and annuity taxation experience, including TAMRA/MEC considerations.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including experience developing quality assurance testing tools for life and/or annuity product calculations.
- Bachelor's degree in Math, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, Finance, or equivalent business experience.
- Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, problem-solving, communication, & organizational skills.
- Experience writing business systems requirements and performing quality assurance testing.
- Excellent time management skills and the ability to contribute to multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Experience working with cross-functional teams in a hybrid environment.
- The ASA - Associate, Society of Actuaries - designation.
Nice-to-haves
- Project Management and/or People Management experience preferred.
- Advanced Markets Sales experience, a plus.
Benefits
- Support and flexibility to achieve professional and personal goals.
- Skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities.
- Contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources.
