Actuary job description.
An actuary analyzes financial risk using statistics, mathematics, and financial theory to help organizations price insurance products, manage pension obligations, and set reserves. They build predictive models, interpret regulatory requirements, and present risk assessments to leadership to support sound business decisions.
The Actuary job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Actuary Reports to: Chief Actuary or Finance Director
An actuary analyzes financial risk using statistics, mathematics, and financial theory to help organizations price insurance products, manage pension obligations, and set reserves. They build predictive models, interpret regulatory requirements, and present risk assessments to leadership to support sound business decisions.
- Build and maintain statistical models to assess financial risk and pricing
- Analyze mortality, morbidity, and claims data to inform product design
- Calculate reserves and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
6 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Chief Actuary or Finance Director
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Build and maintain statistical models to assess financial risk and pricing
- Analyze mortality, morbidity, and claims data to inform product design
- Calculate reserves and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements
- Prepare reports and present risk findings to executives and stakeholders
- Support pricing decisions for insurance, pension, or investment products
- Monitor emerging trends in risk, legislation, and industry standards
- Collaborate with underwriting, finance, and compliance teams
- Validate assumptions used in financial forecasting models
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or related field
- Progress toward or completion of actuarial exams (SOA or CAS track)
- Strong analytical and quantitative modeling skills
- Proficiency with actuarial software and Excel or SQL
- Associate or Fellow designation (ASA/FSA or ACAS/FCAS)
- Experience in life, health, or property & casualty insurance
- Programming experience in R, Python, or SAS
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Actuary job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Actuary job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Chief Actuary or Finance Director) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- Does an actuary candidate need to be fully credentialed?
- Not always; entry- and mid-level roles often accept candidates who have passed several actuarial exams and are progressing toward Associate or Fellow status.
- What industries commonly hire actuaries?
- Insurance, pensions, healthcare, and investment firms are the most common employers, though consulting firms also hire actuaries for client risk analysis.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Financial Analyst
A Financial Analyst evaluates financial data to support budgeting, forecasting, and investment decisions.
Underwriter
An underwriter evaluates insurance or loan applications to assess risk and determine appropriate terms, coverage, or approval decisions.
Risk Manager
A Risk Manager identifies, evaluates, and mitigates operational, financial, and compliance risks across an organization.
This Actuary job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.