| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Insurance |
| Level | Senior management |
| Reports to | Chief Executive Officer |
| Direct reports | Actuarial Analyst |
| Experience | 12+ years in actuarial with senior valuation and pricing roles |
Appointed Actuary job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Appointed Actuary
Department: Insurance
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
An Appointed Actuary is the senior statutory actuary an insurer must appoint, responsible for the financial soundness of the company. They certify reserves and solvency, guide product pricing, and advise the board on risk. The role reports to the Chief Executive Officer and the board, and answers to the regulator. A good appointed actuary keeps reserves adequate and solvency safe, prices products so they are viable, files the required actuarial reports on time, flags financial risks early, and protects both policyholders and the company from unsound decisions.
Key responsibilities
- Certify the adequacy of policy reserves and the solvency margin of the insurer.
- Guide product pricing so premiums are fair to policyholders and viable for the company.
- Advise the board on financial risk, capital and the distribution of surplus.
- Prepare and file the actuarial reports and certificates the regulator requires on time.
- Set assumptions for mortality, morbidity, interest and expenses used across the business.
- Review reinsurance arrangements and their effect on risk and capital.
- Monitor the experience of the portfolio against the pricing assumptions.
- Support the valuation of liabilities at each financial close.
- Advise on new products and their financial and regulatory soundness.
- Uphold the professional and regulatory duties of the appointed actuary role.
Requirements
- Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India
- Meets the regulator fit and proper criteria
- Long experience in life or general insurance actuarial work
- 12+ years in actuarial with senior valuation and pricing roles
KRAs and KPIs for a Appointed Actuary
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Solvency | Solvency margin kept above the regulatory minimum at every valuation |
| Reserve adequacy | Policy reserves certified adequate at each financial close |
| Pricing soundness | Products priced within approved profitability and viability limits |
| Regulatory filing | Actuarial reports and certificates filed by the due dates |
| Experience monitoring | Assumptions reviewed against actual experience each period |
| Board advice | Financial risks raised to the board before they become material |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Prophet or actuarial software, R or Python, Advanced Excel, Valuation models, Regulatory return templates.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Chief Risk Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Executive Officer
Interview questions for a Appointed Actuary
- How do you judge whether policy reserves are adequate?
- How do you set mortality and interest assumptions in a changing market?
- How would you advise the board when solvency is under pressure?
- How do you balance competitive pricing with long term viability?
- How do you monitor portfolio experience against pricing assumptions?
- How do you handle a disagreement with management on a pricing decision?
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What does an Appointed Actuary do?
An Appointed Actuary is the senior statutory actuary an insurer must appoint. They certify reserves and solvency, guide product pricing, set financial assumptions and advise the board on risk and capital. They file the actuarial reports the regulator requires and protect both policyholders and the company from unsound financial decisions.
Who can become an Appointed Actuary in India?
An Appointed Actuary must be a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of India and meet the regulator fit and proper criteria, with long experience in insurance actuarial work. Because it is a statutory role, the regulator sets the qualifications and the company appoints the actuary formally.
What is the difference between an Appointed Actuary and an Actuarial Analyst?
An Actuarial Analyst supports the work: building models, running valuations and preparing pricing analysis. An Appointed Actuary is the senior, statutory role that signs off reserves and solvency, sets assumptions and advises the board. The analyst does the analysis; the appointed actuary carries the accountability.