Europe Non-Life Actuaries & Professional Services

About DFA

DFA is a leading solution provider for the risk, capital and performance management needs of insurance groups worldwide. Established in 1999 DFA has grown strongly, with our employees continuing to participate significantly through stock options in the growing value of the firm.

DFA’s principal software solution is ADVISE™ a stochastic simulation system that customers use to answer significant financial management questions. Integrated within ADVISE is a proprietary capital markets model GEMS™ that has received acclaim from acknowledged experts in this field. ADVISE and GEMS cover the needs of Life, Property-Casualty, Reinsurance and Asset Management business areas as well as providing aggregation capabilities for mixed groups. ADVISE is used in many customer organizations both large and small.

DFA’s strengths derive primarily from our experienced and innovative leadership team as well as our exceptionally strong software development and professional services teams. We are now looking to expand and strengthen our Cologne, Germany professional services team to meet strong demand from the European market. We are aiming to fill two Non-Life positions: 1) Risk modeling expert and 2) Team leader/project manager. Our standards are high and successful candidates will be expected to be highly knowledgeable and articulate as well as results-oriented and ambitious for both themselves and the firm. Candidates must have flexibility to travel to customer and prospect locations throughout Europe. Compensation prospects for candidates who meet our high standards are excellent.

For suitable candidates these positions are extremely attractive, because:

  • you will be involved with a highly challenging and topical subject;
  • you will work on customer-oriented implementations;
  • you will be part of an extremely capable team of professionals;
  • you will use outstanding software that supports the financial management of insurers.

To find out more about either of these positions, please contact jobs@dfa.com. All discussions will be in complete confidence.

Position Profile

Role

Modeling expert

Team leader/project manager

 

You will take over the implementation of risk and capital models for Non-Life customers in the firm’s proprietary stochastic simulation software.

You will prepare and deliver advice resulting from those models, taking into account their practical relevance.

Working within a very capable team of professionals, you will implement the direct requirements of our customers.

Your responsibilities will also include representing the firm in sales and marketing opportunities, including demonstration and explanation of the software and general risk and capital methodologies.

After a successful orientation phase, it is expected that you will be in a position to take direct responsibility for customer liaison and support.

You will take over the leadership of a small team of Non-Life professionals who implement risk and capital models for customers in the firm’s proprietary stochastic simulation software.

You will additionally prepare and deliver advice to our customers resulting from those models, taking into account their practical relevance.

You will represent the firm in sales and marketing opportunities, including demonstration and explanation of the software and general risk and capital methodologies.

You will take project management responsibilities for implementations and related customer projects supported by very capable professional services and software development teams.

You will support the firm’s product development activities by identifying market needs and trends and translating them into product development opportunities.

Further leadership opportunities within the firm may be available following demonstrable success in the initial role.

Skills Profile

Area

Modeling expert

Team leader/project manager

Education / professional qualifications

Fully qualified actuary (DAV or equivalent)

Good degree in quantitative discipline

Strong statistical skills

Professionally qualified (e.g. DAV)

Good degree in a subject relevant to the role

Quantitatively and statistically literate

Insurance market experience

Five or more years experience in the German property-casualty insurance market

Ideally significant experience in applying the usual property-casualty insurance company actuarial processes (pricing, reserving)

Experience of property-casualty financial and risk management processes advantageous – investments/ALM, financial planning, accounting, tax, management reporting and financial performance measurement

Ten or more years experience of property-casualty business in more than one country and more than one market sector

Experience in a leadership role

Experience of financial and risk management processes – investments/ALM, financial planning, accounting, tax, management reporting and financial performance measurement

Wider knowledge

Knowledge of economic concepts and principles

Committed to professional and personal development

Strong understanding of economic concepts and principles

Committed to professional and personal development

Computer skills

Expected: Excel including Visual Basic, Word, PowerPoint

Desirable: Database (e.g. SAS, Access, Oracle)

Familiarity with simulation tools (e.g. @Risk, Crystal Ball, …)

Expected: Excel including Visual Basic, Word, PowerPoint

Appreciation of corporate information systems (e.g. SAS, SAP, Oracle)

Interpersonal and work skills/attitude: Self-starting

Able to create, execute and manage the risk associated with short and medium term plans, based on goals set by others

Able to translate customer requirements into feasible work products

Able to set realistic goals for team and to create, execute and manage the risk associated with short and medium term plans

Able to translate customer requirements into feasible work products

Interpersonal and work skills/attitude: Teamwork

Understands what is expected from the team and/or self

Willing to accept tasks contributing to the team’s overall goals

Asks for and provides coaching as needed

Raises problems to the attention of managers on a timely basis

Documents work as a matter of routine

Insists on high quality

Understands what is expected from the team and/or self

Willing to accept tasks contributing to the team’s overall goals

Provides coaching and feedback as needed

Deals with problems on a timely basis

Documents work as a matter of routine

Delegates appropriately

Insists on high quality, capable of providing meaningful reviews of team’s work products

Communication

Good listening skills

Ability to explain complex or unfamiliar concepts to people at al levels in appropriate ways

Ability to make persuasive presentations in front of technical or non-technical audiences

Good listening skills

Ability to explain complex or unfamiliar concepts to people at al levels in appropriate ways

Ability to make persuasive presentations in front of technical or non-technical audiences

Ambassador for the firm

Clearly understands and gives high priority to the firm’s interests

Maintains utmost confidentiality

Presents the firm favorably to the outside world

Represents the firm’s position accurately

Commits appropriately within scope of his/her authority

Clearly understands and gives high priority to the firm’s interests

Maintains utmost confidentiality

Presents the firm favorably to the outside world

Represents the firm’s position accurately

Commits appropriately within scope of his/her authority

Languages

German and English spoken and written fluency (essential)

Knowledge of other European languages advantageous

German and English spoken and written fluency (essential)

Knowledge of other European languages advantageous

Ambition

Eager to transition to leadership role in the short to medium term

Eager to transition to further leadership roles in the medium term

Current Openings

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