Assistant Vice President, Life & Retirement Pricing

Horace Mann is seeking a strategic and innovative Assistant Vice President, Life & Retirement Pricing to lead pricing, product innovation, and actuarial support for our Life and Retirement business.

This strategically important role will serve as a key partner in developing and pricing new products, enhancing existing offerings, and driving profitable growth through actuarial leadership and market-focused innovation. The successful candidate will play a critical role in shaping the future of Horace Mann's Life and Retirement portfolio while partnering across Product Strategy, Distribution, Operations, Technology, and Actuarial Valuation teams.  The individual will also ensure sound actuarial practices and governance standards (ASOPs, Horace Mann policies, and similar) are followed for all processes and activities within the pricing function.

The ideal candidate combines deep actuarial expertise with strong business acumen, leadership capabilities, and a passion for developing innovative solutions that serve educators and their families.

Key Responsibilities

Product Pricing & Development Leadership

• Lead the pricing strategy and actuarial support for new Life and Retirement products.
• Oversee preliminary pricing analyses and final pricing recommendations.
• Develop and present product pricing reports, recommendations, and business case analyses to senior leadership.
• Ensure pricing methodologies align with profitability objectives, market competitiveness, and regulatory requirements.
• Partner closely with Product Strategy to design, develop, and launch innovative Life and Retirement solutions.

Rate Setting

• Lead the Life and Retirement rate-setting process, including:
• Recommendation development
• Financial analysis
• Executive presentation materials
• Acquiring stakeholder alignment

Illustration Actuary Responsibilities

• Serve as the Illustration Actuary for Life products.
• Provide actuarial oversight and support for illustration systems and methodologies.
• Ensure illustrations remain compliant, accurate, and aligned with product objectives.

Actuarial Systems & Technology Leadership

• Oversee actuarial support for system development initiatives, including:
• New product implementation
• Product enhancements
• System conversions
• Pricing and illustration system improvements
• Partner with Technology and Operations teams to ensure successful implementation of actuarial requirements.

Assumptions & Experience Analysis

• Collaborate with actuarial valuation team on assumption development, experience studies, and profitability assessments.
• Support long-term business planning through financial modeling, forecasting, and scenario analysis.
• Provide insight into emerging experience trends and their impact on product pricing and performance.

Leadership & Strategic Influence

• Assist in developing strategic goals and initiatives for the Life & Retirement business.
• Influence key business decisions through actuarial expertise and data-driven recommendations.
• Mentor and develop actuarial talent while fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA) or Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) designation.
• Minimum of 10 years of actuarial experience within Life Insurance and/or Retirement.
• Demonstrated experience in product pricing, product development, and actuarial modeling.
• Strong understanding of actuarial valuation, profitability analysis, and financial projections.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior leadership decisions.

Preferred

• Experience serving as an Illustration Actuary.
• Experience supporting actuarial systems, product implementations, or system conversions.
• Experience leading product innovation and strategic growth initiatives.
• Leadership experience managing actuarial teams or mentoring actuarial professionals.

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen
• Product Innovation & Market Awareness
• Advanced Actuarial Modeling & Pricing Expertise
• Executive Communication & Influence
• Financial Analysis & Risk Assessment
• Cross-Functional Leadersh