Actuary (Benefits)

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Management (OM), Office of Actuarial Services (OAS). Under the direction of the Executive Director of Actuarial Services (VA's Chief Actuary), OAS is responsible for developing, monitoring, and updating actuarial models to support the mission of ensuring maximum transparency and accountability with respect to actuarial benefit liabilities reported in VA's audited financial statements.

Duties

Major Duties: Updating actuarial valuations with new data and assumptions. Analyzing large amounts of data and performing experience analyses used to recommend assumption and model changes. Providing technical review of other actuaries' work, which could include running an alternative model. Preparing or updating annual valuation reports, experience studies, deliver presentations to management and auditors. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Ad-hoc telework (situational telework) available as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Actuary (Benefits)/PD00165A and PD20806A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified candidates Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary, some work may require periods of walking, standing, bending, or driving a motor vehicle. Employees frequently carry research records and other similar materials. The work does not require any special physical effort. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Selective Placement Factor: This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Must have obtained one of the following actuarial credentials from the Society of Actuaries (SOA): Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), as evidenced by an official transcript and certificate or by the applicant's presence in The Actuarial Directory. AND Must have a minimum number of years of relevant retirement, disability or annuity benefits actuarial experience (five (5) years for GS-13; eight (8) years for GS-14). Individual Occupational Requirements GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level: Paragraph A. One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-12; AND A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements: Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics; and Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR Paragraph B. Applicants may qualify for a position at grade levels GS-07 through GS-13 using the "Special Alternate Means" provisions described below. Applicants for all grade levels must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. Successful completion of appropriate examinations offered by the Society of Actuaries(SOA), the Casualty Actuarial Society(CAS), or the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries(JBEA), as evidenced by an official SOA or CAS transcript, and specialized experience described below is fully qualifying at the grade levels shown below: GS-13 or Equivalent Grade Level: One year of professional actuarial experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level AND Associateship in the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society or being an Enrolled Actuary. You must also qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: GS-13 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying actuarial methods to perform annual valuations, assumption studies, actual-to-expected analyses, or liability calculations while collaborating with actuaries and other subject matter experts. Experience using analytical software, such as Excel, SAS, R, SQL, or similar tools to extract, validate, and analyze data. Experience updating or assisting in the preparation of actuarial reports, documentation, and presentations for management, auditors, or other stakeholders. Individual Occupational Requirements GS-14 or Equivalent Grade Level: Paragraph A. One year of actuarial experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-13; AND A. A bachelor's degree that included courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science totaling at least 24 semester hours. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. OR B. Combination of education and experience that includes both of the following requirements: Technical work experience in actuarial support work or in mathematics; and Completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours of courses in actuarial science, mathematics, relevant statistics, business, finance, economics, insurance, or computer science at a four year college or university. This course work must have included a minimum of 12 semester hours of mathematics that included differential and integral calculus and one or more courses in mathematics for which these calculus courses were prerequisites. You must also qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: GS-14 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for th