Sandton: Actuarial and Data Delivery Lead

Purpose of the Role: At Dis-Chem Life, delivering complex actuarial, data, and AI projects on time requires more than technical expertise – it requires orchestration, clarity, and structure. As our Actuarial and Data Delivery Lead, you will ensure efficient, on-time delivery of all projects by providing structured project management, cross-team coordination, proactive prioritisation, and clear visibility of progress and dependencies. The Actuarial and Data Delivery Lead will serve as the operational backbone that enables highly technical teams to focus on their specialist expertise while ensuring predictable, coordinated, and strategically aligned delivery across the business. Your mission: to act as the central point of orchestration between technical teams (Actuarial, Data, Developers), business stakeholders, and supporting functions (Marketing, Legal, Finance) – ensuring deadlines are met, dependencies are managed, and projects deliver measurable business value. Role Summary: The Actuarial and Data Delivery Lead is responsible for owning the full project lifecycle from initiation to delivery across all actuarial, data, and AI initiatives. The Actuarial & Data Delivery Lead will create detailed project plans, manage risks and dependencies, facilitate cross-functional collaboration, and provide transparent reporting on progress, blockers, and delivery timelines to senior stakeholders. To succeed, you must be highly proficient in project management methodologies, stakeholder management, prioritisation frameworks, and cross-functional coordination. You will take full ownership of project delivery, deadline adherence, resource allocation, and governance – ensuring projects are completed on time, within scope, and aligned to business priorities. This role demands an exceptional communicator with strong organisational skills, the ability to influence without authority, and experience managing multiple complex projects in technical, data-heavy, or actuarial environments. Benefits: Competitive Salary Opportunity to shape project delivery standards and governance across the business Work at the intersection of Actuarial, Data Science, AI, and Business – exposure to cutting-edge technical work Access to project management training, certifications (PMP, Agile), and professional development Lead high-impact initiatives that directly influence business outcomes and strategic priorities Work with visionary leadership in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary environment where your impact is visible Flexible working hours with hybrid options Key Responsibilities : Project Planning and Execution Own the full project lifecycle from initiation through to delivery and post-implementation review Create and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, deliverables, and RACI structures Track progress and proactively manage risks, issues, dependencies, and blockers Run project stand-ups, review sessions, and post-implementation retrospectives Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned to business priorities Prioritisation and Workload Management Develop prioritisation frameworks based on business value, risk, regulatory impact, and resource availability Work with department heads to allocate workloads transparently and effectively Ensure teams are not overloaded and capacity constraints are managed proactively Maintain clear visibility of all projects with transparent status reporting Balance competing priorities and negotiate realistic timelines with stakeholders Cross-functional Coordination Facilitate collaboration across Actuarial, Data, Developers, Finance, Legal, Compliance, and business units Ensure alignment between technical teams and non-technical stakeholders Manage expectations and ensure clarity of scope, responsibilities, and deliverables Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Provide regular reporting on progress, risks, dependencies, and blockers to senior leadership Communicate timelines and impacts clearly to business owners and technical teams Act as the primary liaison for all project-related queries and escalations Delivery Governance and Quality Assurance Establish and enforce consistent project management standards and documentation Support regulatory and audit requirements by ensuring traceability and documentation completeness Drive continuous improvement of project delivery workflows and methodologies Deadline Management and Accountability Ensure deadlines are realistic, negotiated with stakeholders, and adhered to Identify early warning signs of slippage and intervene decisively with corrective action Hold teams accountable in a supportive, structured manner that maintains morale and performance Soft Skills: Exceptional communication and stakeholder management across technical and non-technical audiences Highly organised with strong attention to detail and structured approach to work Ability to translate complex technical work into clear business updates and vice versa Strong problem-solving, negotiation, and facilitation capabilities Able to manage multiple simultaneous projects under pressure with competing priorities Technical Skills: Essential: Strong project management experience, ideally in technical, data-heavy, or actuarial environments Understanding of data science, analytics, actuarial modelling, or technical development workflows