Senior Research & Development Manager

Discovery Limited · Johannesburg, Gauteng

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Key Purpose

Conceptualise and drive existing and new R&D projects in support of the Discovery Insure business strategy. Bringing exciting new products and enhancements to the market on a regular basis is a key priority for Discovery Insure; the individual will play a leading role in driving the work behind this.

Areas of responsibility may include but are not limited to

Drive exploratory research and analyses to develop strategic insights and identify core R&D questions, ideas, and solutions to inform the innovation agenda.
Develop the product strategy and R&D priorities in line with the overall Discovery Group and Discovery Insure strategy.
Analytical and pricing capabilities to understand the financial implications and parameters involved when developing new products, to ensure profitable results.
Lead complex R&D projects which have an impact across multiple Discovery businesses, actively driving close collaboration within the team and with relevant business units to ensure buy-in and smooth handover post execution.
Present regular updates to obtain executive input on key decisions. Relevant forums include but are not limited to the R&D Steerco, Insure Exco, and Actuarial Committee.
Drive project execution working closely with Project Managers, Systems teams, Partners teams, and other teams affected by a particular R&D project.
Take accountability and signoff on product launch items.
Continuously refine the R&D process solving for maximum business impact, broad input, cross-functional coordination, and timely implementation.
Build, manage, and train a small team to support the above
Monitoring and reporting ongoing results to ensure products are producing optimal results.

Education and Experience

Honours or Master's degree in an analytical field, eg Computer Science, Statistics, Data Science, Actuarial Science.

5-10 years' work experience in financial services, preferably in a product development, problem-solving, or analytical role, eg. Management Consulting / Actuarial / Data Science.