Business Analyst - Re Insurance

The Senior Business Analyst is primarily responsible for supporting various life and health reinsurance clients across all reinsurance administration processes (Administration, Operations, Technical Accounting, Claims, Billing, and Reporting).

The individual will support any client initiatives and projects related to reinsurance administration and the TAI system.

The individual will be responsible for developing and maintaining client relationships, some project and account management, and working with internal technical staff to implement life reinsurance solutions and services to TAI clients.

The individual will also play an important role in the implementation of client projects, ranging from software implementations, upgrade projects, and custom modifications to align the TAI Life and Health Reinsurance system with the ceded reinsurance business processes for domestic and international clients.

Under minimal to no guidance (working individually or as part of a project team), the individual will perform complex research and analysis to support business operations and develop recommendations to address problems/issues for their key client projects.

The individual will also be asked to review client systems or processes to identify deficiencies and propose improvements.

The individual will work very closely with team members to ensure high quality delivery of services to all TAI clients.

As a member of the Business Analyst team, this position will ensure TAI has a firm grasp of a client's business requirements and delivery of services in a timely and controlled manner. While this role will be primarily focused on external client engagements, this role also supports internal projects to achieve better operational efficiency where possible without sacrificing quality.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead, organize, and execute assigned business projects on behalf of clients and according to client's requirements
• Serve as Lead BA responsible for integrating new blocks of business into the TAI software to include complex arrangements, international business, and annuities
• Serve as primary BA responsible for client software upgrades of their TAI administrative platform
• Serve as primary/secondary BA responsible for successful completion of client requested custom software modifications within TAI's custom project portfolio
• Lead BA for New Implementations to the TAI software
• Design, development, and quality assurance processes throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC)
• Coordinate with technical team to derive business solutions for TAI software
• Adhere to prescribed processes and tools to complete tasks within defined timeframe
• Collect information about the client's business through a variety of methods documentation, meetings, and participating in or leading discovery
• Analyze large data sets and interpret complex data to identify potential patterns and root causes
• Review and analyze complex reinsurance arrangements and processes
• Review reinsurance systems or databases for data quality and compliance
• Gather business requirements, develop test plans, execute testing, and document results
• Formulate creative and innovative recommendations and solutions with attention to a client's needs, capabilities and limitations
• Present findings and suggestions to clients with ample justification and practical advice
• Provide guidance to the client for any occurring problems and issues
• Provide guidance or mentorship to new team members
• Provide training of all aspects of the TAI system to include inputs, functionality, and output
• Conduct complex tasks and activities within TAI and/or externally to obtain information such as life reinsurance policy data, cession data, managing the implementation of insurance products and/or business process workflows into the TAI Life Reinsurance system. May work with other departments and conduct primary or secondary research to gather client data if information is not readily available
• Work within TAI to coordinate interdepartmental activities to ensure that TAI meets customer expectations. Proactively anticipate and resolve problems to ensure that customers receive prompt, efficient service
• Work and communicate with cross functional teams internal and/or external including, Product Management, Project Management, Actuarial, Finance, Underwriting, Claims, or IT when on project assignment
• Support other TAI business partners as necessary
• Collaborate with colleagues and management to ensure delivery of best-in-class services to TAI's clients regarding timeliness, quality, accuracy, and value

Education and Experience

Required:

• College or University Degree or equivalent work experience
• Proven knowledge of life insurance and annuity concepts
• 5+ years of experience in a Business Analyst or Reinsurance Analyst role or equivalent
• Experience with reinsurance data, processes, and controls
• Experience communicating directly and frequently with clients and stakeholders in a customer service setting
• 3+ years of experience leading projects
• Experience in contributing to projects including defining business requirements, forming, and executing test plans, and implementing solutions
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with ability to clearly communicate information in a manner easy to understand
• Analytical and problem-solving skills: able to clearly link results to operational performance drivers; able to generate alternatives and drive positive change
• Effective gap-analysis and report writing skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint
• Willingness to travel up to 25%

Preferred:

• University degree in computer science, actuarial science, finance, mathematics, or accounting
• CBAP
• 3+ years of TAI Software experience and/or TAI project experience
• Understanding of reinsurance reserves/valuation processes
• Proven understanding of administrative reinsurance auditing and data compliance processes
• FLMI, ACS, or ARA designation from LOMA
• Proficiency in Visio
• Proven ability to work with large data sets and complex data flows
• Basic understanding of most life insurance products written in the North American market
• Experience with project management concepts and practices
• Highly developed client service skills
• Proficiency in SQL and database software
• 5+ years of experience in a reinsurance analyst or accounting role, or life and health reinsurance, policy administration, or related experience
• Detailed understanding of reinsurance data, processes, and controls including retention management practices, treaty setup, interpretation, and compliance

Skills and Abilities

Required:

• Demonstrated knowledge of processes and issues impacting direct writers, reinsurers, and retrocessionaires
• Demonstrated knowledge of all procedures within the immediate team and a working understanding of other functional areas. An understanding of how decisions impact other areas of an organizations
• Proven understanding of reinsurance administration and North American products necessary for the management of reinsurance premiums, claims, other administrative functions, and preparation of trending reports and analysis
• Leads work efforts for complex projects guiding other associates and mentoring more junior and new members of the team
• Independently utilizes data and information to resolve items, many of which may have not previously been encountered
• Ability to independently manage competing deadlines and multiple client priorities while ensuring quality work is delivered in accordance with established service level agreements and timelines
• Able to respond in a fast-paced and competitive workplace
• Aptitude toward mathematics
• Ability to pick things up quickly while listening to client needs
• Creativity, curiosity, and a professional demeanor
• Able to handle the unexpected and adapt to a variety of situations
• Ability to deliver difficult messages in a professional manner
• Ability and drive to deliver on time, while working in a semi-autonomous environment
• Willingness to learn to work with the tools and solutions selected by the team
• Ability to work effectively and build relationships with all levels of personnel, customers, suppliers, consultants - both internally and externally
• Exceptional communication skills, with an ability to present and discuss technical information in a way that establishes rapport, persuades others, and provides understanding of project related information to a diverse audience (engineers to executives)