Volunteer vacancies
This page contains details of our current “Volunteer vacancies” - these are primarily opportunities for members of the IFoA.
View some of the benefits or read a "volunteer experience".
Current Opportunities
Our current volunteer vacancies are listed below. Click on any of the headings to find out more. If there is nothing, at present, which is attractive to you, please subscribe via the RSS feed below, to be kept up to date as new opportunites are advertised on this page, and take a look at our Directory of Opportunites, or contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement (pictured left), for more information.
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The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries’ Disciplinary Board oversees the monitoring of the Profession’s disciplinary schemes. The board makes regulations, provides guidelines on procedures under the scheme, and is responsible to and reports to Council.
There are 9 members of the board, including the Chair, Jane Irvine.
Two vacancies have arisen and we are therefore seeking to hear from Fellows of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries who are keen to be considered for this volunteer opportunity.
Applicants: If you are a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, with an interest in, and experience of, the operation of disciplinary processes, and an excellent understanding of the profession’s Disciplinary Scheme, then please consider volunteering to be considered for this role.
Appointment and tenure: Appointment to the Disciplinary Board will be made by the Disciplinary Appointments Committee and it is hoped that the first appointment will be made in time to commence the role from 1 January 2014. The second vacancy will commence on 1 April 2014. The tenure will be three years (renewable by the Disciplinary Appointments Committee).
Time commitment: There are four meetings held each year, typically three at Staple Inn in London and one at Maclaurin House, Edinburgh, although it is possible to join the meeting by video conference if necessary. The time commitment equates to one day per quarter for meeting plus approximately one day per quarter to read papers. There might on occasion be opportunities to join working parties and/or involvement in decisions in between meetings, which would take place by email or telephone.
Read more about the Disciplinary Board
How to apply: If you would like to register your interest in being considered for this volunteer opportunity please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide brief details of your relevant skills and experience. A note of your ARN would also be helpful. Debbie will collate a list of all potential volunteers and will pass this information to the Disciplinary Appointments Committee who will contact all applicants.
We are seeking to appoint proactive, innovative volunteers with an interest in professional discipline and standards to take on the roles of volunteer actuaries or lay members of the IFoA’s Disciplinary Pool.
View Task and Person Specification for details
In addition, to the above role, the Disciplinary Appointments Committee will also be seeking to appoint either new or existing members of the Disciplinary Pool as a Convenor of Adjudication Panels and a Convenor of Tribunal Panels. The Convenors typically chair half of the hearings per year.
If you are interested in being considered as a member of the IFoA’s Disciplinary Pool please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide brief details of your relevant experience and a note of your reasons for wishing to volunteer for this role. A note of your ARN, or membership of another professional body would be most helpful. Please also indicate if you would like to be considered for one of the Convenor roles. All expressions of interest will be considered by the Disciplinary Appointments Committee.
The Disciplinary Appointments Committee is responsible for making all of the appointments necessary under the Disciplinary Scheme of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. The committee consists of four Fellows and two Lay Members.
The Committee is looking to appoint a Fellow on to this Committee. If you are a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries with an intimate working knowledge of the IFoA’s Disciplinary Scheme, please read the Task and Person Specification for this role and consider volunteering.
View the Task and Person Specification
How to offer support: If you feel you have the relevant experience and would like to be considered for this volunteer appointment, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide details of your relevant experience and brief reasons for wishing to be involved. A note of your ARN would also be helpful. All expressions of interest will be considered and the appointment will be made by Council.
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) is seeking actuaries as volunteers for working groups to support its consultation on the review of the TASs.
The FRC is intending to consult in 2014 on:
- the scope of the TASs – including whether there should be high-level principles which can be recognised across all professional actuarial work;
- the structure of the TASs – whether the TASs should be consolidated or restructured;
- the content of the TASs – whether the principles and text in the TASs should be modified; and
- the overall approach to standard setting including the interaction between the FRC’s and the IFoA’s standards.
Time Commitment: Members of the working group will be invited to attend a small number of workshops to discuss matters relating to the consultation.
How to get involved: If you would like to be involved, please contact Robert Inglis on +44 (0) 20 7492 2356 or TASReview@frc.org.uk
The Chair of the Pensions Board (formerly known as Pensions Practice Executive Committee PPEC) is seeking to appoint a Deputy Chair who will, in summer 2014, succeed him as Chair of this important committee.
The Deputy Chair is a key role on this influential Board and candidates should demonstrate the ability to look across the practice area and work with both the Chair and other committee members to drive the output of the Board and its various committees and to meet the needs of the Pensions’ constituency.
View the Task and Person Specification
Time Commitment and Tenure: To be able to devote time equivalent 1-1.5 working day per month (less over the summer). The will be for a period of two years, thereafter, with the approval of the Management Board, you would take over the role of Chair.
How to volunteer: If, having read the attached documents you feel you have the skills, experience, and time, to devote to this important and senior role, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief note of your profile within this practice area, your existing experience of chairing a committee and/or subcommittee within the IFoA, your reason for wishing to take on this role, and a note of your ARN.
The Pensions Research Accountants Group, based in Central London is planning to launch a cross industry working party to undertake research and to report to the wider pensions industry. They have invited the IFoA to appoint a representative and we are therefore seeking expressions of interest from members who would like to be considered for this role.
The draft objectives of the working party are:
- to identify all sources of existing guidance and references to pension scheme requirements on this area
- to obtain and consider the various mechanisms and vehicles that we currently see whereby trustees and schemes provide this information to stakeholders
- to ascertain where the statutory disclosure requirements end and voluntary disclosure begins. (This is a key area to tie into the SORP working party development)
- to identify examples of good practice in this area
- consider how the needs of disclosure in this area vary by size and profile of scheme
- to produce a discussion paper on these findings and assess the industry need / appetite for additional guidance.
Time Commitment: It is envisaged that the research would take place over the next 12 months and for a report to be issued in the summer/ autumn of 2014. Meetings will be held in London but there is no requirement to attend in person, dial in details will be provided to allow attendance by conference call.
How to offer support: If you feel that you have the relevant experience and expertise to represent the IFoA on this cross-practice working party at the Pensions Research Accountants Group please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide details of your relevant experience and brief reasons for wishing to be involved. A note of your ARN would also be helpful.
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, (IFoA), has set up a new Board with responsibility for sustainability issues, including but not limited to resource depletion and environmental issues such as climate change.
The IFoA is seeking to appoint two enthusiastic, innovative and committed volunteers to join this important Board as Deputy Chairs. They will be someone who has a real desire to lead and influence the outputs of this emerging practice area, and build on the work carried out over the last few years by the Resource and Environment Member Interest Group (REG MIG).
As the IFoA is appointing two Deputy Chairs there will be individual responsibilities for each Deputy position. One of the roles will be (additionally) responsible for the constituency research and will be appointed with a view of progressing to the role of Chair after two years. The second appointed Deputy Chair will act as additional support to the chair as the R and E Board establishes.
Skills and Experience:
Prior work experience in this area is not a requirement; the deputy chairs could be from any existing actuarial area, however it would be preferred if one of the applicants has been involved with the REG MIG.
View detailed Task and Person Specification
Time Commitment:
1 - 1.5 working days per month. This is made up in attendance at committee meetings and follow up actions/consultations. There will be 6 meetings per year, usually held in Staple Inn Hall, London. Physical attendance is preferred for the Deputy Chair, particularly if chairing meetings, but conference call is available.
Having read the above, if you feel you have the relevant skills and experience and would like to take on one of these roles, then please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief overview of your relevant skills and experience and the reason you would ideally like to take on this role. A note of your ARN would also be helpful.
The Chair of the Finance and Investment Board is seeking to appoint a Deputy Chair who will, in two years’ time, succeed him as Chair of this important Board.
This high profile and rewarding role is suitable for a senior risk management practitioner or someone with an in-depth knowledge of the finance and investment arena.
View the Task and Person Specification
How to volunteer: If, having read the attached documents, you feel you have the skills and experience, and time, to devote to this important and senior role, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief note of your profile within this practice area, your existing experience of chairing a committee and/or subcommittee within the IFoA, and a note of your ARN,
A Professional Development and Responsibility (PDR) role.
Are you a Fellow with at least 6 years experience who is an excellent communicator, with first class presentation skills? If yes, please consider taking this opportunity to help the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA).
The role: We are looking for Principal Lecturers to deliver the “Specialism Presentation” at the Professional Skills Courses (PSC). The Institute and Faculty’s Registrar, together with the Professional Awareness Committee (PAC), is expanding the speaker panel for courses to accommodate an increased demand for PSC events. We are also enhancing and professionalising the training, feedback and support provided to those members who act as Principal Lecturers.
Skills and experience required: As a Principal Lecturer, you would be asked to facilitate face to face and/or online courses, engaging with newly qualified Fellows and Associates, and students who have reached their sixth anniversary of membership.
We are seeking to build up a group of Fellows who have comprehensive understanding of subject specific material in relation to business to deliver the “Specialism Presentations”. As such you would need to have at least 6 years experience in one of the following practice areas:
- General insurance
- Investment
- Life
- Pensions
Time commitment and tenure: The time commitment would be up to 3 days per year, which would include training. Those invited to join the panel will be able to attend an initial observation of either or both the online and face to face courses. You will then be given the opportunity to confirm your preference for the type of course you would help at. Once trained, it is hoped that a Principal Lecturer will stay on the Speaker Panel for 2, or preferably 3, years.
Principal Lecturers would be asked to help deliver 1 or 2 courses per year, and the time allocation per course is generally 5 hours. Face to face courses are held in London and Edinburgh, and we are considering expanding to Birmingham and/or Manchester. Online courses are, of course, delivered from your own location.
Training and development: Following each course facilitation you would receive confidential feedback. This can be reviewed with the Staff Actuary for the course, allowing you to understand how your presentation skills are received and, where necessary, to fine tune and develop them.
Panel members will also have the opportunity to attend an annual training session, where best practice will be shared with other panel members.
View PSC Course objectives – this will provide an overview of the course
View PSC programme timetable – this will show you where the “Specialism Presentation” fits in to the course
How to get involved: If you have the skills and experience and would like to find out more, and potentially get involved, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide a note of your relevant experience and your specialist area, plus your ARN.
* As this role falls within our “Professional Development and Responsibility” (PDR) criteria those selected to become part of the Speaker Panel would receive a nominal fee per lecture. Reasonable travelling expenses would also be reimbursed to those delivering a face to face presentation.
The Chair of the Risk Management Actuarial Chief Risk Officer (CRO) Group is seeking to appoint a Deputy Chair who will, in two years’ time, succeed him as Chair of this important group.
The IFoA supports and promotes the running of an actuarial profession CRO Group. Membership of the group is open to the most senior actuary in each firm working in the risk management function - whether as CRO, as the head of capital modelling or in another senior function. The group meets bi-monthly with the primary focus of providing professional support to each other, especially outside traditional actuarial areas. It also acts as a sounding board, providing advice from industry to the IFoA and the Risk Management Board in developing the role of actuaries in Risk Management.
There is a specific vacancy for a deputy chair, who will support the chair in encouraging the work of the group, help to shape the agenda of the group, and chair meetings when required.
Meeting dates are now in diaries for the 2013/2014 session (first meeting Wednesday 2 October), and the chair is looking to develop a programme for the year as soon as possible.
How to volunteer: If, having read the above information, you feel you have the skills and experience, and time, to devote to this important and senior role, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief note of your profile within this practice area, your existing experience of chairing a committee and/or subcommittee within the IFoA, and a note of your ARN.
Do you work in the Risk Management practice area? Are you keen to ensure that members of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries working in this area are receiving the best opportunities to learn and grow through their continuing professional development (CPD) each year?
If yes, please consider volunteering to join the Risk Management Education and CPD (RM ECPD) Committee.
This committee is currently seeking to appoint pro-active and enthusiastic members to join the existing committee. The committee is also seeking to appoint a Deputy Chair. By becoming Deputy Chair this is an excellent opportunity for a member to use the time as Deputy to shadow the Chair with a view to taking over as Chair in two years’ time.
f you are interesting in finding out about these roles, please view the following:
View the “Task and Person Specification” for the role of a Committee Member
View the “Task and Person Specification” for the role of Deputy Chair
View the Terms of Reference for this Committee
How to volunteer: If you would like to volunteer to be considered for either of these roles please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief outline of your relevant background and experience and a note of what you feel you would bring to this committee. Please also indicate if you are interested in being considered for the role of Deputy Chair. A note of your ARN would also be helpful.
The Committee are seeking to appoint up to 3 new members to deliver an exciting and thought provoking programme for the GIRO Conference 2014.
If you work in the GI Practice Area and have an excellent awareness of the current issues, please consider volunteering to join the Committee and help shape the content, topics and theme for GI research and the 2014 GIRO Conference.
We are seeking senior, proactive, innovative members from a wide range of areas who wish to contribute and who have ideas for making this a relevant information resource and networking platform. To complement the skills and experience of the existing committee members we are keen to hear from candidates who have consulting, reinsurance, risk, pricing or reserving backgrounds and/or have a wide network within the insurance industry which they can bring to bear in helping the committee arrange the speaker programme for GIRO.
View the detailed task description
If you would like to offer your assistance and to be considered for this volunteer vacancy, please contact Debbie Atkins, our Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please can you indicate your background and relevant experience in this field and outline what particular contribution you feel you could make to the Committee. Your ARN would also be helpful.
The General Insurance Research Organising Committee (GIRO) is planning to launch a new member-led working party. This will be the "Probability Elicitation in General Insurance" working party.
The precise aims of this working party will be formulated and proposed at its first meetings before the end of 2013. Initial thoughts have been outlined in an article to appear in The Actuary. More specifically:
- Develop a set of best practice for probability elicitation in general insurance
- Carefully examine and define research questions in probability elicitation in general insurance
- Begin to consider how to better prepare actuaries to more effectively facilitate elicitation of expert opinions
Chair (for initial meeting in November): Jo Lo, Aspen
Time Commitment: Volunteers will typically be expected to attend between 8 – 12 meetings per annum and to perform research between meetings. Meetings are held in London, often Staple Inn, and usually last for 2 hours. Please note that there is flexibility regarding your attendance at meetings and members can attend by conference call as necessary.
The goal is to assist in a workshop presentation at the 2014 GIRO conference and possibly produce a paper summarising our findings at the end of the project.
How to get involved: If you would like to offer your support and volunteer to be considered for this working party, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide brief details of your relevant experience and an indication of your reasons for wishing to be involved. A note of your ARN would also be helpful.
An opportunity has become available for a senior GI Fellow to volunteer to take on the role of Chair of the General Insurance Professional Standards Committee (GIPSC).
This is an important role for the GI community as the Chair will also be invited to sit on the GI Practice Executive Committee (GI PEC) as a full member.
Skills and Experience:
We are ideally seeking a member who is a Fellow of the IFoA with the following:
- excellent knowledge of GI standards
- perspectives across the GI community, both UK and international
- appreciation of limitations of standards and difficulties faced by practitioners arising from their introduction
- understanding of how to win cross-professional buy-in for regulatory change and an understanding of, and willingness to work well with, the IFoA regulatory committee (PREC)
- good influencing skills and a proven track record/ability to act as an effective Chair.
View detailed Task and Person Specification
Time Commitment:
1 – 2 days per month. This is made up in attendance at committee meetings and follow up actions / consultations. There are currently 6 GIPSC meetings held each year and 6-8 GI PEC meetings also held each year. All are held at Staple Inn, London, but attendance by conference call is available.
Having read the above, if you feel you have the relevant skills and experience and would like to take on an influential role to benefit both the GI community and the IFoA as a professional body, then please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide a brief overview of your relevant skills and experience and the reason you would ideally like to take on this role. A note of your ARN would also be helpful.
It is hoped that this appointment can be made in time for the start of the new Session in September but the outgoing Chair has kindly offered to provide a mentoring role/overlap to allow a seemless transition.
The IFoA's International Board is seeking to appoint an experienced Fellow to represent the IFoA on the Groupe Consultatif Insurance Committee.
The key task for this volunteer is to be able to identify key international issues affecting the Insurance arena of the actuarial profession and its' members in the cross-practice Groupe Consultatif Insurance Committee as these arise.
View the Task and Person Specification which includes the Terms of Reference for this committee
How to offer support: If you are a Fellow of the IFoA and feel you have the necessary skills and experience, please consider volunteering to take on this high profile international role. If you would like to be considered for this appointment, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide details of your relevant experience, based on the attached Task and Person Specification document, and include as much about your international experience in this area, as possible. Please also include brief details of your reason for wishing to be involved and a note of your ARN would also be helpful.
The IFoA's International Board will review all expressions of interest and will seek to make this appointment during November. All expressions of interest will be considered.
We are seeking to appoint a proactive, innovative volunteer to take on this short term, project based, role as Editor for issue 5 of the Longevity Bulletin. The theme of issue 5 is gender and is also intended to compliment the launch of the IFoA sponsored Longevity Exhibition at the Royal Society in London.
The main role tasks are to:
- Assume editorship of issue 5 including soliciting content and shaping the focus of the bulletin
- Produce an article of 3000-4000 words on the topic of longevity with particular emphasis on the role/impact of gender on life expectancy
- Write short opinion pieces for The Actuary magazine, IFoA web site and newsletters, social media and any additional media deemed appropriate
- To deliver the above by 15 November 2013
View the detailed "Task and Person Specification" for this role
The Longevity Bulletin is produced by the IFoA to provide an overview and insight of longevity research, issues and trends. Although primarily focused on actuarial perspectives the bulletin also extends its reach to related areas such as, health care and socioeconomics. View Past issues.
If you feel you have the relevant skills and experience and time to take on this role for the IFoA and you would like to offer support, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide brief details of your relevant skills and experience. A note of your ARN, if applicable, would also be helpful.
* This opportunity is one of our Professional Responsibility and Development [PDR] roles: In addition to the traditional volunteer roles and tasks which our members undertake each year, there are also a number of other opportunities whereby members can offer to provide "paid" support for a fixed service. These opportunities are not by definition, "volunteering" roles. However, we recognise that the fee paid is nominal and we, as a profession, are therefore extremely grateful to, and reliant upon, those members who provide this service to enhance and develop our profession. We think of this as being part of "Professional Development and Responsibility" [PDR].
The Florence Nightingale Museum, in London, is seeking to appoint a volunteer Treasurer to its Board of Trustees of the FN Museum from next financial year. The role requires attendance at four meetings of the Board of ten trustees a year, plus liaison with the staff Finance Officer of the Museum, in reporting the annual accounts. A fuller advertisement and job description are available on the Museum’s website:
http://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/about-us/vacancies.html
Application as outlined to the Director, Natasha McEnroe, from a qualified actuary wishing to be considered for this volunteer role would be welcomed.
This volunteer role would be external to IFoA business, and the member, if appointed, would volunteer in a personal capacity and not as a representative of the IFoA.
However, it is nice to note the historical links which exist: Florence Nightingale had no formal links with the early Institute but worked with William Farr, honorary FIA who devised the first national English Life Tables. She brought pioneering innovation in compiling and presenting demographic statistics to inform for better outcomes from nursing and healthcare. They both surveyed mortality from the Crimea war in 1850s, Nightingale producing her coxcomb (pie chart-style) mortality statistics as evidence for changes to nursing and hospital design and to care leading to improving survival rates etc.
If you are a qualified member of the IFoA and would like to find out more, or express an interest in being considered, please contact David Raymont, Librarian, at the IFoA.
Closing date for applications: Friday 8 November 2013. Interviews to take place on Thursday 14 November 2013.
The opportunity has arisen for a member to volunteer to join the OCF (Our Changing Future) Committee.
The Role: This volunteer will join a small committee and will assist with arranging the OCF calendar of events in Scotland. As a committee member you would be part of a team of four who select, arrange and liaise with speakers for around 5 to 7 OCF talks each year. The role requires someone with enthusiasm, who is happy to attend the events and to speak in public and who also has good connections in order to tap into a network of potential speakers.
In particular, due to the expert areas of the current committee members, someone with strong life office experience and connections would be exceptionally helpful, but not a requirement.
Time Commitment: Approximately half a day per month plus attendance at the events. Committee meetings are held by phone, or in person where possible, and we communicate by phone or email in between.
OCF events are well attended (attendance is usually 50 to 100) and are held mainly as breakfast meetings in Edinburgh. We would welcome volunteers whatever their geographical location, although expect this will be predominantly of interest to individuals based in Scotland.
How to volunteer: If you would like to volunteer to be considered for this role, or to find out more, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide brief details of your relevant experience. A note of your ARN would also be helpful. After the closing date, the President of OCF will follow up with all interested members.
The Chair of the Exam Board and the Director of Education will be seeking to appoint a number of Fellows to become examiners of the new Certified Actuarial Analyst qualification.
Requirements: To offer support you must be a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. If you have had experience in examining actuarial subjects and in particular computer based assessment involving multiple choice questions then this would be an advantage although full training will be provided. You will also be required to input into the annual syllabus review. Enthusiasm and a natural understanding of the importance of deadlines is vital.
Tenure and time commitment: There will be a significant training period at the start of the exam development and it is anticipated that the time commitment will be equivalent to 3 weeks a year spread out depending on when the syllabus and exam questions have to be reviewed. It is hoped that each examiner will be prepared to undertake this task for a period of three years to allow continuity.
To offer support: If you feel you have the necessary experience/commitment and would like to offer your support and find out more, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please provide a brief outline of your relevant experience and a note of your ARN. Debbie will pass all expressions of interest to the Registrar.
* This opportunity is one of our Professional Responsibility and Development [PDR] roles: In addition to the traditional volunteer roles and tasks which our members undertake each year, there are also a number of other opportunities whereby members can offer to provide "paid" support for a fixed service. These opportunities are not by definition, "volunteering" roles. However, we recognise that the fee paid is nominal and we, as a profession, are therefore extremely grateful to, and reliant upon, those members who provide this service to enhance and develop our profession. We think of this as being part of "Professional Development and Responsibility" [PDR].
“An Introduction to the Mathematics of Finance: A Deterministic Approach”, offers a highly illustrated introduction to mathematical finance, with a special emphasis on interest rates. This revision of the McCutcheon-Scott classic follows the core subjects covered by the first professional exam required of UK actuaries, the CT1 exam.
What is involved: We are seeking to hear from a member of the IFoA (Fellow, Honorary Fellow, Associate or Affiliate member) with strong writing and editorial skills who has the time to read and review this book for the IFoA and to provide a report by 1 December 2013.
Skills and Experience: We are looking for someone with strong writing and editorial skills who ideally has previous experience of reviewing actuarial books. This is desirable but not essential.
How to volunteer: If you would like to volunteer to take on this task for the IFoA please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide a brief overview of your relevant experience and your reason for wishing to take on this task. All expressions of interest will be considered by the Editor of the Annals of Actuarial Science and a decision will be made by 31 October. The member selected to review this book will be sent a copy of the book which will be theirs to keep after completing the task.
Volunteer authors needed for articles on the web and The Actuary - Members of the Actuaries City Livery Company undertake a range of activities, often aimed at supporting its chosen charities.
The company would welcome the support of a volunteer writer for articles on the web and The Actuary. The volunteer does not need to be a Liveryman.
To offer support or to find out more, please contact Brian Ridsdale.
The Society of Actuaries (SOA) invites applications and nominations for the position of Editor of the North American Actuarial Journal.
Complete position description, pertinent information about the North American Actuarial Journal (NAAJ), desired Editor qualifications, Editor responsibilities, and application/nomination procedures can be found at http://www.soa.org/Naaj/Editor.pdf.
The Society of Actuaries will provide some level of compensation to the Editor.
Nominations and letters of interest should be sent by October 31, 2013 to:
Edward W. (Jed) Frees, Chair, Actuarial Science, Risk Management and Insurance, Wisconsin School of Business, jfrees@bus.wisc.edu
At present, we have an urgent need for examiners to join the ST6 exam team - There are vacancies on the exam team for ST6 Finance and Investment B (Derivatives). If you are interested in becoming involved, or know someone who might want to become involved in the assessment of this subject, please contact Karen Brocklesby, Registrar, for further information
* In addition to the traditional volunteer roles and tasks which our members undertake each year, there are also a number of other opportunities whereby members can offer to provide "paid" support for a fixed service. These opportunities are not by definition, "volunteering" roles. However, we recognise that the fee paid is nominal and we, as a profession, are therefore extremely grateful to, and reliant upon, those members who provide this service to enhance and develop our profession. We think of this as being part of "Professional Development and Responsibility" [PDR].
As such our Education Directorate is also seeking to hear from members who are qualified actuaries and who are willing to provide support in this way in helping to set, mark, and run the profession’s exams. We are seeking support from members who would like to act as:
- Practical Exam Assessors
- Exam Paper Setters
- Independent Examiners ( to review the university teaching and examining to demonstrate equivalence with the Profession’s exams)
- Exam Markers
- Exam Counsellors
- Guinea Pigs – to test our exams
View the task and person specification for those members wishing to offer support as a "Guinea Pig"
At present, we have an urgent need for examiners to join the ST6 exam team - There are vacancies on the exam team for ST6 Finance and Investment B (Derivatives). If you are interested in becoming involved, or know someone who might want to become involved in the assessment of this subject, please contact Karen Brocklesby, Registrar, for further information
If you are interested in offering your support, or finding out more about any of the above, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please indicate the area of interest to you. Please also confirm you are a qualified actuary and provide a note of your ARN.
Our Education Directorate are seeking to hear from Associates and Fellows who already have experience of setting and marking the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries' exams (or equivalent experience) and who would now like to be considered to join a “bank” of volunteers who can be called upon, from time to time, to act as Independent Examiners.
The Role: Independent Examiners are appointed by the profession to assist in monitoring the quality and standards of accredited university degree programmes and university degree programmes with exemption recognition agreements. They report to our Deputy Registrar for quality assurance and will be invited to attend an annual review meeting for those appointed to accredited programmes.
The Key Tasks: If appointed as an Independent Examiner, it will be for an academic year and you will be assigned to a specific university.
During that year you will be asked to:
- Review and comment on draft exam papers and course materials.
- Meet with the university to which you have been assigned.
- Attend the university’s Exam Board at the end of the exam period to agree lists of students recommended for exemptions.
- Attend the Profession’s annual review meeting for accredited university programmes.
- Attend the Profession’s Independent Examiners meeting. (Members may dial in, if preferred).
Tenure: Once appointed to a programme this will be for an academic year, with a maximum term of four years for any one programme.
How to apply: If you would like to be considered as an Independent Examiner, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie, please give a brief indication of your experience in setting and marking the profession’s exams, or equivalent. We are keen to appoint members who have experience both in actuarial practice and academics involved in teaching actuarial science courses and it would be helpful if you could highlight your relevant experience. Please also provide a note of your ARN.
* Professional Development and Responsibility (PDR) - please note, this is one of a number of opportunities whereby members can offer to provide "paid" support for a fixed service. View details about our PDR.
Providing financial education in London – Through the Livery Schools Link, London-based Worshipful Company of Actuaries has teamed up with BEE (Teaching Business Enterprise and Employability in Schools) to provide financial education to young people in the London area, especially in Tower Hamlets.
If you are a member of the IFoA and live and/or work in, or near London, please consider volunteering to share your enthusiasm and your knowledge of finance with young people in London’s schools.
View an “Introduction to the BEE Programme”
To find out more and to be invited to attend an introductory talk which will illustrate what is involved, the materials that will support you, and the time commitment involved, please contact Marjorie Ngwenya to register your interest.
Some members have expressed a desire for the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) to help facilitate opportunities for members to provide financial education in schools. A pilot scheme is therefore being run in Scotland.
If you are a member of the IFoA and live and/or work in Scotland, please consider volunteering to share your knowledge of finance with young people in Scotland’s schools.
The Financial Education Partnership:
We have teamed up with the Financial Education Partnership (FEP) which is administered by the Chartered Banker Institute, and is an initiative shared by a number of organisations, all of whom are dedicated to providing financial education for young people today. Through the FEP, volunteers deliver workshops on financial capability and a range of other topics, to secondary and primary pupils in schools throughout Scotland.
The FEP delivers a full programme and is always looking to recruit more facilitators to volunteer their time to go out to the schools and deliver these pre-prepared workshops.
Success:
In the last academic year, FEP volunteers visited 124 schools in Scotland and delivered 682 workshops reaching an estimated 24,000 primary and secondary pupils Scotland-wide. Without the volunteers, none of this would have been possible.
Training and Materials:
As a volunteer facilitator, the FEP would provide all the workshop materials to you and also provides regular training courses including presentation skills training for volunteers who have never done any presentation work before. As part of the training, they cover all the workshop materials, and how to deliver in schools.
Topics:
The materials cover a range of topics from money management and budgeting to team working and interview skills, volunteers sign up to help students make the transition from school to the workplace, but also to ensure that pupils leave with the ability to make informed, financial decisions throughout their adult life.
8 different workshops are offered. View details of the Managing your Money workshop material.
Time Commitment:
Whilst it is hoped volunteers will deliver at least three workshops per year, there are no set number of workshops you are required to deliver, you can do as many as you wish. The required time commitment from volunteers would generally be anything from two days per year upward, depending on the level of involvement. This could be broken down as:
- Attending a full day training course on the workshop material, with options to attend other courses if desired (one day)
- Attend a real classroom workshop as an observer (one hour plus travel)
- Deliver at least three classroom workshops per year (one hour per workshop plus travel).
If you are interested in finding out more, and in volunteering to provide assistance, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide a note of your ARN. Debbie will put you in touch with Chris Finlay at the Chartered Banker Institute.
The London based Worshipful Company of Actuaries together with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries are seeking to hear from members, and their organisations, who would like to support this charitable initiative.
This initiative has been established to further actuarial science by helping a particular university in Ghana to initiate and advance a masters course with the ultimate goal of having this training accepted and recognised as one of the IFoA’s accredited universities for actuarial exams. To enable this vision to be achieved, over the next 3 – 4 years, the profession is seeking support from members and their organisations and for them to volunteer to deploy their resources in the form of skills, knowledge, time and commitment to make this vision become a reality.
To find out a bit more please download a letter which Adrian Waddingham CBE, a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, sent out earlier this year. Or to express an interest and find out more please contact Neil Hilary.
Please consider becoming a Career Ambassador ... and encourage young people to join our profession.
Jenni Hughes, our Careers Marketing Leader, would like to encourage members of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) to volunteer to become a Career Ambassador. Jenni is seeking the support of both UK and International Students, Associates, Affiliates and Fellows who would like to pro-actively speak at schools, colleges and universities and to represent the IFoA at career fairs and other events, from time to time.
To volunteer to act as a Career Ambassador you should be employed and working towards your qualification. You need to be confident enough to be able to talk about your route into the profession and your current role. You should also be in a position to know a bit about the current exams and how the profession works and what we do.
Jenni has put together a helpful booklet which amongst other things answers the following frequently asked questions:
- Who can apply?
- How does this work?
- What can you get involved in?
- Responding to requests?
View this booklet, called "Become a Career Ambassador"
If you meet the above criteria and would like to volunteer in this way, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. Please provide your ARN and a note of the geographical location you would be prepared to cover.
As part of their remit to engage with members living and working in Scotland, the Scottish Board has launched a new initiative. This new initiative is called “Knowledge Sharing Scotland” and delivers technical and professional CPD training, to small (20 – 40) groups of actuaries in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling, throughout the year.
The purpose is to better engage with employers of actuaries; to bring these sessions to their offices, provide networking, offer CPD, and to deliver additional events and valuable knowledge to members living and working in Scotland.
To view the current programme please visit the "Regional actuarial activity" webpage.
The Scottish Board are seeking to hear from members who would be prepared to volunteer to support this resource either as:
- A speaker at a future event, and or
- To host a lunchtime event in their office
If you would like to offer your support, or find out more, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please indicate the type of support you would be willing to provide with as much detail as possible. A note of your ARN, if applicable, would also be helpful.
If you would like to volunteer to deliver a talk at a Regional event in the UK, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement.
When contacting Debbie, please provide brief details of the topic and content of your proposed talk and a note of the geographical location/s which might be of interest to you. Full details of our current Regional Actuarial Activities can be viewed on our website under the Member tab.
In addtion, details of how to recommend a speaker, or to volunteer to be considered as a speaker, at one of the future IFoA events or residential conferences can be found here.
Organisations with at least 3 qualified actuaries who are members of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries are encouraged to appoint a CPD Co-ordinator. A CPD Co-ordinator need not be a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.
Read about the role of a CPD Co-ordinator
Engaging with Employers: The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries wants to engage with employers more closely. CPD Co-ordinators provide a mechanism for the Profession to promulgate new ways of obtaining CPD within employers' offices; to share opportunities for teams and/or individuals within organisations; and also for us to receive feedback and suggestions from the organisations that are owned by or employ our members. To help share best practice and encourage networking and the sharing of ideas, CPD Co-ordinators are invited to attend a half day CPD Co-ordinators' annual briefing, at Staple Inn Hall, in London, each autumn.
Getting involved: If you would like to volunteer to take on this role for your organisation, or to check whether your organisation has appointed a CPD Co-ordinator already, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie please provide a note of your ARN, if applicable.
As part of our digital strategy, during the remainder of 2013 and first half of 2014, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries will be engaged in two high level projects:
- the redevelopment of the Profession’s website with a user-centred focus; and
- the creation of a virtual learning environment (VLE).
To help us with this, we are setting up a Digital Volunteer Group - a group of people of all membership categories to be our experts in bringing forward ideas, commenting and guiding us through these projects so that the outcomes will truly reflect our members needs.
There are no formal criteria for members who would like to be a part of this group – all that we ask is that you have an interest in websites, and a familiarity with the profession’s own site, and/or an interest in or previous experience of online learning. We would also expect members to have an understanding of the ‘member journey’ concept. No special technical knowledge is required.
There are likely to be a variety of opportunities over the next few months in which members can get involved – tasks will include exploratory meetings with our digital agency; testing of new proposals/information architecture; and feedback on design issues.
Membership of the "Digital Volunteer Group" is a great opportunity to get involved with two very important projects which will have long term benefits for the actuarial profession, so if this sort of thing interests you and you would like to join the Group, please contact Emma Pegg in order to register your interest and to find out more.
One of the key elements of the IFoA's strategy is 'to offer excellent support that meets members' varied and evolving needs'.
To help track our progress 400 volunteers joined our "400 Club" which launched in December 2011 – they provide feedback, via online surveys. Topics to date have included “Communications and Engagement”; "The Actuaries' Code and a New Qualification"; Corporate Identity; and "Public Affairs", to name but a few. To ensure the Club is an accurate representation we selected members with care. This means that as and when a vacancy on the “400 Club” becomes available we aim to fill it with a similar representative member. Therefore those members on the reserve list will be selected to match the criteria of that vacancy rather than in order on the list. It is therefore important to have a wide range of members on the reserve list at all times.
Read more about the pioneering "400 Club"
Members willing to join the reserve list should contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. When contacting Debbie it would be helpful if you could provide a note of your ARN.
As part of our International strategy of “proactive engagement” we have set up up the first in a series of International Feedback Groups. The first two focus on the following:
- One to help the Profession to provide a more comprehensive offering to members based in China and South East Asia; and
- One to help the Profession to provide a more comprehensive offering to members based in India.
These International Feedback Groups are made up of members living and/or working in these countries and operate in much the same way as our pioneering ‘400 Club’. During the course of each year, we will send members of each group up to a maximum of four online surveys. These surveys can be completed online at a time that suits you, over a two to three week period. The results will help the Profession in tracking our International strategy and in better understanding how we can serve the varied and evolving needs of our International members.
Your input will also be a valuable resource for the Profession’s International Committee.
If you are a member of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and are either based in China / South East Asia or in India, or have an excellent knowledge of, or connections in, these countries and would like to be part of either of these groups, please contact Debbie Atkins (Head of Volunteer Engagement). When contacting Debbie please provide a note of your name, ARN, and brief details illustrating your main reason/s for wishing to be involved. It would also be helpful to know if you are a current member of the ‘400 Club’.
In addition to individual appointments which are made to some of our members directly, from time to time, the profession is invited to put forward a senior member to represent our profession on bodies such as the Groupe Consultatif and the IAA and other Professional Bodies. The member takes on a volunteer task or role for the organisation, usually membership of one of the standing committees of the organisation, but occasionally a specific project such as Solvency II, for which suitable practice experience would be required.
To allow the profession to consider all appropriate members for the task in hand, we hold a “bank” of names of members who would like to be considered for these committee positions or one off tasks as and when they arise. If you are a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and would like to find out more, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement, to register your interest.
To help highlight the many career routes and careers which are available to actuaries, we are seeking Students and Qualified Actuaries to volunteer to work with us in order to prepare profiles which can be featured on our website, in promotional literature and in online career-focused advertising. The profiles which we are keen to fill are:
- Graduate profiles - These mainly look at your route through school and university qualifications, and focus on where you are now and what you are doing in your current role - either how you got there, or a typical day or typical week. It also gives you the opportunity to look at what you might want to do in the future.
- Senior actuaries- This is a profile looking at actuaries who are much further through their career. They will have been qualified for at least five years, perhaps been through a few roles, or projects. The more varied the better. This is an opportunity to talk about non-standard routes, or career changes or practice area changes.
- Internships - We are keen for someone who is an intern to give a profile of the experience for them. Maybe with the employer's permission, talk about why they chose the company, what they have learned during the internship, what they are currently doing, and any tips for students who might seek to obtain an internship in future.
If you would like to volunteer to provide a profile, either now or in the future, please contact Debbie Atkins, Head of Volunteer Engagement. Please indicate which of the above profile(s) you would be most keen to provide.