Actuarial Business Analyst – Data Science and Machine Learning Lead (Western Cape)

Job description

Actuarial Business Analyst – Data Science and Machine Learning Lead

George, Western Cape | Badger Holdings SA

At Badger Holdings, we don’t just crunch numbers, we turn them into business game-changers.
We’re on the hunt for an Actuarial Business Analyst who can lead a team of Data Scientists to build machine learning models that move the needle. You’ll be the translator, the strategist, and the impact-driver, making sure every model delivers measurable value and is understood from boardroom to operations floor.

If you can bridge deep technical expertise with commercial impact and lead a high-performance analytics team, this is your seat at the table.

What you’ll do

Lead and inspire

• Manage, mentor, and grow a team of Data Scientists into a powerhouse of delivery.
• Build a culture where experimentation, collaboration, and results thrive.

Design and deliver

• Oversee the creation, testing, and deployment of machine learning models that solve real business problems.
• Measure, quantify, and communicate the commercial impact of analytics solutions.
• Keep models relevant, accurate, and laser-focused on business goals.

Bridge tech and business

• Be the go-to liaison between data science and decision-makers.
• Translate complex analytics into plain, actionable English
• Ensure operational teams adopt and use model outputs effectively.

Drive excellence

• Gather, refine, and document requirements for analytics projects.
• Push for best practices, smarter modelling approaches, and continuous process improvement.

What you’ll need to bring

Essential:

• Degree or Honours in Actuarial Science.
• 7+ years’ experience in insurance or financial services (short-term insurance? Even better).
• Proven track record in building statistical/machine learning models.
• Skill in turning model outputs into business gold.
• Leadership experience in Data Science, Analytics, or Actuarial teams.
• Experience with claims modelling and survival analysis in insurance.
• BI tool mastery (Power BI, Qlik Sense, Tableau, etc.).
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Preferred:

• Hands-on skills in Python, R, SQL, and cloud platforms like Snowflake.
• Experience shaping both technical and business requirements.
• Strong grasp of data-driven decision frameworks.

Why Badger?

We’re bold. We’re fast. We’re building the future of insurance analytics and you’ll be at the centre of it.
Here, your models won’t gather dust in a slide deck. They’ll shape strategy, impact the bottom line, and change how we work.

Ready to lead the charge? Apply now and turn data into decisive action.