Financial services keeps pulling for people at the top of the skills ladder. In its 2026 review of shortage occupations, GOV.UK's Temporary Shortage List Stage 2 report found that recruitment in the sector was generally for Regulatory Qualification Framework (RQF) level 6 and above roles, rather than the RQF 3 to 5 bands below them.
That matters for an MGA making its first actuarial hire. An actuary sits firmly in that higher-skill group, and the data tells you you're competing for the same scarce, qualified talent every insurer and consultancy wants. So scoping the role well, before you advertise, is the difference between a quick win and a long, costly search.
An MGA underwrites on behalf of capacity providers, so your first actuary rarely does one narrow job. They usually own a blend of pricing, reserving, portfolio monitoring and the numbers behind your capacity relationships. Get specific about which of these sits with the role from day one, and which you'll outsource or add later.
Because recruitment in the sector skews to RQF level 6 and above roles, as the GOV.UK shortage report notes, you're almost certainly hiring a qualified or nearly qualified actuary rather than a junior analyst. Decide early whether this is a hands-on individual contributor or the first step towards a small team, because that shapes the seniority and the salary you set.
Start with a tight job scope, not a wish list. List the three or four outcomes this person must own in year one, then test for those directly. A single well-defined mandate attracts stronger applicants than a role that tries to cover everything.
Hire for judgement as much as technique. In an MGA, an actuary talks to underwriters, capacity providers and your leadership team, so they need to explain risk in plain terms, not just model it. Build your interview around a real pricing or reserving problem from your book, and ask how they'd handle a disagreement with an underwriter.
Move quickly and stay honest about the role. Qualified actuaries have options, so a slow or vague process loses them. Be clear about the remit, the exam support and the path to building out the function, and keep the time between first contact and offer short.
Scoping the role is the hard part. Finding the right person shouldn't be. We search a database of more than 15 million candidates and manage the hire end to end, from a ranked shortlist through to a booked interview, so you can judge real actuarial talent fast rather than chase it. Our recruitment agent manages recruitment end to end for 8% on a successful hire, with no monthly fee and no upfront cost. Tell Reed.ai what your first actuarial appointment needs to own, and we'll start building your shortlist.
