Defined Benefit Actuary Senior Manager

Job description

KPMG’s Pensions Advisory business continues to build out its new pensions team, and requires individuals that can bring different skill-sets to the team.

We are looking for a talented and experienced Senior Manager to join our team, who will be responsible for working closely with colleagues in the area of defined benefit pensions. Specific areas of focus, but not exhaustive, will include

• Journey planning and risk management, aiming for self-sufficiency or buy out, and endgame options including use of surplus
• Funding advice to sponsors and advice on compliance with DB funding code
• Advice on contingent funding options and work on special purpose vehicles
• Pensions due diligence on mergers and acquisitions
• Provision of member education and communication
• Advice on benefit change, benefit design and implementation
• Advice on good governance and compliance

You will be a key contact with client teams, with responsibility for managing the day-to-day relationships. You will also work closely with our tax and legal specialists across all of KPMG's UK offices to consider areas of adjacencies and growth.

As a Senior Manager, you will be responsible for managing teams and supervising the work of junior staff, providing coaching and development to assist them in the effective delivery of engagements. You will also have performance management responsibilities for a small number of employees.

Description of the Role

• Market facing with a strong external profile
• Innovative in helping to spot market opportunities, build propositions, develop collateral and take propositions out to market
• Supporting the Partners and Directors in achieving revenue growth targets
• Helping to develop junior actuarial colleagues, including delivering technical training, improving technical knowledge, and developing consulting skills.
• Lead contact with clients on key pensions engagements, with overall responsibility for stakeholder relationships.
• Contributing to developing streamlined and efficient procedures, whilst maintaining an absolute focus on quality.
• Strong financial management, setting and agreeing budgets for work, delivering to budgets and timely billing and debt collection
• Signing off technical actuarial work in line with actuarial standards and KPMG quality procedures. 
• Directing and overseeing the work of engagement teams and team members, including reviewing their actuarial work (e.g., checking calculations and reviewing conclusions), and providing coaching and mentoring support.
• Performance managing team members, ensuring that you are having rich development conversations that support their growth and career progression.

Role Dimensions

Technical core competencies required for the role

The relevant competencies for this role are:

• Technical knowledge: Understands relevant technical actuarial, accounting and financial reporting standards, pension regulations and legislation. Exhibits and stays current on appropriate industry and specialist knowledge, and leverages KPMG methodologies.
• Technology skills: Uses firm-approved tools and innovative technology solutions to increase quality, productivity and data insights.
• Professional scepticism: Applies professional scepticism, objectivity and independence to pensions actuarial work
• Documentation: Completes documentation and audit trails demonstrating an unwavering focus on quality and in line with the actuarial standards.

People & Culture:

• Embrace and embed our culture ambition of high challenge, high support which is grounded in Our Values.
• Operate with a curious and sceptical mindset ensuring that this is embedded in your everyday work.
• Actively lead and embed a coaching culture to get the best out of others in an environment where everyone in the team feels empowered to speak up or challenge where appropriate.
• Be accountable, professional and act in the public interest, working for the benefit of stakeholders and wider society.

Be inclusive and embrace the opportunity to work with other teams across the firm in an integrated way. Have a sense of community, purpose and fun.

The Person

Experience and Knowledge Requirements  

• Relevant experience working in pensions advisory at Senior Manager level, at either an employee benefit consultancy or other Big 4 firm. (E)
• Deep technical knowledge of defined benefit pension scheme valuations, roll forward methodologies and actuarial techniques. (E)
• Understanding of the wider UK pensions landscape, and the issues facing our stakeholders. (E)
• Significant experience in advising on the pensions issues within an M&A context (E)
• Experience of leading and performance managing teams, coaching and mentoring junior staff. (E)
• Proven track record of managing and delivering high quality, complex projects, including team oversight and stakeholder management. (E)
• Experience of managing and delivering end-game journey planning engagements. (E)
• Proven track record of advising on scheme funding and knowledge of the regime governed by the Pensions Regulator, including the DB scheme funding code. (E)
• IT literate with sound knowledge and experience of MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint and Word). (E)

Behavioural Attributes and Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to communicate complex matters in a clear and compelling manner.
• Highly effective stakeholder management and relationship building skills; credible and confident with stakeholders at all levels. 
• Strong organisational and time management skills; able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with conflicting priorities and deadlines.
• Self-driven and resilient; able to thrive in a high-pressure environment.
• Effective problem solver; makes pragmatic and logical decisions, drawing on own and others’ technical expertise to provide high quality solutions.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills; able to analyse and interpret complex technical statistical information, with a focus on quality, attention to details and accuracy in calculations.
• Effective team working skills; works collaboratively with others towards shared goals.

Qualifications

• Qualified actuary - FIA or equivalent. (E)

E – Essential, D – Desirable

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