Pensions Advisory Manager

Summary of Role Purpose

KPMG’s Pensions is an exciting initiative to re-establish the pensions team, and specifically to focus on public service and grow revenue at pace.

We are looking for a talented and experienced Manager to join our team. You will work closely with senior colleagues to build this service line, which will involve providing:

• Strategic journey planning, risk management aiming for self-sufficiency or buy out and endgame options including use of surplus
• Strategic funding advice to sponsors and advice on compliance with DB funding code
• Advice on contingent funding options and work on special purpose vehicles
• Pension 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.

As a 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 may also have performance management responsibilities for a small number of employees

Description of the Role

• Day to day contact with clients on key pensions engagements, with responsibility for stakeholder relationships.
• Helping to develop the junior actuarial colleagues, including delivering technical training, improving technical knowledge, and developing consulting skills.
• Contributing to developing streamlined and efficient procedures, whilst maintaining an absolute focus on quality.
• Strong financial management, setting and delivering wort to budgets and timely billing and debt collection
• Ability to identify out of scope work and bill, accordingly
• Signing off technical actuarial work in line with the actuarial standards and, in line with KPMG quality procedures. 
• Drafting and or checking reports for final sign off
• 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 supports their growth and career progression

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 literature. Exhibits and stays current on appropriate industry and specialised 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 and accounting 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 shareholders of audited entities 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.

Experience and Knowledge Requirements  

• Relevant experience working in pensions advisory at Manager level, at either an employee benefit consultancy or other Big 4 firm. (E)

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)
• Knowledge of pensions funding and accounting regime (E)
• Experience of leading and performance managing teams, coaching and mentoring junior staff. (E)
• Experience  of delivering high quality, complex projects, including team oversight and stakeholder management. (E)
• Experience of managing and delivering benefit change, member options and end game journey planning. (E)
• Experience of advising Trustees/corporates on scheme funding and knowledge of the regime governed by the Pensions Regulator, including the DB scheme funding code and Single code of Practice. (E)
• IT literate with sound knowledge and experience of MS Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint and Word). (E)
• Experience of performance managing teams, coaching and mentoring junior staff. (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

• A qualified actuary, AIA, FIA or equivalent. (E)

E – Essential, D – Desirable