Senior Manager - Defined Benefit

About the team

The issues surrounding tax and legal services are constantly evolving, both locally and globally. Our Tax and Law experts are at the forefront of providing a range of specialist tax and legal knowledge and technologies to empower businesses. This is why you'll find KPMG the perfect place for you to build your expertise, progress your career and make your mark.

Our tax professionals have an impact on some of the most pressing global challenges of the day, such as climate change, incentives and transparency. We offer real scale and size in terms of the range of tax solutions we offer clients. Our services span: International Tax, Deal Advisory Tax and Transfer Pricing; Business Taxes, covering advisory, compliance, claims and incentives and transformation; People Taxes, advising on all aspects of employee reward, tax issues arising as a result of having a global workforce as well as advising high-net-worth individuals and entrepreneurial families; and Indirect Taxes.

KPMG’s Pensions Advisory business is continuing to build its new pensions team, bringing together colleagues with varied skill sets. The team works closely with tax and legal specialists across KPMG’s UK offices to deliver joined-up advice, identify adjacent opportunities and support growth. Its work includes defined benefit journey planning, funding and risk management, endgame options, mergers and acquisitions, member communications, benefit change, governance and compliance.

About the role

As a Senior Manager, you’ll lead pensions advisory engagements and client relationships, delivering high-quality advice on journey planning, funding, risk management, endgame options and related governance. You’ll combine technical leadership with commercial ownership, supporting Partners and Directors to grow the business while developing capable, inclusive teams. This is a permanent Senior Manager (B Grade) role available in London, Manchester, Birmingham or Bristol.

What you'll be doing

• Build a strong external profile, identify market opportunities and help turn them into compelling propositions, collateral and sustainable revenue growth.
• Lead key defined benefit pensions engagements and maintain trusted day-to-day relationships with clients and other stakeholders.
• Advise sponsors on journey planning, risk management, self-sufficiency, buy-out and other endgame options, including the use of surplus.
• Deliver scheme funding advice and support compliance with the defined benefit funding code and The Pensions Regulator’s regime.
• Advise on contingent funding solutions and special purpose vehicles, and lead pensions due diligence and wider pensions advice for mergers and acquisitions.
• Provide advice on member education and communications, benefit change, benefit design and implementation.
• Direct, review and sign off actuarial work, calculations, conclusions and documentation in line with professional standards and KPMG quality procedures.
• Manage engagement finances by agreeing budgets, delivering within budget, billing promptly and supporting debt collection.
• Improve delivery procedures and use approved technology to strengthen quality, productivity, data insight and audit trails.
• Coach, mentor and technically develop colleagues through meaningful performance and career conversations.

Skills, experience, and knowledge you'll need

• Senior Manager level pensions advisory experience gained in an employee benefit consultancy or another Big Four firm.
• Deep technical knowledge of defined benefit scheme valuations, roll-forward methodologies, actuarial techniques, relevant accounting and financial reporting standards, pensions regulation and legislation.
• Significant experience advising on pensions issues in mergers and acquisitions and delivering endgame journey-planning engagements.
• A proven track record in scheme funding advice, including the Pensions Regulator’s regime and the defined benefit scheme funding code.
• Experience leading and performance-managing teams, coaching junior colleagues and delivering complex, high-quality projects with effective stakeholder oversight.
• Strong commercial judgement, client relationship skills and the ability to identify and develop adjacent opportunities.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word, with the ability to use approved technology to improve delivery and insight.

Qualifications

Qualified actuary – Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (FIA) or equivalent.

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