Director, Pensions, Actuarial

About EY Pensions Consulting

We advise some of the UK's largest employers on workplace pension strategy, scheme governance, financial wellbeing and provider selection, working within a multi-disciplinary environment that draws on the breadth of EY's consulting, tax and advisory capabilities.

EY is accelerating the growth of its Pensions Consulting practice. Building on an established client base and strong market reputation, we are seeking a senior experienced leader to head the DC pensions team,

The Opportunity

This is a Director-level appointment with responsibility for leading the DC pensions consulting practice. 

You will be the senior point of contact for clients on all DC matters, setting the strategic direction for the team whilst personally leading complex, high-value engagements at board and trustee level.

You will work closely with employers to shape their pension and broader savings strategies, advise on scheme design, investment propositions (including default fund selection and at-retirement solutions) and help clients navigate the evolving regulatory and market landscape.

This role requires someone who combines deep technical knowledge with the commercial acumen and gravitas to influence decision-makers at the most senior level.

Key Responsibilities

DC Strategy and Scheme Design

• Act as the senior client lead on DC strategy projects, presenting recommendations and options to boards, pension committees and senior leadership teams


• Advise employers on scheme design, including contribution structures, auto-enrolment strategy, salary sacrifice arrangements and flexible benefit integration


• Lead provider selection and review exercises, managing procurement processes from scoping through to implementation

Leadership and Business Development

• Lead and grow the DC Pensions Consulting team, setting strategy, priorities and quality standards across all client engagements


• Develop trusted, long-term relationships with clients at CFO, HR Director and Reward Director level


• Identify and convert new business opportunities, contributing to the commercial growth of the practice


• Mentor and develop team members, building capability and ensuring high professional standards


• Stay abreast of regulatory developments, market trends and product innovation to ensure our advice remains market-leading

Investment Advice

• Provide investment advice around DC schemes, including default fund design, fund range selection and investment governance frameworks


• Advise on at-retirement investment solutions, including drawdown defaults, cash/annuity pathways and decumulation journey design

Broader Savings and Financial Wellbeing

• Help employers look beyond pensions to develop holistic financial wellbeing strategies, including ISAs, share schemes, emergency savings and lifetime savings frameworks

Governance

• Establish and run governance frameworks for clients, including setting up and chairing investment governance committees, pension governance committees and financial wellbeing steering groups

Essential Requirements

• Significant experience in DC pensions consulting, with a demonstrable track record of leading and delivering strategy projects at the board and senior management level


• Strong commercial awareness and experience of winning and developing new business in a consulting or advisory environment


• Excellent project management skills, with experience in running complex, multi-stakeholder engagements to scope and budget


• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex technical matters into clear, actionable advice for non-specialist audiences

Personal Qualities

• A natural leader who can inspire confidence in clients and colleagues 


• Commercially minded, with the ability to spot opportunities and build a practice


• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and navigating complex stakeholder dynamics


• Collaborative and collegiate, with a genuine interest in developing others


• Self-starting, energetic and driven, with high standards of professional integrity