About First Actuarial

First Actuarial has been around since 2004, when a small group of like-minded actuaries came together to bring fresh thinking to pensions consultancy. Two decades later, we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary with events at all our six offices. It’s a great time to be part of First Actuarial. Following last year’s 20% revenue increase, our strong growth path has continued into this year, and we now employ around 450 people in the UK.

We’re still an independent business with no chargeable hours targets, giving our people the time to deliver their best work and excel. We shape our high-quality services by listening closely to our clients’ needs. And we price those services fairly.

As we develop our business, prospects for our people grow. Our Basingstoke, Leeds, Manchester, Peterborough, London and Tonbridge offices provide supportive work environments where everyone can make a difference. We enjoy work and celebrate our successes. And we provide support and helpful feedback so we all learn and improve.

We love numbers, but we love people more. Staff wellbeing and work-life balance have always been core values. Beyond the firm, we’re known for our integrity. We’re happy to challenge conventional thinking and speak up. Our pioneering work is set to transform the lives of millions of younger people with a new type of pension.

Role and responsibilities

This role is based in any of our six offices.

• Lead a portfolio of projects and build a pipeline of future clients (internal and external) for the team.
• Help to drive the future strategy for the team and develop our services.
• Sign out high quality, technically accurate advice, including regulated advice.
• Establish effective working relationships with colleagues internally and maintain strong relationships with providers, Professional Trustees, and other key advisers.
• Lead project meetings internally and externally and co-ordinate work required with client teams and external parties.
• Take responsibility for the management of projects including timescales, delivery, quality and budgets.
• Contribute to the development of the team, including coaching junior colleagues.
• Build or expand your own network of contacts through regular attendance at internal and external meetings.
• Maintain knowledge and keep abreast of changes in regulations, topical issues in the industry and the Firm's products and services.

Essential skills and experience:

• Relevant UK pensions experience, gained in an actuarial advisory team or with an insurer or reinsurer.
• Proven experience of the delivery of successfully completed bulk annuity transactions (or other risk transfer projects) with multiple insurers.
• Experience and technical knowledge to lead Risk Transfer projects from start to finish.
• The ability to manage multiple projects working to tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication, organisational and team working skills.
• Comfortable delivering training / presentations / pitches and talking to clients and colleagues about complex matters.
• Experience in drafting RFPs, successfully winning new clients, and developing new relationships with key stakeholders.
• Established relationships within the Risk Transfer market including the key market participants.
• Have established relationships with Professional Trustees
• Having been an authorised advisor and/or being FIA qualified may be beneficial but not essential.

What we offer you

We’ll actively support you as you build your career – and reward you for doing so. At every level of seniority, we offer:

• A competitive remuneration package, including bonus and profit-sharing payments
• Private health insurance, life insurance and income protection insurance
• 25 days annual leave as standard, increasing with length of service, an extra day at Christmas, plus bank holidays and the option to purchase additional holidays
• A non-contributory pension
• Full training and study support.

We have hybrid working in place for colleagues who prefer home-working for part of the week. We’re also flexible on working day arrangements and will happily accommodate a range of personal commitments from day one.

Our straightforward, interview-based approach to recruitment ensures equal opportunities for all applicants.

Please note that we can only accept candidates who have a right to work in the UK.