Strategy Executive - Ernst & Young

At EY, you'll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture, and technology to become the best version of you. And we're counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.

Pension covenant advice moved into a new phase of existence in 2022, driven by the volatility in pension funding positions and a dramatically changing economic environment from which corporates are required to operate in. We are market leaders in this new environment, helping our clients navigate today's challenges whilst supporting the transition to the new Funding Code.

The Opportunity: EY-Parthenon's Pensions Strategy team is award winning, known for our collaborative style, market-leading approach and pivotal industry positions. We are looking for a motivated, driven and experienced covenant advisor to join our growing team. Our clients range from pension trustees, corporates, lenders, investors and regulators. They might be in the middle of a complicated, fast-moving transaction that requires an innovative pension solution, or they may be going through routine triennial valuations looking at the options available for future scheme funding. Whichever it is, we act as trusted advisors to our clients throughout a pension scheme's lifecycle, building trusted relationships and delivering value.

In order to do this, we work closely alongside our actuarial colleagues and EY-Parthenon sector teams, offering the successful candidate the opportunity to specialise in sectors and/or solutions. We have grown significantly over the last five years and are on track to deliver growth in the current financial year. To meet demand, we need to enhance our team further and this offers a great opportunity for progression as our plans are delivered. Our team is based across the UK and contains individuals from diverse backgrounds who are encouraged to bring their own perspectives to provide innovative solutions to our client's problems. We support flexible working and many of our team members take advantage of either reduced hours contracts or atypical working hours to fit around other priorities.

Your Key Responsibilities: As a Pensions Executive, you'll work on a number of clients across our large portfolio in consultation with the Assistant Director / Partner, in accordance with EY policies and protocols. You will take responsibility for drafting client deliverables across multiple engagements, reporting to the Assistant Director and where there isn't one, directly to the engagement Partner or Director, project managing the engagement, communicating issues to the Partner / Director and driving the project to completion with support from the Partner / Director / Assistant Director as appropriate. We'll want you to be active in nurturing relationships - both inside EY with different specialist teams across the firm, and externally - for example with client staff or lawyers - as relationship-building is an important and valued skill in Pensions. You will also fit in to our positive learning culture from day one. You will bring your existing skills/knowledge and coach people in these where that is relevant and applicable to our work, and you will be valued for your efforts to coach and counsel junior team members to help them develop.

Skills and Attributes for Success:

• Financial analysis and scenario modelling to support decision making and awareness of the key drivers of corporate failure or underperformance.
• Commercial acumen - using knowledge and insight gained from client work and apply your understanding of the wider business environment.
• Able to identify key issues on assignments and suggest workable solutions.
• Experienced in presenting findings clearly in reports and other deliverables to colleagues.
• Assist in managing the financial aspects of engagements by organising staffing, tracking fees and communicating issues to project leaders.
• Demonstrate professionalism and confidence to deal with a range of stakeholder groups and management teams.
• Understand the capabilities of the firm, looking for opportunities to bring other specialists into the pension assignment to achieve the best solution.
• Good project management skills, with the ability to manage more than one assignment at a time.
• Desire to support the people development of the Pensions team - contributing to or leading training courses, recruitment, and team/wellbeing activities.
• Maintain an educational program to continually develop personal skills.

To qualify for the role you must have:

• A minimum level of experience working in the Pensions industry or a similar advisory role of at least one year.
• An understanding of defined benefit pension schemes and their financial risk to employers.
• Professional accountancy qualification required.
• The ability to build strong internal and external relationships.
• Appreciation of the risks inherent in advising businesses and their stakeholders.

Ideally, you'll also have:

• A track record within a recognised pensions covenant advisory team including experience of delivering covenant reviews.
• People development experience and can effectively supervise, coach and mentor staff.
• Own network of contacts with work providers, or will understand the importance of building one.

What we look for: We are looking for candidates who are highly motivated, ambitious, and have a passion to be part of a growing pensions team where we encourage everyone to bring their whole self to work. Being a collaborative team player is also important as well as someone who is happy to work flexibly throughout a period of growth within Pensions.