Head of Pension Fund Management and Investment

For a relatively small organisation, Torfaen CBC punches significantly above its weight. Located along a 12-mile valley just north of the M4, Torfaen’s 95,000 residents make us one of the most densely populated Welsh local authorities. Though council tax rates are amongst the lowest in Wales, we are recognised as innovative pioneers in a number of fundamental areas. Politically and administratively stable, we’ve earned a strong reputation within our peer group and beyond, and we’re well-placed to meet the strategic and operational challenges of the coming decade.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and credible leader to lead a dynamic service that’s setting a benchmark for performance. With around 67,000 members, and a legacy fund of over £5bn (which will be moving into the new Wales Pension Partnership Investment Management Company), we are unusually well-placed to drive consistently strong investment performance which also achieves long-term social and community goals.

Reporting to the Strategic Director of Resources, and working closely with colleagues at regional and national level, you’ll plan, deliver and monitor the fund’s investment strategy, oversee the triennial valuation, and lead the day to day operation and administration of the pension service. This will involve extensive liaison, reporting and collaboration with stakeholders from elected members to actuaries, and institutional fund members to external advisors.

What will success look like? As you’d expect, we want to continue to provide high-quality and well-managed services that meet our policy objectives and our vision for the communities in which many of our members still live. You’ll need to respond with intelligence and sound judgement to an evolving investment landscape, and understand emerging market and industry conditions. More, we will look to you to design and drive continuous improvement and transformation, with a progressively digital-first approach that keeps the customer at the heart of everything we do.

Candidates will bring a broad and comprehensive professional repertoire, including investment expertise and highly-developed organisational leadership skills. A local government background is desirable, as is an accountancy qualification; but if you can show equivalent insight gained via another route, this may be considered. An excellent analyst, communicator and manager, you will rapidly build strong, credible relationships, based on an in-depth knowledge of pensions and investment, and specifically the context of WPP IM Co’s ambitious new strategy.

It’s an incredibly exciting role, and you’ll be in at the beginning of a transformative new phase for Wales and our shared future. For the right person, it will be career-defining.