Employer Covenant Advisor

Pensions employer covenant advisory is a challenging and fast-growing area. Isio’s Covenant Solutions team assess the financial strength and commercial outlook of sponsors of defined benefit pensions schemes, to understand the cash flows and assets available to support funding of pension liabilities. This includes advising on covenant mitigation solutions where there are corporate events such as M&A, refinancing or restructuring.

Isio are looking for qualified accountants with employer covenant advisory experience and/or a transaction/restructuring advisory background, to join our team in advising clients and supporting our growth plans.

What’s the role? Isio are seeking a Manager to help support the growth of its covenant advisory business. The candidate will have the opportunity to build a portfolio of corporate and trustee advisory clients as well as advise in M&A/transaction, run-on and superfund transaction situations. The role will involve working on some of the most complex transactions and challenging pensions issues businesses and trustees face, and work alongside a range of Isio specialists in actuarial and investment services to provide integrated solutions to support pensions strategy.

The candidate will have employer covenant expertise and/or transactions/restructuring advisory experience. This will include experience of preparing insolvency estimated outcome statements for the purposes of assessing potential returns to creditors/pension schemes. This is a great opportunity for a high calibre candidate to fast track their career prospects, widen their skillset and be part of Isio’s ambitious growth plans for its pensions and covenant advisory business.

Role and Responsibilities

• Building and managing a portfolio of pension trustee advisory clients, providing advice on their employer covenant assessments and integrated risk management framework;
• Performing and reviewing financial and commercial analysis for employer covenant assessments, including coaching and development of junior team members;
• Assessing the impact of a corporate activity such as a transaction, restructuring or refinancing on the employer covenant provided to pension schemes;
• Advising on solutions to mitigate changes in the employer covenant security provided to pension schemes;
• Advising corporate sponsors of pension schemes in negotiations with trustees over employer covenant and mitigation/financial support options;
• Supporting external marketing initiatives to support Isio’s growth ambitions.

Where is the role?

Our ideal applicant would work alongside our existing team in either Manchester, Edinburgh or London. However, we can offer suitable applicants the opportunity to work from our other Isio offices. We work on a hybrid basis, offering the opportunity for colleagues to split their working time between working in the office and at home. As a business we are great at building strong communities amongst our employees – both across locations and teams, hosting regular team building, charity, and social events.

Key Skills & Experience

• Qualified ACA/CA/ACCA accountant with clear evidence of relevant post-qualified experience.
• Proven Employer covenant and/or transaction/restructuring advisory experience.
• Commercial awareness and a general interest in how businesses work.
• Experience of insolvency analysis/recoveries e.g. preparing Entity Priority Models and Estimated Outcome Statements in order to advise clients of the implication.
• Excellent report writing, financial analysis, client and project management skills.
• Ability to research and report on clients, industries, the wider market/economy and ESG risks; develop marketing collateral and initiatives; and build, manage and leverage client relationships in order to originate work and support sales.
• Experience using AI and data analysis tools to improve efficiency in research and reporting.
• An enthusiasm for and genuine commitment to business development and supporting market initiatives.

Demonstrated Commitment to our Core Purpose

• Power in Partnership: We work in partnership with our clients & each other – building open and trusted relationships. Working together allows us to deliver the best for our clients.
• Future Focus: We want to push our industry forward by solving problems in better ways that benefit both our clients & society.
• Strength in Difference: We work with diverse perspectives to find better solutions. Working with differences makes us stronger.
• People First: We recognise that pensions is a people business. People are the source of Isio’s expertise and it is people’s lives that we affect through our advice.

What we offer you

Isio is a people business, and we’re committed to helping our great colleagues gain a wide variety of experience, significant development opportunities and progression through the business. The variety of work that’ll be available to you will enable you to do this.

Isio was ‘born’ in 2020 from the sale of KPMG UK’s Pension Practice to a private equity firm. An industry-leading challenger, we provide diverse expertise spanning Pensions, Investment, Benefits and Wealth to give clients an integrated experience. Isio is built by challengers, innovators and forward-thinkers, grounded around a vision which strives to deliver greater financial confidence for everyone. We empower and develop those who join us – valuing curious minds and giving people the freedom to outperform. Known and respected for our agility, we harness specialist experience, bold thinking and the desire to push the boundaries of what we can achieve for our clients, from small to blue chip, public to private.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We have offices across the UK and many of our roles offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work to help create a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.