Proposition Director - Individual Pensions

Proposition Director – Individual Pensions

Join to apply for the Proposition Director – Individual Pensions role at Smart Pension

At Smart, our mission is to transform retirement, savings and financial wellbeing, across all generations, around the world.

The Proposition Director – Individual Pensions will lead the development and management of the company’s individual/member pension proposition, ensuring it delivers excellent customer outcomes, meets regulatory standards, and achieves commercial goals. This role focuses on designing and evolving propositions — including building a pension plan for life and retirement income solutions — that meet the needs of workplace employers, direct customers and advised markets.

The role requires a strategic thinker capable of shaping propositions that reflect customer expectations, regulatory change, and the competitive landscape, while maintaining a strong commercial focus. Ideally comes with relevant experience from a retail pension provider.

Key Responsibilities

Proposition Strategy & Market Positioning

• Define and deliver a clear retail pensions proposition strategy aligned with the provider’s vision, purpose, and growth objectives.
• Identify customer needs and market trends, shaping propositions that support long-term financial wellbeing and retirement readiness.
• Develop differentiated propositions for key customer and adviser segments, ensuring competitive advantage and alignment with brand values.
• Drive innovation in areas such as digital experience, ESG integration, flexible retirement, and lifetime income solutions.

Product & Proposition Management

• Own the product lifecycle for the retail pension suite — including design, enhancements, pricing, and review.
• Ensure products are compliant, profitable, and operationally effective, with clear governance under FCA (if relevant) and TPR requirements.
• Work closely with compliance, operations, and technology teams to ensure propositions are sustainable and scalable.
• Oversee value assessments and ensure compliance with relevant regulations, ensuring fair value and positive customer outcomes.

Customer & Market Insight

• Use insight, analytics, and research to drive proposition design and continuous improvement.
• Understand customer journeys, behaviours, and barriers to engagement across accumulation and decumulation phases.
• Benchmark propositions against competitors and identify opportunities for differentiation and market leadership.

Stakeholder & Partnership Leadership

• Collaborate with Distribution, Marketing, and Customer operation teams to ensure propositions are effectively positioned and understood by advisers and customers.
• Build strong relationships with technology partners, platforms, and investment providers to enhance the end‑to‑end proposition.
• Present strategy and performance updates to executive committees and governance forums.

Commercial & Strategic Delivery

• Set and achieve commercial targets for the retail pensions portfolio, including assets under management, new business growth, and retention.
• Monitor key performance indicators, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Balance commercial objectives with the provider’s duty to deliver good customer outcomes and regulatory compliance.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, motivate, and develop a high‑performing propositions team.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and collaboration across the organisation.
• Mentor team members to build deep subject‑matter expertise and commercial acumen.

Who We Are Looking For

• Extensive experience in UK retail financial products within a provider, life company, or platform environment.
• Proven ability to design and deliver customer‑centric pension and saving propositions.
• Deep understanding of FCA and TPR regulatory frameworks, including Consumer Duty and fair value requirements.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing product performance and P&L accountability.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior levels.
• Experience with digital or platform‑led pension models.
• Understanding of ESG and sustainable investment trends.
• Professional qualifications in pensions or financial services (CII, CFA, PMI, or equivalent).
• Experience working across advised, workplace and D2C channels.

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday per year, increasing with length of service.
• £500 annual training budget to spend on your professional development.
• Extensive private healthcare, including dental, eye care and EAP.
• Enhanced sick leave (three months’ pay per year).
• Pension scheme via salary sacrifice. Smart will match your contributions up to 7% of your salary.
• Enhanced maternity and paternity (maternity – 6 months fully paid/paternity – 3 weeks fully paid).
• Death in service insurance cover.
• Fully‑paid five‑week sabbatical after five years of employment.
• In-office wellbeing, such as manicures, massages and barbers.
• Smart employees also enjoy a 50% discount on orders from our sister company Arena Flowers, Britain\’s most ethical florist. They offer unique hand‑tied bouquets, luxury flowers, letterbox flowers, plants and gifts to spend on friends and loved ones or even for yourself.