LGPS Independent Person in London

Bring independent expertise, sound judgement and constructive challenge to the governance of a pension fund. This advert is not for a directly employed role. The Independent Person will not be an employee of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is seeking an experienced pensions professional to join us as an Independent Person for the RBKC Pension Fund. With assets exceeding £2 billion, this is an opportunity to bring your expertise and independent judgement to the oversight of a significant public sector pension fund, providing professional insight, scrutiny and constructive challenge to support effective governance and decision-making.

This is an independent, non-executive statutory appointment under Regulation 53A of the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013 (as amended).

Working Style: You will work collaboratively with elected members, senior officers and professional advisers, providing an independent perspective and constructive challenge. Committee meetings will ordinarily be attended in person in Kensington and Chelsea, with other work and engagement undertaken remotely where appropriate. You will also be expected to prepare for meetings and undertake reasonable additional engagement and professional development.

What you’ll be doing: You will support the LGPS Senior Officer and Pension Fund Investment Committee through independent scrutiny and advice, including:

• Reviewing investment strategy, asset allocation, performance and responsible investment policies.
• Scrutinising funding strategy, actuarial assumptions, employer considerations and financial risks.
• Supporting oversight of London CIV, including investment performance and accountability.
• Challenging pension administration performance, data quality, communications, compliance and improvement plans.
• Reviewing governance, risk management, conflicts of interest and progress against independent review recommendations.
• Testing advice and recommendations from officers and external advisers, raising material concerns where appropriate.

What you’ll bring: Candidates must show independent judgement, effective communication with elected members and senior officers, and relevant understanding of pension governance, administration, investment, funding and the LGPS regulatory environment. You will be an experienced pensions professional with the credibility, technical knowledge and independence to provide effective scrutiny and challenge. Candidates should demonstrate at least one of the following:

• An appropriate Pensions Management Institute (PMI) trusteeship qualification or professional trustee accreditation.
• Membership of, and accreditation by, the Association of Professional Pension Trustees (APPT).
• Significant relevant pensions experience, particularly in governance and administration, with sufficient breadth to scrutinise investment, funding and risk.

You will also demonstrate:

• Strong understanding of pension governance, investment, funding and administration.
• Independent judgement and the confidence to constructively challenge senior stakeholders.
• The ability to interpret complex information and communicate effectively with elected members, officers and professional advisers.
• High standards of integrity, impartiality and professional independence.

Why join us: The Fund operates within a complex and evolving investment, funding, administration and governance environment, working alongside elected members, officers, professional advisers and London CIV to meet its responsibilities to scheme members and participating employers. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the stewardship of a £2 billion-plus pension fund, applying your expertise to strengthen governance, support effective decision-making and protect the long-term interests of scheme members and participating employers.

Interview Details: Interviews are scheduled for 19th-20th November 2026.

Ready to join us? We’re all in – are you? If you share our values and have the skills to contribute, we’d love to hear from you. Please apply online explaining how you meet the requirements set out in the person specification and job description. We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants. We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community. We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.