Senior Manager - Defined Benefit

In this Senior Manager role, you will lead pensions advisory engagements within KPMG’s pensions practice, driving journey planning, funding and endgame strategies for defined benefit schemes. You’ll manage client relationships, develop teams, and contribute to growth by turning opportunities into sustainable propositions. You will apply deep actuarial expertise to ensure regulator-aligned funding and governance, while mentoring colleagues and using technology to improve delivery. This is a high-impact role at a firm known for integrating pension advisory with broader tax and legal services.

• Lead defined benefit pensions engagements and maintain day-to-day client relationships
• Advise on journey planning, risk management, self-sufficiency, buy-out and other endgame options (including surplus)
• Deliver scheme funding advice and ensure compliance with the DB funding code and The Pensions Regulator regime
• Advise on contingent funding solutions and SPVs; lead pensions due diligence for mergers and acquisitions
• Provide advice on member education, communications, benefit design and implementation
• Direct, review and sign off actuarial work and documentation per standards
• Manage engagement finances: budgets, billing and debt collection
• Improve delivery procedures and leverage approved technology for quality, productivity, data insight, and audit trails
• Coach, mentor and develop colleagues through performance and career conversations
• Build external profile, identify market opportunities and convert them into propositions and revenue
• Lead key defined benefit engagements and maintain trusted client relationships

• Senior Manager level pensions advisory experience in an employee benefit consultancy or another Big Four firm
• Deep technical knowledge of defined benefit valuations, roll-forward methodologies, actuarial techniques, relevant accounting and financial reporting standards, pensions regulation and legislation
• Experience advising on pensions issues in mergers and acquisitions and delivering endgame journey-planning engagements
• Proven track record in scheme funding advice, including the Pensions Regulator’s regime and the defined benefit scheme funding code
• Experience leading and performance-managing teams, coaching junior colleagues and delivering complex, high-quality projects with stakeholder oversight
• Strong commercial judgement, client relationship skills and ability to identify and develop adjacent opportunities
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, PowerPoint and Word, with ability to use approved technology to improve delivery and insight

• client relationship skills
• leadership and mentoring
• strong commercial judgement
• defined benefit valuations
• actuarial techniques
• regulatory knowledge (Pensions Regulator regime, funding code)