Pension Finance and Risk Manager

The Partnership's Pension Scheme is a vital part of our commitment to our Partners’ futures. Operating as a separate legal entity with circa 207,000 members and £5.5bn in assets, the Scheme requires expert financial oversight and robust risk management to ensure we deliver on our promises.
As the Pension Finance and Risk Manager, you will sit within the Trustee Services team, providing a comprehensive financial and management accounting service to the Trustee Board. You will be the technical lead for the Scheme's annual accounts, the half-yearly reporting process, and the overarching risk framework. This is a high-impact role where you will manage the operational aspects of our investments—overseeing the Custodian and Outsourced Chief Investment Officer—while acting as a key liaison between the Scheme and the Partnership’s Finance and Tax teams.

Salary: up to £105,000 pa

Contract type: Fixed Term/ Secondment (6 months) 

Working pattern: We support a blended working approach, balancing time between home and our head offices. We are open to discussing flexible working patterns that meet the needs of the Trustee Board and the team in Head Office, other Partnership locations, and scheme adviser sites (normally in London), with the remainder of the time working from home.

Location: Head Office in Pimlico, London 

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Reporting & Budgeting: Leading the annual budget process, cost monitoring, and overseeing the production of the Scheme’s annual accounts. You will coordinate audits and ensure half-yearly reporting for pension assets is delivered accurately to the Sponsor.

• Risk Framework Management: Leading the risk process for the Administration, Audit, and Risk Committee. This includes being the lead for the risk management framework, including monitoring risk and reviewing the risk register, preparing committee papers, managing data breach assessments and other risk events.

• Investment Operations: Overseeing the Custodian relationship, including account administration, investment accounting, and reporting. You will provide oversight of operations performed by the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO).

• Vendor & Advisor Management: Conducting ongoing due diligence and compliance checks on third-party suppliers (e.g., reviewing SOC reports and ISO certificates) to ensure the highest standards of service.

• Tax & Compliance: Managing tax requirements and liaison with tax advisers, including VAT reviews and Accounting for Tax, and investment compliance (e.g., FATCA and KYC).

• Trustee Liaison: Driving Trustee priorities by attending and preparing high-quality papers for the main Trustee Board and other sub-committees and driving the agenda and preparation for the Administration, Audit and Risk Committee.

Essential Skills/Experience You’ll Need

• Professional Qualification: CIMA / ACCA or equivalent accounting qualification.

• Financial Expertise: Significant experience (4-6 years post-qualification) in financial accounting and reporting within a complex environment.

• Analytical Vision: The ability to simplify complex financial data into actionable insights for the Trustee Board.

• Vendor Management: A proven track record of managing professional advisers and third-party service providers.

• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate at a senior level.
   

Desirable Skills/Experience You May Have

• Pensions Knowledge: Previous experience working within or for a Pension Scheme (DB and DC).

• Investment Operations: Familiarity with investment accounting, custody services, or OCIO models.

• Small Team Dynamics: Experience working effectively within a small, highly professional specialist team.

• Continuous Improvement: A focus on evolving financial processes and achieving industry-leading standards.

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We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.