Pensions Risk & Governance Senior Manager

In this Pensions Risk & Governance Senior Manager role you will act as a senior member of the in-house pensions team, responsible for leading the development and oversight of the risk framework for one of the UK’s largest occupational pension schemes. This role requires deep expertise in UK pensions governance, particularly within Defined Benefit schemes, and a strong understanding of regulatory compliance, including the Pensions Regulator’s General Code and Own Risk Assessment requirements. You will support the trustee board and executive team in identifying, assessing, and managing emerging risks, including cyber and data protection risks, and ensure the scheme remains resilient and compliant in a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.

You will lead strategic initiatives such as a comprehensive review of the scheme’s risk framework and the implementation of new systems to enhance governance and risk oversight. This is a high-impact role offering exposure to senior stakeholders, including trustees and internal executives, and the opportunity to shape the future of pensions risk management within a complex and dynamic environment. The successful candidate will bring a proactive mindset, excellent stakeholder management skills, and a track record of delivering governance excellence in large-scale pension schemes.

To be successful as a Pensions Risk & Governance Senior Manager

• Extensive experience managing risk frameworks for large UK occupational pension schemes.

• Strong working knowledge of UK pensions legislation and regulatory codes, including the Pensions Regulator’s General Code and Own Risk Assessment requirements.

• Proven ability to support and advise trustee boards and executive teams, with excellent communication and governance skills.

• Experience in identifying and managing complex and evolving risks, including cyber risk and data protection within pensions environments.

ou may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Your role will be located from our Glasgow office.

Purpose of the role

To develop, implement and provide governance to employee retirement plans and benefits programmes, and provide counsel to resolve any related issues.  

Accountabilities

• Responsible for the development, implementation and delivery of the retirement plans and benefits programmes and processes aligned to the organisation’s strategy and enabled by supporting technology where appropriate, including the resolution of any escalated retirement and benefits issues from colleagues and people leaders (either directly, through HR operational teams or through oversight of a third party).
• Responsible for ensuring that retirement plans and benefit programmes are delivered in a manner that is compliant with all applicable internal governance requirements and external regulation; staying up to date with applicable legislative and regulatory changes.
• Communication and engagement to educate employees and managers on the available retirement and benefit options, such as retirement, health insurance and other benefit solutions.
• Market research and the development of appropriate retirement and benefits strategy, administration and compliance, as appropriate.
• Identification, engagement and management of external vendors/ stakeholders to manage the administration and delivery of the retirement and benefits services and provision of advice and counsel to employees and people leaders where relevant.
• Oversight and governance to all cost elements relevant to the provision of the retirement and benefits plans; ensuring that costs are appropriately forecasted, managed in line with budgets and spend approvals, and any funding requirements are actively monitored and maintained.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.