Defined Contribution Support Consultant – Assistant Manager
2 days ago
City of London
Defined Contribution Support Consultant – Assistant Manager Base Location London, Birmingham or Manchester plus a national network of 20 offices: About KPMG KPMG in the UK is part of a global network of firms offering Audit, Legal, Tax and Advisory services. Through the talent of over 16,000 colleagues, we bring creativity, insight and experience to help solve our clients’ and communities’ biggest challenges. We’ve been doing this for more than 150 years. We aim to be universally recognised as a place where great people do their best work. We are proud of our collaborative and inclusive culture, using technology to empower our people to deliver outstanding work with real flexibility – through inspiring workspaces, innovative collaboration tools and hybrid ways of working. With offices across the UK, we work with organisations ranging from start-ups and individuals to major multinationals, across virtually every industry. Our work is often complex, yet our mission is simple: to support the UK in a connected world. This mission is underpinned by our values of Courage, Integrity, Excellence, Together and For Better. The Role KPMG’s Pensions Advisory business continues to grow its Defined Contribution (DC) pensions capability and is seeking individuals who bring diverse skill sets into the team. We are now looking for a talented and experienced Assistant Manager to join our Defined Contribution pensions team. You will support the delivery of high-quality pensions advice across a broad range of DC pension schemes, primarily in the private sector, with some exposure to public sector schemes. Why Join KPMG as a Defined Contribution Support Consultant – Assistant Manager As an Assistant Manager, you will work closely with senior members of the DC pensions team, contributing to both client delivery and team development. You will play a key role in maintaining strong client relationships, managing day-to-day engagement delivery, and supporting the development of junior colleagues. Key areas of focus (not exhaustive) include: • Scheme strategy and structure across workplace pensions, • Member engagement and education, • Investment policy, • Governance, including the establishment of governance committees, • Wider benefit and reward strategy, • Financial coaching and wellbeing, • Statutory auto-enrolment compliance and implementation, • Compliance What Will You Be Doing? • Acting as a key contact for clients, delivering DC pension engagements within agreed timelines, • Maintaining day-to-day client relationships and ensuring delivery to agreed scope, quality and timescales, • Collating and reviewing pension scheme data and information, raising queries and analysing responses, • Drafting reports and client deliverables, with final sign-off at senior level, • Directing and overseeing the work of junior team members, reviewing their outputs and providing coaching and mentoring support, • Supporting the development of junior colleagues through technical training, skills development and on-the-job coaching, • Managing financial aspects of engagements, including timely billing and debt collection, • Identifying out-of-scope work and supporting appropriate fee discussions, • Checking technical work in line with professional standards and KPMG quality procedures, • Maintaining regular, open and honest communication across engagement teams Technical Core Competencies • Technical knowledge: Demonstrates a sound understanding of relevant DC pension concepts, regulation and legislation; remains current on industry developments and applies KPMG methodologies, • Technology skills: Uses firm-approved tools and innovative technology to improve quality, productivity and insights, • Professional scepticism: Applies objectivity, independence and professional judgement, • Embraces and embeds KPMG’s culture of high challenge, high support, grounded in our values, • Operates with a curious and sceptical mindset, applying this in everyday work, • Actively contributes to a coaching-led culture, empowering team members to speak up and challenge constructively, • Acts professionally, ethically and in the public interest, • Champions inclusion and collaboration across Audit, Tax and the wider firm, • Brings a sense of community, purpose and enjoyment to the team Experience and Knowledge Requirements Essential (E): • Experience working in pensions advisory within an employee benefits consultancy or another Big 4 firm, • Core technical knowledge of DC pension schemes, auto-enrolment compliance and the UK pensions landscape, • Understanding of different workplace pension structures and their advantages and disadvantages, • Track record of delivering high-quality, complex projects, • Experience supporting provider selection and provider transition exercises, • Experience advising on DC scheme design, fund ranges, default strategies and charging structures, • Experience drafting and delivering DC member communications, • Experience coaching and mentoring junior staff, • Strong IT literacy, particularly with MS Excel, PowerPoint and Word Behavioural Attributes and Skills • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to explain complex concepts clearly, • Confident and credible in stakeholder interactions at all levels, • Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to juggle competing priorities, • Self-motivated, resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, • Pragmatic problem solver, drawing on technical expertise to deliver high-quality solutions, • Strong analytical and numerical capability, with attention to detail and accuracy, • Collaborative team player, working effectively towards shared goals Qualifications • Progress towards Pensions Management Institute (PMI) qualifications is desirable but not essential