Senior Pension Actuary

Overview

The Pension Actuarial Consulting Lead serves as the primary actuarial advisor for a portfolio of defined benefit and retirement clients. This role leads strategy, valuation oversight, regulatory compliance, de‑risking initiatives, and client relationship management. As both a technical expert and client‑facing consultant, the Lead partners with CFOs, HR leaders, boards, and internal teams to deliver high‑impact retirement solutions that balance cost, risk, and employee outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Client Leadership & Strategic Consulting

• Serve as lead actuary and strategic advisor for corporate, public sector, or multi‑employer retirement plan clients.
• Drive retirement program strategy across funding, plan design, risk management, and long‑term financial sustainability.
• Lead client meetings and present valuation results, plan diagnostics, projections, and regulatory updates.

Actuarial Oversight & Technical Leadership

• Oversee annual actuarial valuations, assumption reviews, experience studies, and funding calculations.
• Review and sign actuarial deliverables (e.g., valuation reports, GASB/ASC disclosures, PBGC filings, plan termination calculations).
• Ensure compliance with ASOPs, ERISA, PPA, IRS regulations, and applicable accounting standards (ASC 715, GASB 67/68).
• Guide modeling of alternative plan designs, freezes, closures, or cash balance conversions.

Risk Management & De‑Risking Strategies

• Lead de‑risking projects such as annuity purchases, lump‑sum windows, glidepath development, and liability‑driven investment (LDI) analysis.
• Evaluate plan cost volatility, funded status projections, and risk transfer scenarios.
• Partner with investment consultants and external vendors to support holistic plan strategy.

Project & Team Leadership

• Manage complex actuarial projects end‑to‑end, including scoping, timelines, risk identification, and quality review.
• Oversee junior actuaries and analysts, providing mentorship, training, and technical guidance.
• Coordinate workflows across actuarial modeling, administration, legal, and compliance teams.

Business Development & Practice Growth

• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand client relationships or cross‑sell complementary services (investment consulting, benefits strategy, technology solutions).
• Participate in proposal development, finalist presentations, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Contribute to practice standards, methodologies, and tools.

Regulatory & Compliance Expertise

• Advise clients on regulatory developments (IRS, PBGC, ERISA, DOL) and their financial/operational impacts.
• Lead preparation or review of Form 5500 Schedule SB, PBGC premium filings, and actuarial certifications.
• Support clients through audits, plan design changes, mergers/acquisitions, and plan terminations.

Qualifications

• EA required; FSA or ASA with substantial progress strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of actuarial experience with defined benefit or hybrid (cash balance) plans.
• Demonstrated experience leading client relationships and managing large, complex actuarial projects.
• Deep knowledge of funding rules, plan design, accounting standards, and actuarial modeling.
• Proficiency with valuation software (e.g., ProVal, PFaroe, Moody's, custom platforms) and advanced Excel.
• Outstanding communication skills-able to translate analytics into executive‑ready insights.
• Strong leadership orientation with experience mentoring junior staff.

Preferred Skills

• Experience in corporate, public sector, or multi‑employer (Taft‑Hartley) plans.
• Background in de‑risking, LDI strategy, annuity placements, or plan termination management.
• Familiarity with M&A due diligence and pension implications.
• Exposure to predictive analytics, automation, or modeling technologies is a plus.

Success Indicators

• High client satisfaction and retention across assigned portfolio.
• Delivery of accurate, timely valuations and regulatory filings.
• Demonstrated ability to lead presentations to executive/board audiences.
• Growth in client revenue or expansion of service offerings.
• Development and advancement of junior actuarial staff.