Pensions Manager

Job Description

Position: Total Rewards Manager

Career Level: Manager

Location: United Kingdom

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. With our thought leadership and culture of innovation, we apply industry expertise, diverse skills and next-generation technology to each business challenge.

We believe in inclusion and diversity and supporting the whole person. Our core values comprise of Stewardship, Best People, Client Value Creation, One Global Network, Respect for the Individual and Integrity. Year after year, Accenture is recognized worldwide not just for business performance but for inclusion and diversity too.

“Across the globe, one thing is universally true of the people of Accenture: We care deeply about what we do and the impact we have with our clients and with the communities in which we work and live. It is personal to all of us.” - Julie Sweet, Accenture CEO

As a team:

Job Summary

The UK Pensions Manager manages the Accenture Retirement Savings Plan (ARSP), which is one of the UK’s largest Defined Contribution Trust-based schemes, serving over 34,000 members. The Board comprises 10 Trustee Directors, supported by four sub-committees focused on administration, investment, governance, and communications.

The Pensions Manager works closely with colleagues managing the UK DB scheme and Ireland pension schemes. This role requires deep UK pension expertise, trustee experience, and pension payroll knowledge to ensure the organization maintains the correct expertise and can effectively manage pension processes, including V&A harmonizations. The Total Rewards Manager will oversee pension strategy, compliance, governance, and operational excellence, ensuring alignment with the company’s total rewards philosophy.

Key Responsibilities

Board & Committee Support

• Collaborate with the Chair and Scheme Secretary to draft meeting agendas, prepare Board and sub-committee papers, review meeting minutes, and follow up on actions arising
  
• Assist sub-committees in reviewing and commenting on their annual Business Plan objectives, preparing summary reports for the Board.
  
• Support the Trustee Board in monitoring investments and making decisions on investment strategy in conjunction with consultants.
  

Governance & Compliance

• Oversee the governance, administration, and compliance of the Accenture Retirement Savings Plan (ARSP), ensuring exceptional service for members and robust support for the ARSP Board of Trustees and the Company.
  
• Maintain strict adherence to legislative frameworks, regularly reviewing processes and validating regulatory requirements.
  
• Liaise with governance consultants to ensure the Trustee Board operates within best practice frameworks (ESOG compliance).
  
• Review and update the Trust Deed and Rules to reflect legislative changes or amendments agreed by the Trustee or the Company.
  
• Ensure compliance with data protection laws, including timely reporting and follow-up of any data breaches.
  

Financial Management

• Collaborate with advisors to agree annual budget spend, securing company approval prior to raising purchase orders.
  
• Control the invoicing process with suppliers, approve purchase orders and invoices, and monitor scheme costs on behalf of the Company.
  
• Complete the annual confirmation statement for the trustee company entity to Companies House, ensuring timely submission of the trustee company's report and accounts.
  

Operational Oversight

• Coordinate with outsourced administration, investment consulting, and legal advisers, monitoring their performance against service level agreements and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
  
• Manage relationships with external advisers, evaluate their performance, and drive key business-as-usual activities such as benefit statements, statutory returns, and cyclical projects.
  
• Lead multiple projects alongside routine activities, prioritising tasks to deliver results efficiently.
  
• Ensure legislative deadlines are met for pension scheme returns to HMRC and the Pension Regulator as well as the publication of statutory documents (Annual Chair Statement, SIP etc) on a publicly available website.
  
• Monitor monthly contribution files to ensure contribution rates are aligned with member categories and terms and conditions.
  

Services & Communications

• Maintain up-to-date member communications, ensuring relevance, compliance, and clarity.
  
• Respond to complex member queries and manage the pension mailbox, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.
  
• Facilitate the member-nominated trustee appointment process, including communications and interview selection.
  
• Oversee the UK Bereavement Benefits Tool (BBS), ensuring all discretionary death benefit claims are handled sensitively and appropriately, and relevant supporting information is obtained for trustee decisions.
  
• Provide letters to support member transfers in respect of enhanced due diligence requirements.
  
• Ensure full compliance with Auto-enrolment legislation, including member enrolment notifications, opt-out procedures, and submission of redeclaration of compliance returns.
  

Audit & Risk Management

• Liaise with external audit teams and administrators regarding the Annual Report and Accounts for the Plan.
  
• Provide necessary information to internal audit teams and address compliance requests related to internal controls.
  
• Ensure business continuity and risk management across all pension activities.
  

Strategic Projects & Change Management

• Collaborate with Ventures and Acquisitions (V&A) teams to onboard employees joining Accenture under TUPE into the pension plan, analysing previous pension arrangements and contribution structures, recommending integration solutions, and liaising with the Global Pensions COE for necessary approvals under Policy 1376.
  
• Support company-led pension initiatives, such as salary sacrifice implementation and benefit harmonisation projects.
  
• Analyse member data to identify trends and recommend actionable proposals to the Trustee, ensuring appropriate measures are taken.
  
• Work to continuously improve member data through enhanced member and mortality tracing in preparation for Dashboards.
  
• Assist with the development and implementation of communication strategies to promote pension benefits and drive member engagement.
  

Continuous Improvement & Professional Development

• Stay abreast of legislative changes impacting pensions and market developments, adapting practices as needed.
  
• Identify opportunities for process improvement and efficiency gains across pension administration and governance.
  
• As our organisational structure continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of the business and embrace emerging technologies, this role may develop to include oversight of additional pension schemes across the UK and Ireland
  

Key Relationships

• Reporting to the UKI Rewards, Performance and Careers Lead

• ARSP Trustee Board

• Pension Managers supporting other UK and Ireland schemes, and Pension and Benefits Colleagues in EMEA and CoE

• UK HR Managers

• V&A Deal teams

• Procurement

• Country Controllership & Finance

• Employees

• Shared Services Centre

• External Pension Advisers and Suppliers

Qualification

Qualifications, Experience & Skills

• Significant experience in UK Defined Contribution pensions management
  
• Recognised pensions industry qualification (preferred)
  
• Payroll knowledge (preferred but not essential)
  
• High level of organisation, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple workstreams
  
• Strong understanding of pensions administration, governance, and legislative frameworks
  
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
  
• Proven ability to resolve complex problems and deliver commercially viable solution
  
• Project management experience, including delivery of strategic change initiatives
  
• Experience in managing third-party advisers and suppliers
  
• Commitment to continuous professional development
  

What’s in it for you

At Accenture in addition to a competitive basic salary, you will also have an extensive benefits package which includes 30 days’ vacation per year, private medical insurance and 3 extra days leave per year for charitable work of your choice!

Application Deadline: 15th Dec,2025

Accenture reserves the right to close the role, if a suitable candidate be found.

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Locations

London

Edinburgh

Glasgow

Additional Information

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law.

Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process.

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About Accenture

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