Senior Pensions Consultant

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is a non-ministerial department. Our mission is to improve the stewardship of public sector finances by supporting effective decision-making and robust financial reporting through analysis, modelling and advice.

Pensions Administration Consulting is a newly established and growing specialist team within GAD. We partner with a diverse range of public service clients, providing expert consultancy on strategic administration projects for some of the UK’s largest pension schemes.

We are seeking a Senior Pensions Consultant with substantial experience in pensions administration. This high-impact role will focus on developing and delivering innovative consulting services, driving business growth, and building strong, enduring relationships with key clients and stakeholders across the sector.

Key challenges you will help clients address include:

• Ensuring member benefits are paid correctly, and on time.
• Improving the quality and completeness of scheme data.
• Preparing for the launch of pensions dashboards, transforming member and administrator interactions.
• Enhancing scheme governance and operational effectiveness.
• Supporting members’ understanding of their pensions and enhancing the service they receive.
• Delivering change projects, such as provider transitions or system transformations, efficiently and effectively.

As a Senior Pensions Consultant, you will:

• Provide high-quality advice to government departments and other GAD clients on the administration of member benefits.
• Identify and develop new consulting opportunities, working with colleagues to shape and promote service offerings.
• Lead client engagements, nurturing relationships to understand needs and deliver tailored solutions.
• Act as a subject matter expert, supporting actuarial colleagues on complex administration and governance issues.
• Collaborate with scheme administrators, sponsoring departments, and external stakeholders to achieve optimal member outcomes.

We welcome applicants with a strong track record in pensions administration, strategic consultancy, and business development, who are keen to shape the future of public sector pensions administration.

Further information on GAD and the role is provided in the attached pack.

N.B. GAD may work with recruiters on this campaign provided prior agreement is reached for this specific campaign

• To provide high quality pensions advice to the sponsors and administrators of public service pension schemes.
• To lead in the identification and development of new areas of support for our clients.
• To take a lead in the management and delivery of ongoing and new projects.
• To maintain and develop relationships with new, existing or potential clients.
• To develop technical client content relating to pensions administration and scheme governance.
• To develop and utilise public and private sector networks to increase our understanding of issues affecting the pensions industry and use those learnings to help develop solutions for our clients.
• To proactively monitor current issues affecting pensions administration, seeking to identify areas where GAD can provide support with administration challenges.
• To take the lead in working with colleagues across GAD teams to ensure administration consultancy support is appropriately scoped, resourced and delivered in an efficient and timely manner, with a focus on providing added value to our clients and value for money.
• To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of pensions, particularly public service pensions, and distill this information for clients and colleagues.
• To lead in the learning and development of other pensions administration colleagues.
• To regularly update public service pension scheme colleagues, wider teams throughout GAD and senior stakeholders on pensions administration issues and progress.
• To act as a role model in the learning and development of other pensions administration consultancy colleagues through the support and ongoing development of junior staff.
• Agile working within other GAD teams or government departments from time to time during key periods.

These job descriptions are a broad reflection of the required duties. They are not exhaustive and changes will be made based on GAD’s needs at the discretion of the Head of the Pensions Administration Consulting Team.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.

A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview.

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 07 September 2026

Shortlisting: By w/c 14 September 2026

Interviews: w/c 21 September 2026

Interview location: In office (Either London, E14 4PU or Edinburgh, EH8 8FT)

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.