Pension Scheme Secretary

We are recruiting for a Pension Schemes Secretary to join our Trustee Executive Services (TES) Team within Aviva.

The Pension Scheme Secretary supports the Trustees of 4 Occupational Pension Schemes for Aviva, Friends Provident, RAC and London & Edinburgh. Most of these Schemes have legacy Defined Benefit sections as well as Money Purchase sections for current and past members.  In addition to supporting the Trustee Boards, you will work with various sub-committees covering Audit, Operations & Governance, Risk, Funding and various ad hoc committees/working parties.

This is a key role and you will be joining a highly experienced and supportive existing Team who will want to help you to succeed and develop in this role.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Perform the role of Secretary, including planning, creating/updating the annual work plan, organising meetings with the Boards and sub committees, producing accurate and timely minutes, agreeing budgets and all other ad hoc meeting requirements.

• Help to develop the Trustees’ annual business plans to ensure these meet good governance requirements and reflect best practice for Schemes of our size and to  monitor these plans against budgets.

• Help to implement the relevant Scheme’s strategy, liaising with Trustees, advisers and other partners and ensuring compliance with the Rule of the Scheme, governance documentation and underlying legislation.

• Where required, engage and educate internal and external partners in strategic and operational aspects of the Scheme, utilising external resource as needed.

• Build strong relationships with internal partners, external Suppliers and third-party partners, influencing at all levels to deliver effective end to end governance controls.

Skills & Experience required:

• Experienced pensions professional, with excellent knowledge of the UK Pensions industry, pensions legislation, the Pension Regulator’s codes of practice and Schemes Rules.

• Experience of operating in a support and advisory role at Trustee Board level, showing a thorough understanding of the requirements of corporate governance.

• High level of organisational ability, able to work to strict timescales without compromising the quality of your output.

• An effective communicator with ability to adapt style depending on circumstances and who they are talking to.

• Ability to develop your personal skills and be a great partner with TES colleagues and senior members of the Trustee Board, external advisers, consultants and providers.

For this role a Fellow or Associate of Pensions Management Institute or Associate Chartered Institute of Secretaries would be desirable. If you hold an industry qualification or degree, with significant experience providing support and advice to large occupational pension schemes is desirable.

What you’ll get for this role:

• Starting salary from £70,000 – £80,000 (depending on location, skills, experience, and qualifications)

• Generous pension (starting level Aviva contributes 8% when you contribute 2%)

• Eligibility for annual performance bonus

• Family friendly parental and carer’s leave

• 25 days / 29 days holiday per year plus bank holidays and the option to buy/sell up to 5 additional days

• Up to 40% discount for Aviva products

• Brilliant flexible benefits including electric cars

• Aviva Matching Share Plan and Save As You Earn scheme

• 21 volunteering hours per year

Aviva is for everyone:

We are inclusive – we want applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Excited but not sure you tick every box? Research tells us that women, particularly, feel this way.  So, regardless of gender, why not apply. And if you’re in a job share just apply as a pair.

We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you.

Most of our people are smart working – spending around 60% of their time in our offices and 40% at home.

To find out more about working at Aviva take a look

We interview every disabled applicant who meets the minimum criteria for the job. Once you’ve applied, please send us an email stating that you have a disclosed disability, and we’ll interview you.