Graduate Actuarial Assistant 2021

We are an award-winning Pensions Consultancy with over 1300 staff in 15 locations across the UK.

We provide a positive working environment with an emphasis on training and development and we put relationships at the very heart of our business. You can expect an exciting and fulfilling career in a growing business and an industry that provides a consistent challenge.

This role will be based/attached to one of the below offices however, flexible working arrangements for this role will be considered and can be discussed at interview. 

• Birmingham
• Guildford
• Leeds
• Reading
• Wokingham

As a graduate with the largest pure pensions consultancy in the UK, you’ll be exposed to a variety of work with a range of clients and won’t be constrained by hierarchies. You won’t just be crunching the numbers, you’ll be delivering the advice and seeing it implemented. You’ll be doing detailed calculations and developing high-level checking systems. You’ll be utilising our industry-leading models and designing your own. You won’t just be working in one team, you’ll be working with a range of different people and different departments.

You be working as part of a team to assist clients solve their challenges and best meet their objectives. This includes but is not limited to:

• Production of complex actuarial models and calculations
• Drafting written advice to clients on a wide range of topics including Defined Contribution & Defined Benefit Schemes.
• Effectively delivering that advice to clients in meetings
• Regular liaison and communication with the client team, other departments in XPS, investment managers and clients
• Working with clients on complex bespoke projects, such as benefit design, member option exercises, scheme mergers, buying out benefits with insurance companies and wind-up projects.
• your role would be to assist client team leaders, but progressing to reviewing the work of others and communicating directly with clients at the appropriate time for you.
• Opportunity to get involved in specialist research and development teams in an area that interests you. These teams provide resources and ideas for the wider team.

The person

We are looking for a graduate that will excel in this advisory role. This requires excellent communication skills, a passion to learn about actuarial concepts together with drive and enthusiasm.

We want someone who is unafraid to express a view and can express their view clearly, thereby contributing to the ideas we rely on to achieve our aims.

We want to help you reach your potential and be the best that you can be. By joining XPS you will be involved in a wide variety of work. You’ll be supported by on-the-job training, resulting in you developing your knowledge and abilities quickly.

In addition, we will support you through an apprenticeship scheme to complete the actuarial (IFoA) exams.

We know that it’s a real challenge completing professional qualifications whilst progressing in a new job, so we’ll help you every step of the way - we’ll equip you with study materials and time to study.

We will of course pay you an attractive salary alongside a broad range of other benefits which you can shape to reflect your circumstances.

About the Business Area/Department

Our mission is to help our clients manage the complex issues which impact their pension scheme in a pragmatic and understandable way. Communication is a key part of this.

We advise Trustees and Corporate clients on a wide range of actuarial-related areas, including:

• Helping them to understand the risks within their pension schemes and how they can manage this;
• Supporting clients and their members through the life cycle of the pension scheme. This runs from scheme set up and benefit design through to eventual scheme wind-up;
• Providing tailored advice on a variety of aspects including funding and member options ;
• Analyse new and changing legislation, regulation and guidance to help clients understand what it means for their scheme and what actions they need to take;
• Supporting the governance of the pension scheme to ensure it is effectively and efficiently run for the ultimate benefit of the members; and
• Advising Corporates on the pensions elements of their statutory accounts.

We are very ambitious and want to continue our strong growth. As part of this we are committed to developing market leading tools and approaches for our clients. For example, our online funding software ‘Radar’ has been awarded Actuarial Software of the Year for the last two years.

We offer an attractive reward package, including:

• Competitive salary
• Participation in Discretionary Bonus Scheme
• A set of core benefits including pension plan, life assurance, employee assistance programme, 25 days holiday per year and access to a qualified, practising GP 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• A comprehensive range of voluntary benefits to suit your age and lifestyle including holiday trading, tech scheme, cycle to work scheme, dental cover, healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, private medical cover for self and family, travel insurance and a broad range of discounts at hundreds of retailers.

The working week is Monday to Friday from 9am until 5.15pm (36.25) with 1 hour off for lunch.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following requirements:

• Right to Work confirmation
• DBS Disclosure check
• Employment or educational references covering five years
• Satisfactory credit check