Executive Director – Pensions Actuary (Assurance Unit)
General Information
Location: Dublin / Cork
Available for Work Visa Sponsorship: NO
Business Area: UKI Assurance
Contract Type: Full-Time – Permanent
We are re-defining traditional career journeys and offering a range of diverse options for EY people to achieve success as defined by them and building strong foundations for future endeavours. The exceptional career experience you’ll have at EY will be unlike any other because of our exceptional and diverse people.
The Team and the opportunity
The Executive Director will lead EY’s pensions actuarial offering, providing technical actuarial expertise and audit support across complex defined benefit (DB) pension arrangements.
This role sits within the EY Assurance Business Unit and combines specialist actuarial reviews of pension accounting, and strategic advisory on pension risk and financial reporting.
The individual will operate at the intersection of actuarial, accounting (IAS 19), and audit, supporting both audit teams and corporate clients.
Your key responsibilities
- Audit support: Lead actuarial support on audits involving DB pension schemes; review valuations, models, assumptions and disclosures for IFRS/IAS 19 compliance; challenge key assumptions (discount rates, inflation, mortality/longevity); draft technical memoranda; liaise with audit teams, scheme actuaries and client finance teams.
- Technical actuarial leadership: Provide input on IAS 19, funding valuations and liability modelling; oversee modelling, experience analysis and scenario testing; ensure consistency and quality of actuarial outputs; develop methodologies, tools and best practices.
- Client advisory & pension risk: Advise corporates on pension risk, funding implications and balance-sheet impact; support strategy decisions (including de-risking such as buy-ins/buy-outs); provide insights on asset-liability matching and scheme sustainability; monitor regulatory and accounting developments.
- Transactions & due diligence: Lead actuarial input to M&A and restructuring; assess pension exposures, funding gaps and risk-transfer options; support valuation adjustments and deal negotiations.
- Engagement & practice leadership: Lead multi-disciplinary engagements; manage relationships at CFO/Trustee/Board level; drive revenue growth via business development and cross-service line collaboration; contribute to market positioning and thought leadership.
- Tenders & proposals: Lead and coordinate responses to tender opportunities for pensions-related advisory work.
- People leadership: Build, mentor and develop actuarial teams; coach on technical actuarial and audit matters; foster a high-performing, quality-driven culture; support recruitment and retention.
- Quality, risk & governance: Ensure work meets EY quality and independence standards; manage engagement risks and regulatory expectations; act as escalation point for technical issues and key judgments.
Skills and attributes for success
To qualify for the role, you must have
- Qualified Actuary (IFoA or equivalent) with significant post-qualification experience in pensions actuarial consulting; professional services/advisory background preferred.
Ideally, you will also have
- Deep expertise in DB pension actuarial valuations and IAS 19; strong understanding of pension scheme funding/risk and audit/financial reporting processes; experience reviewing actuarial models and assumptions.
What we look for
- Proven ability to lead major client engagements; senior stakeholder management; business development capability; ability to translate complex actuarial concepts into clear, actionable insights.
What working at EY offers
We offer a competitive remuneration package. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well-being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions. Plus, we offer:
- Support and coaching from some of the most engaging colleagues around
- Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career
- The freedom and flexibility to handle your role in a way that’s right for you
All our employees are given a benefits package which they can tailor to suit their individual preferences. Our range of benefits include:
- Maternity & Paternity leave
- Discounted health insurance
- Web Doctor - Free unlimited online GP consultations for you and your family
- The purchase of additional annual leave
- Cash incentives for referrals
- Wellness rooms Available in some offices
EY is committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We strive to achieve the right balance for our people, enabling us to deliver excellent client service whilst allowing you to build your career without sacrificing your personal priorities. While our client-facing professionals can be required to travel regularly, and at times be based at client sites, our flexible working arrangements can help you to achieve a lifestyle balance.
Career Progression
- When you join EY, you will be supported to ensure that you are enhancing your skills from day one.
- Continuous learning, where you can develop the mindset and skills to navigate whatever comes next.
- As you grow and develop here, you’ll discover opportunities to help customise your career journey, so that it’s as unique as you are - success is defined by you, we will provide the tools and flexibility, so you can make a meaningful impact, your way.
- Transformative leadership, we will give you the insights, coaching and confidence to be the leader the world needs.
- Diverse and inclusive culture, you will be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.
- We have embraced Hybrid working at EY adding greater flexibility and autonomy to the roles of our employees.
About EY
As a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services, we’re using the finance products, expertise and systems we’ve developed to build a better working world. That starts with a culture that believes in giving you the training, opportunities and creative freedom to make things better. Whenever you join, however long you stay, the exceptional EY experience lasts a lifetime.
Inclusion & Diversity
We hold a collective commitment to foster an environment where all differences are valued and respected, practices are equitable and everyone experiences a sense of belonging: Inclusion, diversity, and equity are part of who we are at EY. We believe that the highest-performing teams maximize the power of different perspectives and backgrounds. These teams are both diverse and inclusive and are willing to invite and learn from other perspectives. Our ability to include various viewpoints into our mindsets, behaviours and operations is fundamental to driving innovation, building strong relationships, and delivering the best solutions for our clients.
We recognise the strength that comes from having a diverse workforce and building a culture where we support all our people to achieve their potential. You’ll be embraced for who you are and empowered to use your voice to help others find theirs.
As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable accommodations are offered at every stage of our recruitment process.
If you can confidently demonstrate that you meet the criteria above, please contact us as soon as possible.
Join us in building a better working world. That’s Why, EY.
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IMPORTANT: Where Agency assistance is required, our Talent Team will engage directly with suppliers. CVs / Profiles should not be shared directly with Hiring Managers. Unsolicited CVs / Profiles supplied to EY by Recruitment Agencies will not be accepted for this role.
