Executive Director – Pensions Actuary (Assurance Unit)
Location: Dublin / Cork
Available for Work Visa Sponsorship: NO
Business Area: UKI Assurance
Contract Type: Full-Time – Permanent
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.
Qualifications & Attributes
To qualify for the role: 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.
Benefits
Competitive remuneration package.
Support for flexible working and career development.
Access to a comprehensive Total Rewards package covering holidays, health and well‑being, insurance, savings and a range of discounts and offers.
Benefits include pension, maternity & paternity leave, discounted health insurance, bike to work scheme, free online GP consultations, recognition awards, additional annual leave, referral incentives, hybrid working, work mobile, free gym membership, MBA paid by EY, travel pass and wellness rooms in certain offices.
Equal Opportunities
As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Reasonable accommodations are offered at every stage of our recruitment process.
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