We are seeking an experienced and strategic pensions professional to join our EMEA Benefits team as Senior Vice President, Head of EMEA Pensions, reporting to the Head of International Benefits. This role will provide leadership, governance and strategic oversight for pension arrangements across the EMEA region, ensuring plans remain compliant, competitive, and aligned with BNY's broader rewards and wellbeing strategy.
The successful candidate will serve as the principal subject matter expert for pensions across EMEA, leading complex pension initiatives, driving governance excellence, managing key vendor relationships, and advising senior stakeholders on pension-related risks, opportunities and regulatory developments. The role will also play a critical part in shaping the future pensions strategy, financial wellbeing agenda and executive financial benefits programmes across the region. This role will be based in London.
Key Responsibilities
Pension Strategy, Governance & Compliance
- Develop and execute the EMEA pensions strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives, market practice and regulatory requirements.
- Maintain oversight of all EMEA pension arrangements and lead the implementation of legislative and regulatory changes in partnership with external advisers and consultants.
- Manage the International Pensions Governance Framework and Governance Tracker, ensuring appropriate governance controls, documentation and reporting are maintained.
- Represent BNY at UK legacy pension trustee meetings and governance forums, providing expert advice and stakeholder management.
- Lead periodic pension benchmarking and market reviews, developing recommendations to ensure pension programmes remain competitive and aligned with evolving employee needs.
- Act as the primary subject matter expert for complex pension and retirement-related matters across EMEA.
Vendor & Stakeholder Management
- Own strategic relationships with pension providers, trustees, administrators and consultants across EMEA.
- Act as Business Owner for pension vendors, ensuring compliance with BNY's vendor management framework and governance requirements.
- Monitor provider performance through KPI and SLA reviews, driving continuous improvement and effective resolution of issues.
- Build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders including HR, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Risk and senior business leaders.
Operational Leadership
- Oversee the day-to-day management of UK pension arrangements, including participation in the bi-annual Governance Oversight Group.
- Manage the annual pension governance calendar, including trustee meetings, governance reviews, member communications, pension statements and reporting requirements.
- Ensure pension processes, controls and desktop procedures are fully documented, maintained and continuously improved.
- Lead the annual UK Incentive Sacrifice Scheme and associated governance activities.
- Support corporate activity including acquisitions, divestitures, entity rationalisations, new country launches and office expansions from a pension’s perspective.
Financial Management & Wellbeing
- Manage pension budgets, cost centres and financial reporting activities across the EMEA region.
- Lead the Executive Financial Benefits Programme and provide strategic oversight of associated benefit offerings.
- Design and implement innovative Financial Wellbeing initiatives that enhance employee understanding of retirement and financial planning.
- Partner with Benefits Delivery and broader Rewards teams to ensure consistent delivery of pension programmes and effective resolution of complex employee queries.
Required Experience & Qualifications
- Ability to demonstrate strategic pensions leadership and risk management across multiple EMEA locations including UK, Ireland and Poland.
- Significant experience managing pension programmes within a large multinational organisation.
- Strong understanding of pension governance, compliance and regulatory requirements, ideally across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
- Demonstrated experience working with pension trustees, consultants, administrators and service providers.
- Proven ability to lead complex projects and influence senior stakeholders.
- Experience managing external vendors and driving performance through governance frameworks and service management practices.
- Strong commercial, analytical and financial acumen with experience managing budgets and pension-related financial programmes.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear business recommendations.
- Highly organised with strong project management skills and the ability to operate independently in a fast-paced and complex environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within the financial services sector.
- Knowledge of UK defined benefit and defined contribution pension arrangements.
- Experience supporting pension-related aspects of mergers, acquisitions and organisational restructuring.
- German language skills would be advantageous.