Head of Funding Strategy

Business Area: Group Risk and Funding

Place of Work: Liverpool

Contract Type: Permanent

When you join USS, the size and scale of our pension scheme means you will have numerous opportunities to learn and develop your career. Given our size you'll have real autonomy and influence as you collaborate closely with a wide-ranging team of experts.

Our office is a vibrant place to work, and we offer flexibility of office/homeworking due to our hybrid model.

About the role

In your role as Head of Funding Strategy, you will make a meaningful and valued contribution from the outset. This role will provide a great opportunity to be responsible for delivery of actuarial analysis required for valuations and other work, managing a team of in-house actuaries. The role provides technical and strategic support to the Valuation and Funding Director, and works closely with the Scheme Actuary’s team and USSIM’s Financial Risk team in order to ensure the Trustee is provided with high quality actuarial advice.

What you will be doing

As a trusted part of the Group Risk and Funding team you will be responsible for:

• Supporting the Valuation and Funding Director with thought leadership on the Trustee’s approach to funding
• Clear communication of actuarial matters to board, committees and stakeholders
• Leading on collaboration with USSIM to enhance advice given to Trustee
• Relationship management with internal and external stakeholders
• Providing actuarial input to other functions of the Trustee as required
• Delivery of technical actuarial work and analysis for the Scheme Actuary or the Trustee. Includes oversight of the development of new work, and compliance with professional standards.

The work required can include:

• Actuarial valuation calculations
• Monitoring of the funding position
• Support for ad-hoc stakeholder requests
• Section 75 debt estimates
• Production of actuarial factors for administration of benefits

About you

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box, if you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, then please apply, regardless of whether you meet all the requirements outlined in this profile.

To be successful in the role you will:

• Have a qualified Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, with experience of overseeing both technical and professional aspects of actuarial work, and managing competing priorities.
• Be a strong communication skills, with experience of presenting to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Have experience with Python (desirable but not a requirement).

At USS, every individual contributes to building a secure financial future for our members and their families. We strive to create a work environment where everyone can thrive professionally while making a meaningful impact on the lives of others. We're also committed to helping you build your career by providing opportunities for development. We put a focus on recognising and supporting each individual's unique career path, driving this forward with the support of an engaged and proactive management team. Here at USS, we want you to thrive in and out of work with a friendly team, flexible culture and excellent range of benefits!

How we will reward you

• Great starting salary
• Generous annual leave package
• Access to a high quality pension scheme provided through Universities Superannuation Scheme
• Supportive people policies (including enhanced occupational sickness pay and family friendly pay)
• Financial contributions towards your personal development to help you maintain your physical and mental wellbeing
• Access to a range of health and wellbeing services i.e., private healthcare, discounted gym membership
• Learning and development opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and talent
• Employee Volunteer Day’s to support the communities where you work and live
• Cycle to Work Scheme
  
  

Our people are what makes us different. We work together to create a diverse and inclusive culture that embraces individuality, where people are welcomed and feel comfortable in the knowledge that they can be themselves. Our purpose firmly states the importance of members, putting them ‘front and centre’ of what we do. This is embedded through our values:

• Integrity
• Collaboration
• Excellence
  
  

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) was established in 1974 as the principal pension scheme for universities and other higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for almost 577,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest private defined benefit pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £76.8bn (at 31 March 2025). To find out more, please visit https://www.uss.co.uk

USSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to ensure our recruitment process is as flexible and inclusive as possible so we can attract diverse candidates and recruit the best talent. We want all candidates to perform at their best during the recruitment process, so if you need any reasonable adjustments or if there is anything we can do to help support you through your recruitment journey please let us know by contacting resourcing@uss.co.uk.