Specialist insight into the pensions actuarial market
At our head office in Manchester, Oliver James manages a highly successful Pensions Actuarial and Investment Solutions desk. Despite recent flux in the UK pensions landscape, we have seen the demand for skilled actuarial professionals increase exponentially. As a trusted recruitment partner to actuarial divisions across the pensions market, we are sharing our expert views on the sector’s recent activity and how this is impacting our clients and candidates.
Current trends for the pensions actuary
While many pensions consultants continue down the traditional Scheme Actuary route, we are seeing a shift where actuaries move into niche, specialized areas such as insurance transactions and risk transfer. This transition is a direct result of changes in market activity and pensions legislation over the last few years.
The modern market is now so diverse that it is almost impossible to be an expert in every area. We anticipate that this evolution will deliver more actuarial jobs and career opportunities for specialists. In tandem with this, professionals are choosing paths that align with both their personal interests and technical skill sets.
How market shifts affect hiring for actuarial jobs
Given recent activity in the bulk annuity market, some providers are positioned to hire part-qualified pensions actuaries with excellent knowledge of the DB pension landscape. These roles are infrequent, and there is healthy competition for such appointments. Both pensions actuaries and candidates from life insurance backgrounds are increasingly keen to move into this commercial space.
Additionally, consultancies are seeking to grow their specialist risk transfer, longevity, and de-risking teams. This creates more actuarial vacancies for pensions actuaries to develop their expertise outside of the traditional DB consultancy role.
Why candidates choose Oliver James for actuary career support
Oliver James is the largest actuarial search firm globally, with 15 years of experience across the pensions, investment, and insurance space. We consider actuarial careers in context, discussing your ambitions relative to current opportunities, trends, and competition.
Our team supports professionals all the way from Part-Qualified Actuary to Scheme Actuary and Director roles. We offer the most comprehensive list of opportunities in the marketplace thanks to our time-honoured partnerships with highly esteemed actuarial employers.
Strategic recruitment solutions for actuarial employers
As an expert recruitment agency, Oliver James draws on discipline-specific knowledge to outline the niche differences between actuarial roles. In a candidate-short market, we maintain long-term relationships with a diverse talent pool, tracking elite professionals throughout their careers.
The “war for talent” is no longer a London-centric issue. We have carefully mapped the market from Glasgow to the South Coast, ensuring we can facilitate all candidate requirements. We also remain committed to market intelligence, regularly attending conferences to stay up to date with cutting-edge industry trends. Finally, we provide comprehensive salary benchmarking and remuneration guidance to support immediate and prospective hiring strategies.
Reach our to recruitment team for support on growing your business or for your next career move.
