Senior DB Pensions PM at WTW - Career Growth Role in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This WTW Project Manager role sits within a specialist and growing area of the UK pensions market. DB pension de-risking (Buy-ins, Buy-outs, wind-ups) is one of the most active sectors in UK financial services right now, driven by improved funding levels and a surge in bulk annuity transactions. This gives the role strong job security and high market relevance.
Career development signals are positive:
- WTW is a Tier 1 global professional services firm — brand recognition on your CV carries significant weight.
- Exposure to GMP equalisation, Buy-in/Buy-out readiness, and scheme wind-ups are niche, in-demand skills commanding premium salaries in the market.
- A structured career path with mentoring and on-the-job training is explicitly mentioned — a genuine green flag for professional growth.
- Encouragement to obtain Prince 2, APM, PMP, or CSM qualifications signals investment in your development.
Compensation context: No salary is listed, but mid-to-senior DB pensions project managers at firms like WTW typically earn £55,000–£90,000+ in the UK market, depending on experience level. The 10% matched pension contribution and private healthcare add meaningful value on top of base salary.
Work-life balance: One day per week in-office is genuinely flexible by industry standards. The role is client-facing with deadline pressure, so expect some intensity during key project milestones — a normal trade-off in pensions consulting.
Overall, this is a strong career move for an experienced DB pensions professional seeking to specialise in high-growth project delivery at a globally recognised firm.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Project Manager with a Defined Benefit (DB) pensions background to join our thriving project management team. You will lead and deliver a variety of client-facing and internal pension change projects, working with medium to large pension schemes across diverse industries.
In this role, you will manage a broad portfolio of projects including GMP equalisation, Buy-in/Buy-out readiness, benefits rectification, scheme mergers, wind-ups, and other pension change initiatives. You will collaborate closely with colleagues across multiple lines of business, clients, administrators, actuaries, and external partners.
This opportunity is ideal for someone with strong project management skills who has worked in pension projects and/or actuarial project environments, or pensions consulting, and who enjoys both the structure of pension risk-based project delivery and the challenge of troubleshooting complex issues.
Why This Role is Exciting
- Work with large, high-profile clients and a wide variety of pension schemes.
- Be part of a growing team, contributing to new project areas and strategic initiatives.
- Opportunity to deepen expertise in specialist DB project areas such as GMPe and de-risking transactions.
- Dynamic role blending pension risk-based project delivery with strategic problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration.
Join us in this role and be part of a dynamic team with a defined career path, on-the-job training, and a team that coaches and mentors you whilst you grow your career with us!
Our Work Style: We understand flexibility is key to supporting an inclusive and diverse workforce. WTW offers flexible working opportunities (full time or part time) in a hybrid style, with a mix of remote, in-person, and in-office interactions dependent on the needs of the team, role, and clients.
Office Location: You can be based in any of our offices across London, Reigate, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, or Edinburgh. This role follows a flexible hybrid model, with just one day per week working in your nearest office.
The Role
- Apply your pensions technical knowledge, consulting skills, and project management experience to proactively guide your project teams to the optimal project outcomes.
- Manage a diverse portfolio of project types including GMP equalisation, Buy-in and Buy-out readiness, benefit rectification, liability management, scheme transitions, mergers, and wind-ups.
- Develop detailed project plans to monitor and track progress.
- Establish a robust project governance framework.
- Provide day-to-day project management, working closely with your project teams and external stakeholders to deliver project milestones within scope and budgets.
- Lead and document project calls and facilitate planning workshops.
- Drive high-quality client project delivery, operational efficiency, and effectiveness.
- Carry out continual project improvement reviews and ensure thorough tranche reviews are carried out at appropriate project milestones.
- Ensure that project documentation, such as risk logs, action plans, and project plans, are actively maintained.
What You'll Bring
- A strong working background in UK Defined Benefit pensions.
- Strong knowledge of DB scheme operations, legislation, and technical project areas (e.g., GMP rectification/equalisation, Buy-ins, Buy-outs, wind-ups).
- Experience within actuarial project teams, pension administration projects, or pensions consulting is highly advantageous.
- Evidence of successful project delivery and client-facing experience.
- Prince 2 qualified or similar (e.g. APM, PMP, CSM), or a willingness to sit these qualifications.
- Clear, concise, and confident communication skills (both verbal and written).
- Experience in facilitating and leading project meetings/workshops and taking effective notes.
- Proactiveness and an assertive management approach to drive project outcomes.
- Strong stakeholder management experience.
What We Offer
Enjoy a benefits package designed to help you thrive, both professionally and personally. You'll receive 25 days of annual leave plus an extra WTW day to relax and recharge. Our comprehensive health and wellbeing offering includes private healthcare, life insurance, group income protection, and regular health assessments, all giving you peace of mind. Secure your future with our defined contribution pension scheme, featuring matched contributions up to 10% from the company.
We support your growth and balance with hybrid working options, access to an employee assistance programme, and a fully paid volunteer day to make a difference in your community. On top of these, you can opt into a variety of additional perks including an electric vehicle car scheme, share scheme, cycle-to-work programme, dental and optical cover, critical illness protection, and much more.
Equal Opportunity Employer
We're committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview, and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days per week do I need to be in the office for this role?
Do I need a formal project management qualification to apply?
What types of pension projects will I be managing in this role?
Is salary information available for this position?
Is experience in actuarial teams or pensions consulting required?
