Pensions Finance and Risk Supervisor

Job description

Job Title: Pensions Finance and Risk Supervisor

Location: Kingston

JOB PURPOSE

UUKP oversees the circa £8 billion Unilever UK Pension Fund (UUKPF) and the Uniac Pension Fund on behalf of the Trustees, the Company and the members. Day to day administration is outsourced to a specialist third party administrator, Capita. UUKP also provides specialist pensions support to the Company and the Trustees.

The Finance Team within UUKP is responsible for a range of administrative, financial and legal activities relating to the assets of the UUKPF. These include maintaining the Fund’s accounting records and preparing the Scheme Annual Report & Financial Statements. The team also maintains the accounts of the Uniac Pension Fund and overseas the financial arrangements of the Irish pension arrangements.

The role is part of the Finance Team and assists with the day to day financial operations and risk monitoring of the pension funds under its remit, reporting to the Pensions Manager – Finance and Risk, who heads the Team.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Budgeting

·  Responsible for delivery of the annual budget setting process in accordance with agreed timescales to meet Committee and Trustee meeting dates.
·  Responsible for arranging meetings to be held with project owners to agree routine and project costs for the forthcoming year.

Cost reporting

·  Overall responsibility for quarterly process.
·  Responsible for the monitoring of actual costs against budget set, meeting with project owners to agree re-forecast numbers for the current year and understand/document variances against budgets.
·  Responsible for requesting recharges where costs have been misallocated.
·  Responsible for providing project owners with the project cost information to enable accruals to be identified.
·  Accountable for the quarterly accruals process in accordance with company deadlines.
·  Accountable for completeness of reporting including work of other team members e.g. the accruals process.
·  Responsible for obtaining the required journal approvals (based on journal value) and submission to ICRR in accordance with agreed deadlines.
·  Responsible for reporting costs quarterly to UUKP management team and each committee or Trustee Board.
·  Responsible for monthly reporting against budget of the UPA and UPC cost centres.

Sarbox

This relates to the “Asset returns” controls only.

·  Responsible, with the Pensions Manager – Finance and Risk, that the RACM controls are accurately documented.
·  Responsible for ensuring that the RACM controls are operating as stated throughout the year.
·  Responsible for ensuring that deliverables requested by both the internal and external auditor are provided on time.

Risk register testing

·  Responsible for quarterly risk register testing with appropriate challenge and reporting the results with any recommendations.

IAS19

·  Responsible for quarterly reporting asset return information on work day 1-3 for both Funds.

Pension scheme accounting - Uniac

·  Accountable for ensuring that the nominal ledger is up to date and fully reconciled.
·  Responsible for reviewing the weekly bank reconciliation.
·  Responsible for posting the quarterly journals for investment transactions and admin fee recharges.
·  Responsible for the preparation of half yearly management accounts and full year statutory accounts.
·  Responsible for underlying working papers supporting half yearly and annual accounts.
·  Act as day to day contact for the external auditor.
·  Responsible for ensuring that deliverables requested by the external auditor are provided on time.
·  Responsible for timely closing out auditor queries raised or requesting information from other colleagues in order to do so. Escalation of any significant matters to the Pensions Manager – Finance and Risk.

Assisting the team

·  Daily cash management. Cash management is shared across the team with each team member responsible for the process 1-2 days a week. Identification of surplus cash and arranging deposits overnight or to a liquidity fund. Approval of deposits (within specified limits) when prepared by another member of the team.
·  Monthly cash flow reporting for Uniac and request of funds from UniVest.

Other responsibilities

·  Supervising and reviewing work of other members of the team, providing training and covering for other tasks as required.
·  Overall responsibility for the submission of quarterly VAT returns.
·  Completion and submission of the Uniac annual tax return to HMRC.
·  Completion and submission of the Uniac annual Jersey government return.
·  Completion and submission of the Uniac annual US FACTA return.
·  Ad hoc projects as required.

ALL ABOUT YOU

Skills and experience

·  Significant experience of working at a senior level as part of an accounts team.
·  The work involves a variety of accounting and administrative tasks within the team, so a sound grounding in accounting fundamentals, with requisite accounting experience, is essential for this position.
·  Must be methodical, with a keen eye for detail and, in addition, to be able to work on their own initiative to tight deadlines.
·  Must be computer literate, with good knowledge of Microsoft software and be able to manipulate large volumes of data. Exposure to ITM Aviary accounting system would be an advantage but is not essential.
·  Desirable to hold a professional accounting qualification or in the process of studying for one.
·  Prior experience of pensions accounting for a large pension fund would be an advantage but not essential.

NOTES

About Unilever  

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of Food, Home and Personal Care products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2 billion consumers a day. Unilever has more than 400 brands found in homes around the world, including Dove, Tresemme, Lynx, Lifebuoy, Shea Moisture, Persil, Domestos, Ben & Jerry’s, Magnum, Marmite, The Vegetarian Butcher, Graze and Pot Noodle.

Faced with the challenge of climate change and the need for human development, we want to move towards a world where everyone can live well and within the natural limits of the planet. That’s why our purpose is ‘to make sustainable living commonplace’  

What We Offer  

Not only do we offer a competitive salary and pension scheme, we also offer an annual bonus, subsidised gym membership, a discounted staff shop and shares. You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with our renowned and exciting brands in a flexible and hybrid working environment.

Whilst the role is advertised on a full-time basis, we would be happy to discuss possible flexible working options and what this may look like for you. We are a key advocate of wellbeing and offer a variety of support for our people including hubs, programmes and development opportunities. We strive to achieve a family-friendly and inclusive workplace and to, above all, create possibilities for all. 

Diversity at Unilever is about inclusion, embracing differences, creating possibilities, and growing together for better business performance. We want to push boundaries, and have the flexibility needed to keep adapting in an ever-changing, more dynamic world. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity. 

As part of your hiring journey, we are happy to support requests for reasonable adjustments, to improve your recruitment experience.

To find out more, including more information about our Employee Resource Groups, please click here .

Recruitment Fraud  

Cyber criminals advertise fake job adverts with prestigious employers as a way of stealing information or even defrauding individuals out of money. In the most sophisticated cases, they will set up fake websites, which have a similar address to companies like Unilever. They even conduct fake telephone interviews and then offer candidates a role with the proviso they pay a fee for background checks or to cover work visa costs.  These types of attacks are becoming more common as more people are looking for employment in the economic climate. 

How is Unilever tackling this?  

Many of Unilever’s recruitment sites publish a warning to candidates about recruitment fraud. The Cyber Security team also proactively scan for signs of people setting up fake Unilever sites and act to close them down. 

What can I do?  

If you become aware of potential recruitment fraud, spot fake Unilever recruitment adverts or fake LinkedIn profiles, report them via Una Live Chat. 

Unilever does not accept responsibility or liability for any candidates who are financially impacted by recruitment fraud. Your vigilance is key!