Head of Pension Administration at Britam

Head of Pension Administration at Britam | Iko Kazi

Job Purpose:
Overall oversight of the pension administration business and ensuring retention of pension business.

Key responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Business Growth

Develop and execute the strategic direction, business plans, and operating model for the Pension Administration business in alignment with the organization's overall strategy.
Drive growth, profitability, and sustainability of the pension administration portfolio through market expansion, client retention, and service innovation.
Lead the development and implementation of digital and process transformation initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience.
Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and market developments, providing strategic recommendations to senior leadership.

Client Relationship & Stakeholder Management

Build and maintain strong relationships with scheme sponsors, trustees, regulators, and key stakeholders to ensure continuity, growth, and effective governance of pension schemes.
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex client issues, ensuring timely resolution and high levels of client satisfaction.
Foster effective collaboration with custodians, corporate trustees, investment managers, actuaries, auditors, finance teams, and other service providers to achieve agreed service standards and timelines.
Lead client engagement initiatives, reviews, and retention strategies to strengthen long-term partnerships.

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Ensure pension schemes are administered in accordance with the Retirement Benefits Act, RBA Regulations, KRA requirements, Trust Deeds and Rules, and other applicable legislation.
Provide oversight on compliance monitoring, regulatory reporting, and governance frameworks across all administered schemes.
Ensure timely licensing and renewal requirements for pension schemes and the organization as a licensed Pension Administrator are met.
Establish and maintain robust risk management and internal control frameworks to safeguard scheme assets and mitigate operational, regulatory, and reputational risks.
Lead regulatory engagements, audits, inspections, and responses to regulatory inquiries.

Operations & Service Delivery

Provide leadership and oversight for the end-to-end administration of pension schemes, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and adherence to service level agreements.
Oversee the processing and settlement of member benefits, contributions, transfers, and pension payments within prescribed timelines.
Drive operational excellence through continuous process improvement, performance monitoring, and implementation of industry best practices.
Ensure accurate and timely preparation of management, trustee, board, and regulatory reports.

Governance Meetings & Regulatory Engagement

Lead the planning, coordination, and servicing of trustee, annual general, and other statutory meetings.
Provide professional guidance to trustees and sponsors on pension governance, compliance matters, and industry developments.
Ensure implementation and follow-up of resolutions arising from statutory and governance meetings.

People Leadership

Provide leadership, coaching, and development of the Pension Administration team to build technical expertise and high performance.
Establish departmental objectives, monitor performance, and drive a culture of accountability, innovation, and customer centricity.
Lead succession planning, talent development, and workforce capability initiatives within the department.

Financial & Performance Management

Develop and manage departmental budgets, ensuring effective utilization of resources and cost optimization.
Monitor and report on key performance indicators (OKRs), service metrics, compliance standards, and business objectives.
Identify revenue enhancement opportunities and implement initiatives to improve financial performance.

Other Responsibilities

Exercise delegated authority in accordance with the approved Delegated Authority Matrix.
Perform any other duties as assigned by management from time to time.

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required:

Bachelor's degree in a business-related field.
At least a diploma in insurance.
Master's Degree (Added advantage).
Professional qualification in Pension Management.
At least 7-10 years successful insurance experience 3 of which should be in a management position.
Significant experience in stakeholder management and working with various teams to ensure segment strategies are achieved.

Technical/ Functional competencies: