Senior Manager, Employer Covenant Advisor

Isio; Croydon; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Career development opportunities

Regular social events

Job summary

A progressive advisory firm is seeking a Senior Manager in Croydon to lead employer covenant advisory services. The role involves managing client portfolios, advising on transactions, and supporting complex pensions issues. Applicants should be qualified accountants with significant experience, strong analysis skills, and a proven track record in stakeholder management. The firm offers hybrid working arrangements and is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace with ample development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Significant post qualified experience in employer covenant advisory.
• Experience in transactional scenarios, including M&A and restructuring.
• Excellent report writing skills and financial analysis ability.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of pension trustee advisory clients.
• Lead small teams for client project delivery.
• Assess corporate activities impacts on employer covenant.

Skills

Qualified ACA/CA/ACCA accountant

Employer covenant advisory experience

Transaction/restructuring advisory experience

Financial analysis

Client management skills

Education

Qualified accountant

Tools

AI and data analysis tools

Job description

Pensions employer covenant advisory is a challenging and fast growing area. Isio’s Covenant Solutions team assess the financial strength and commercial outlook of sponsors of defined benefit pensions schemes, to understand the cash flows and assets available to support funding of pension liabilities. This includes advising on covenant mitigation solutions where there are corporate events such as M&A, refinancing or restructuring.

Isio are looking for qualified accountants with employer covenant advisory experience and/or a transaction/restructuring advisory background, to join our team in advising clients and supporting our growth plans.

What does the role entail?

Isio are seeking a Senior Manager to help support the growth of its covenant advisory business.

The candidate will have the opportunity to build a portfolio of corporate and trustee advisory clients as well as advise in M&A/transaction, run-on and superfund transaction situations. The role will involve working on some of the most complex transactions and challenging pensions issues businesses and trustees face, and work alongside a range of Isio specialists in actuarial and investment services to provide integrated solutions to support pensions strategy.

The candidate will have employer covenant expertise and/or transactions/restructuring advisory experience. This will include experience of preparing insolvency estimated outcome statements for the purposes of assessing potential returns to creditors/pension schemes.

This is a great opportunity for a high calibre candidate to fast track their career prospects, widen their skillset and be part of Isio’s ambitious growth plans for its pensions and covenant advisory business.

Day To Day Your Role Will Include

• Building and managing a portfolio of pension trustee advisory clients, leading advice on their employer covenant assessments and integrated risk management framework;
• Managing small teams for client projects and assisting in the delivery of larger complex projects;
• Assessing the impact of a corporate activity such as a transaction, restructuring or refinancing on the employer covenant provided to pension schemes;
• Advising on solutions to mitigate changes in the employer covenant security provided to pension schemes;
• Advising corporate sponsors of pension schemes in negotiations with trustees over employer covenant and mitigation / financial support options;
• Leading external marketing initiatives and product development to support Isio’s growth ambitions.

Where is the role?

Our ideal applicant would work alongside our existing team in either Manchester, Edinburgh or London. However, we can offer suitable applicants the opportunity to work from our other Isio offices. We work on a hybrid basis, offering the opportunity for colleagues to split their working time between working in the office and at home. As a business we are great at building strong communities amongst our employees – both across locations and teams, hosting regular team building, charity, and social events.

What We're Looking For

• Qualified ACA/CA/ACCA accountant with significant, relevant post qualified experience.
• Extensive relevant employer covenant and/or transaction/restructuring advisory experience.
• Commercial awareness and a general interest in how businesses work.
• An enthusiasm for and genuine commitment to business development and supporting market initiatives.
• Track record of establishing trusted relationships with clients and intermediaries. Along with an existing network across the corporate/trustee/intermediary community
• Experience of insolvency analysis/recoveries e.g. preparing Estimated Outcome Statements and/or Entity Priority Models and in order to advise clients of the implications.
• Experience using AI and data analysis tools to improve efficiency in research and reporting.
• Excellent report writing, financial analysis, client and project management skills.

Why Join Isio

Isio is a fast-growing professional services business, that offers career development through an evolving client base, diverse and meaningful work, nationwide opportunities, and a culture that rewards high performance and accountability. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and our values guide how we advise our clients, how we operate as a business and how we work together as a team. We call it the Isio Attitude. We encourage our people to be bold, to communicate with conviction, and to deliver advice that matters. Here, growth brings opportunity - more responsibility, more clients, and work that stretches and develops you. We invest in training and development so you can expand your skills and explore different career paths across diverse markets to make your mark. Isio is a place to realise your potential and build a career with impact. You can find out more about Isio and the benefits we offer on our career's website Isio - Careers & Benefits.

About Isio

Isio is a progressive advisory firm, partnering with clients of all sizes to deliver expertise in pensions, employee benefits and wealth advisory services. Working with pension trustees, employers, individuals, families and their offices, we are supported by talented colleagues across 10 UK offices. With a Big 4 heritage we combine a strong focus on quality with a fresh perspective challenging traditional thinking. Our culture shapes our work; we foster a supportive environment where we develop our people to grow and fulfil their potential. We invest in our services, products and technology, and provide clear, expert solutions for our clients. This brings clarity, confidence, and better outcomes for everyone.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We can offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work, supporting a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for any reason at any stage of your recruitment process, please ask us [e-mail].