Lead Associate

The Business

Our Retirement business provides actuarial support, plan design, and administrative services for all forms of pension and retirement savings plans. Our colleagues help clients assess the costs and risks of retirement plans on cash flow, earnings and the balance sheet, the effects of changing workforce demographics on their retirement plans, and retiree benefit adequacy and security. We offer clients a full range of integrated retirement consulting services and solutions to meet the needs of all types of employers. We help multinationals coordinate plan design and actuarial services across their complex global plans. We bring in-depth data analysis and perspective to their decision-making process as we have tracked the retirement designs and financing strategies of companies around the world over many decades.

The Role

DUTIES:

- Lead Associate within Retirement Line of Business at Willis Towers Watson US LLC in New York, NY.
- Provide support on diverse projects related to mergers and acquisitions, plan design and strategy, experience studies, asset liability management (ALM) studies, forecasting, non-discrimination testing, retirement plan risk assessment and mitigation, collective bargaining agreements, early retirement windows, strategic workplace planning and total rewards strategies, global consulting and other special projects such as lump sum windows and annuity purchases.
- Support consultants by assisting with execution of large complex project plans.
- Resolve data and plan issues and prepare client deliverables.
- Ensure the execution of data collection by performing analyses and finalization of work product required for work, including valuations of pension plans and retiree welfare plans, completion of Form 5500s and other Government filings.
- Complete work in accordance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB), Department of Labor, the Pension Protection Act and other Government regulations.
- Review analytical work and draft documents, checking for accuracy and reasonableness and explaining results to senior team members and clients.
- Serve as a technical resource and contribute to the development of new tools and approaches.
- 40 hours/wk; Monday-Friday; 9am-5pm; Salary Range: $125,000 to $174,000 per annum.

The Requirements

REQUIREMENTS:

- Bachelor's degree (U.S. or foreign equivalent) in Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics or a related field.
- Three (3) years of experience as an Actuarial Analyst or a related role.
- Prior experience reviewing and checking valuation work and complex data analysis for large corporate U.S. defined benefit plans (e.g., 500+ participants) sponsored by Fortune 1000 companies or organizations of similar size.
- Prior experience contributing to the design, valuation and administration of retirement plans for Fortune 1000 companies or organizations of similar size, including assessing liabilities, preparing cost estimates and core valuations in compliance with the Pension Protection Act, U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
- Prior experience reviewing and checking U.S. government retirement plan filings, including Forms 5500, Schedule SB and PBGC premium filings.
- Coding experience in pension valuation software.
- Must have exam progress toward designation as an Associate of the Society of Actuaries (ASA) or Enrolled Actuary (EA) designation.