I had suspected this but had not expected to be advertised. Hays have picked up on the call from the Pensions Regulator and this advert is “liked” by the Director with responsibility for pension reform at TPR.
So what’s up on offer? Two of these – slight variations but neither requiring much understanding of pensions.
There appears to be another job which I’ve been sent by Patrick Coyne of TPR which is on their website
For the avoidance of doubt this is the role the recruiters are promoting (available on our website and also a link I’d provided on Linkedin in the recent past): https://careers.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/penreli_webrecruitment/wrd/run/etrec179gf.open?WVID=8167589cbU&LANG=USA&VACANCY_ID=730221A97m
This role does require pensions knowledge but is not the one of the two the advertisement for “pension reforms” and “emerging reforms”. These are 4723770 and 4723771 and can be accessed from the Hays advert, I publish one of the two because it and its companion are not requiring candidates who necessarily know the first thing about pensions.
The point has been made before on this blog, the amount of pension knowledge at TPR from Board downwards is diminishing and it’s leading to a failure to engage with progressive plans (superfunds, CDC, DC decumulation and VFM are simply not getting “air” from TPR – I suspect from lack of people left to do so).
Are recruiters like Hays the answer?
So who advertises two senior jobs at TPR with “no pensions experience necessary”. The answer is Hays, Britain’s quoted recruiter whose share pricing is disappearing into oblivion.
And why are they the chosen agents for TPR? Not only are they going bust but they don’t know anything about the public sector. This is from their statement to the Stock Exchange.
What is the promotion?
I am glad to see that this weird advert is predominately placed on Linked in but surprised to find that two out of the three who “like” it are Hays consultants “Caitlin” and “Rachel“. What shocked me was that the third “liker” was Patrick Coyne.
Patrick Coyne 1st degree connection Director of Pensions Reform (Interim) at The Pensions Regulator
I won’t flaunt Patrick’s CV but it wasn’t strong on pensions when he arrived in Brighton 6 years 6 months ago. It looks like managing in TPR Pensions Reform can be achieved by anyone.
Well recruited with little experience of the public sector and liking the idea about the Pensions Regulator knowing nothing about pensions. This really fills me with encouragement that we will have a Pension Schemes Bill that delivers pensions not pension pots.
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The same could perhaps have been said about some (but not all) recent Pensions Ministers.
Check out the Head of Risk at the PPF, a rather large fund with rather large liabilities…….
Do you mean since Stephen Wilcox left the PPF to provide parental leave cover at NEST?
Dana Grey has been with the PPF since 2009 and previously served as Head of Legal before taking on the Chief Risk Officer position.
She was appointed to the CRO role permanently in February 2023 after acting as interim Risk Director since October 2021.
Hardly a new observation, Peter.
Are you suggesting the CRO has to be an actuary? I beg to disagree.