Job ref: 213148 TPR grade: R&O 6 – Principal About us More than half the UK working population rely on The Pensions Regulator (TPR) to regulate their retirement savings. With a career at TPR, you’ll be joining an organisation that will impact on millions of lives for decades to come. Everyone at TPR plays an important role in helping to keep more than £2trn of savings safe. We’re committed to bringing people into TPR who are ready to make a difference and put UK savers at the heart of what we do. It is important to us that TPR remains a great place to work. We do all we can to help our people reach their full potential with learning, secondment, and development opportunities. We put our 900 employees first, supporting flexible working and offer a diverse, lively, and inclusive environment. This includes our Disability Network, Family Network, LGBT Network (Proud), Minority Ethnic (ME) Network and Women’s Network, which offer spaces to connect. Our new corporate strategy outlines a bold and challenging vision of how pensions regulation should evolve to keep pace with a change in the scale and nature of the industry. We are at the start of that journey. Join us to find out what part you can play. We operate a hybrid working model, with regular attendance in our Brighton office to connect with colleagues across the business. Role This is a fantastic opportunity to be a part of a new team, and take up an exciting and critical delivery role, reporting directly to the ESG (environmental, social and governance) Climate & Sustainability Lead and responsible for key elements of the ESG Portfolio. These include embedding ESG into TPR’s regulatory activity through to shaping better policy, practice and guidance and supporting the development and operationalisation of legislative and regulatory requirements with a clear focus on outcomes for savers. ESG, Climate and Sustainability is a highly dynamic regulatory area operating in a fast pace evolving sometimes conceptual environment that has a direct bearing on retirement outcomes for pensions scheme members. As such the role requires effective leadership, influencing and collaborative skills together with the ability to work independently and across organisational boundaries. With circa £2trn of assets under management, it is imperative that UK occupational pension investment portfolios are as resilient as possible to financially material risks as possible and positioned to maximise the upside opportunities. Opportunities that may include investing in nature based solutions for instance. Consequently, your role will involve leading and being part of Multidiscipline Teams (MDTs) pan TPR enforcing ESG related regulation, raising awareness with trustees regarding key challenges such as climate scenario analysis and working with the sector to address those challenges through the development of better practice, policy and regulation. You will also support the team’s broader work embedding ESG into TPR’s regulatory activity as a part of our organisational transformation and building expertise. Working with other members of the team, fellow regulators and stakeholders you will be responsible for defining new and emergent ESG related regulatory risks and challenges; delivering solutions that drive the behavioural change required of our regulated community to meet regulatory requirements and TPR’s strategic aims and objectives as aligned to TPR’s Corporate Plan and Climate Change Strategy. Collaboration will be key. The ability to collaborate, inspire, motivate and work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders. You will be seen as the ‘go to’ person and expert within your field, delivering internal and external presentations as and when required. As such you will lead thinking on solutions to ESG regulatory problems by creating persuasive, robust arguments for change, building relationships and influencing relevant internal and external stakeholders in line with TPR objectives and relevant regulations and guidance. As with all roles within TPR you will need to be flexible and able to support corporate priorities through membership of MDTs or temporary attachments as required. Responsibilities You will: Engage extensively with a wide range of stakeholders, both within TPR the pensions industry, government and key stakeholders, to develop TPR’s thinking and commentary on novel and emergent ESG risk, opportunities and regulatory challenges. Lead and support complex policy, regulatory and behavioural change projects, supporting, forming and leading MDT virtual teams across TPR functions and external stakeholders to address emerging ESG related regulatory challenges and better manage risks and opportunities in the interests of scheme members. Contribute to and deliver effective outcomes and products such as regulatory, guidance, codes of practice, and communications to improve practice, raise awareness and knowledge and establish TPR’s policy positions. Support the embedding of ESG within TPR’s regulatory practices and work closely with TPR’s Net Zero and Sustainability Advisor in the Chief Operating Officer’s Group (COOG) to support embedding in operational activities. Provide a high impact role using research to assist the wider pension sector align with current and emerging regulatory requirements and practice. Seek to advance the work and reputation of the ESG team at all levels of TPR and with external stakeholders and government partners, in line with the team’s and TPR’s objectives. Includes developing the strategy, policy and practice for pension regulatory engagement. Support delivery of internal ESG learning including development of the Trustee Tool Kit (TTK). Lead thinking on issues and solutions to ESG regulatory problems by creating persuasive, robust arguments for change, building relationships and influencing relevant internal and external stakeholders in line with TPR objectives and relevant regulations and guidance. Anticipate and define emerging ESG related regulatory requirements, risks and opportunities affecting the occupational trust-based pensions landscape. Identify, develop and implement effective regulatory responses to take advantage of investment opportunities and address ESG risks to savers and wider market. This may include developing solutions such as; making the case for legislative change, setting strategy, setting industry expectations via codes of practice, industry guidance, and regulatory communications. Provide internal advice and guidance on robust and defendable policy positions, principles and frameworks to aid regulatory decisions and the potential for interventions across the wider pensions landscape. Further TPR’s strategic aims by delivering the frameworks, principles and regulatory tools to enable TPR’s operational teams to regulate effectively. Be accountable to and deputise for the ESG Lead where required. Integrate best practice and balances equality, diversity, better regulation goals with organisational objectives. Designing policies that take account of legal environment and EU considerations, including PSED, BIT requirements. Essential criteria Strong knowledge of the financial sector and pensions landscape, and the regulatory framework in which pensions operate, or equivalent regulated framework, with a particular focus on ESG considerations. Strong understanding of regulatory levers and techniques, legislative frameworks, of relevance to ESG. Strong understanding of potential ESG impacts – including in relation to climate change and wider sustainability and the risks and opportunities they present within the pensions landscape. Strong understanding of fundamentals of net zero, principles of sustainable finance, climate scenario analysis and ESG disclosure reporting including climate, nature and social factors and stewardship. Proven ability to influence, persuade, manage diverse stakeholders and deliver discrete projects. Strong written and verbal communication skills and adept at critical thinking and working with data to inform decisions. Desirable criteria Strong understanding of climate and sustainability themes and issues in relation to financial and pension regulation both in UK contexts such as: TCFD, TNFD, CSSRD, UK SDR, UK TPT and ISSB. Good understanding of global ESG context and climate scenario analysis. Understanding of the ‘theory of change’ and Agile working. Understanding of : The Occupational Pension Schemes (Climate Change Governance and Reporting) Regulations 2021 and associated statutory guidance. Person specification Excellent problem solving and analytical abilities to address complex issues developing responses from first principles. Ability to think strategically and creatively and identify solutions. Ability to offer compelling advice and clear recommendations based on critical analysis of evidence. Proven ability to prioritise effectively based on informed risk-based judgements often with limited data. Excellent communication and presentation skills – written and oral. Team player, skilled in developing effective collaborative working relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including the ability to negotiate and influence at a senior level. Strong project planning and management skills. Personable with good people management skills. Drive and enthusiasm to work autonomously and as part of a team, prioritise effectively, use initiative and proactively communicate regularly within the ESG Climate & Sustainability Lead. Salary and benefits As well as a salary starting from £56,498, we offer: Civil Service Pension arrangements, which are recognised as some of the best in the pensions world discretionary bonus arrangements access to performance related pay progression 25 days annual leave provision flexible working arrangements development opportunities enhanced parental leave arrangements a free employee assistance programme an excellent office location in Brighton How to apply To apply please email recruitmentteamtpr.gov.uk quoting role reference number 213148 along with: a covering letter with details of how your skills and experience meet the role requirements a copy of your CV details of your notice period Current employees in their first 12 months of employment who want to apply for this vacancy should first contact their line manager to discuss their application. We are an inclusive employer and offer equal opportunities regardless of an individual’s age, disability, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. As a Disability Confident employer, we’re committed to the recruitment, employment, retention and development of people with disabilities and to improving their employment opportunities. Candidates who declare that they have a disability and who meet the essential criteria for the job will be offered an interview. Applications will be considered on a part time and job share basis. In accordance with Home Office guidance, the successful candidate will be required to provide their right to work in the UK before they start employment. Unfortunately, TPR is not able to offer sponsorship at the time. TPR is a UK-based organisation with a working location in Brighton, candidates must live in the UK to be employed by us. TPR is an arm’s length government body and part of the public service. Any offer of employment will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory background screening checks and criminal record checks (BPSS). If you have any queries about this role, or if you have a disability and wish to request a reasonable adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please email recruitmentteamtpr.gov.uk.