Non-Executive Director & Chair of Pensions Committee

Place of Work: London based (with occassional travel to USS’s Liverpool office and other locations in the UK)

Fee: Available on request.

Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) is the principal pension scheme for universities and higher education institutions in the UK. We work with around 330 employers to help build a secure financial future for c.550,000 members and their families. We are one of the largest pension schemes in the UK, with total assets of around £78bn (at 31 March 2024). Universities Superannuation Scheme Limited (USSL) is the trustee that runs and manages USS in line with the trust deed and rules and legal duties.

USSL is led by a Board of directors comprised of 3 directors appointed by the University and College Union (UCU), 4 directors appointed by The Universities & Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), and 5 independent directors. The Board has significant responsibilities for the governance and oversight of a business providing complex operational and advisory functions within a heavily regulated environment and Board members need experience, expertise and capabilities proportionate to this. Therefore, all Board members require exceptional strategic thinking, leadership, communication, influencing, teamwork and decision-making skills.

Applications are invited for this role as one of the five independent directors appointed to the Board.

Full information on the requirements for the role are set out in the role profile, available on request. The requirements include experience in the areas below (the examples alongside each requirement are illustrative, and candidates should refer to the role profile for full details):

• Pensions Administration oversight and scheme member engagement , e.g. senior member of a management team or non-executive experience of pensions administration, experience of member and employer engagement; education and communication strategies for DB and DC services, experience working with outsourced providers of pensions administration services.
• Pension industry experience , e.g. as a pension trustee, member of the management team of a DB/DC pension fund or a member of Company/University committee responsible for pensions matters.
• Actuarial experience e.g. recent and relevant actuarial expertise in a pension fund or insurance context and recognised qualifications
• Communication, Media and stakeholder engagement e.g. practical knowledge/ experience of the creation of effective member and employer communications and education strategies; a proven track record of being able to successfully manage complex stakeholder relationships and build buy-in and consensus views on difficult topics.
• Corporate Governance expertise/board management knowledge , e.g. experience as an effective board and/or committee member or individual operating at board level (preferably within a large, complex business or regulated firm); knowledge of corporate governance best practice and the Pension Regulator 's codes of practice and guidance in relation to effective trusteeship of pension funds.

Time commitment: At least 40 days per annum.

Duration: A four-year term of office, with the possibility of the term being extended by one year (i.e. max five-year term). At the end of the term of office there may be an opportunity to apply for reappointment (directors have a maximum tenure of nine years, formed of two or more terms of office).

For more information please contact Jane Paton at jpaton@uss.co.uk. Interested candidates should SUBMIT A LETTER OF APPLICATION - ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR CV - and send these details by email to jpaton@uss.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 20 April 2025.