Pensions Investment Analyst

Position Description  

The ESB Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution pension schemes are two of the largest occupational pension schemes in Ireland. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing all aspects of the Fund’s investment policy and have implemented a specialist investment structure with investments managed externally by Irish and International investment management companies.  

The Trustees are supported in their work by the ESB Pensions Office including in-house Pensions Chief Investment Officer and a fund accounting team.  An opportunity now exists for an Investment Analyst reporting to the Pensions CIO.  

Key Responsibilities  

Working in this team environment you will be a key person in relation to all aspects of the investment cycle, key tasks including:  

• Work with the Trustees, CIO, and advisors in designing and implementing the overall investment strategy and various de-risking strategies. This also involves undertaking regular reviews to ensure the Schemes are getting good value for money  

• Overseeing the regulatory compliance of the DB Scheme with a focus on EMIR, ECB and EIOPA data, SRD2 and SFDR. Also ensuring that all the new IORP investing processes and reporting are designed, implemented, and regularly reviewed  

• Lead the various pension scheme’s reporting in terms of ESG and build and maintain a database for tracking carbon statistics, fossil fuel exposures and investment managers’ ESG, voting and engagement policies  

• Work with the Pensions CIO and advisers in designing and reviewing liability management techniques along with how they might develop over time  

• Monitor of key investment return and risk statistics for the various pension schemes (including overall solvency) along with individual investment managers. This will also include working with external manager ratings systems and building up a traffic light system to track and evaluate investment manager ratings  

• A thorough and detailed understanding of a wide number of investment markets and provide input into and present investment papers presented to the Trustees  

• Monitoring of counterparty exposures across all the Scheme’s investment funds  

• A working understanding of the use of actuarial calculations and solvency measures  

• Overseeing the liquidity risk management by producing short and long term cashflow forecasts and managing the budgeting process for the DB trustees  

• Taking a key role in the provision of reporting for Trustees  

• Working alongside the CIO in being the main point of contact for over 40 Investment Managers, Consultants, Custodians, and other third-party advisors. The role will also involve the overseeing the procurement process of same  

• Being the main point of contact between the fund accounting and investment team to ensure the annual report and audit are satisfactorily completed  

• Overseeing the investment governance process   

• Support the tax reclaim process with the custodian, Revenue, and tax advisors  

• Be a key inputter into the ESB Pensions’ investment communication framework in terms of booklet designs where it relates to investments along with ensuring that information is clearly presented and easily to understand  

Experience and Qualifications  

Essential 

• Minimum of 7 - 10 years' experience in a similar role  

• A relevant 3rd Level qualification/professional qualification or equivalent experience  

• An ability to understand and analyse investment portfolios and multiple asset classes and have a keen interest in investment markets  

• Understanding of basic actuarial calculations and solvency measures  

• Excellent financial and analytical skills with a high level of accuracy and good attention to detail  

• Understanding of how various fund structures operate especially with respect to property and infrastructure funds  

• Be proactive and enthusiastic with good problem solving, judgement and decision-making skills  

• Ability to work on own initiative and take ownership and leadership of projects  

• Motivated with excellent communication and interpersonal skills and an ability to work well in a team  

• Good interpersonal and stakeholder management skills  

Location  

This position will be based in ESB’s Head Office Fitzwilliam 27, Dublin 2.  

ESB is committed to smart working – combining digital tools with a culture of trust and empowerment to enable flexible ways of working. The successful candidate may work flexibly within their jurisdiction with attendance at the workplace for in-person collaboration on at least one anchor day per week. All smart working arrangements are subject to manager approval and ongoing review, based on the operational requirements of the role, the team, and the individual. 

Reporting To 

This role will report to Pensions Chief Investment Officer  

Why Work with Us? 

• Opportunity to lead Ireland’s transition to net zero carbon future 

• Progressive, hybrid working model 

• Career development through mentoring and training  

• Corporate Social Responsibility Opportunities 

• Sports and Social Clubs 

• Networking opportunities 

• Credit Union 

• Generous Pension 

• Access to staff well-being programmes 

• Generous parental leave entitlements 

• Strong values-based and inclusive culture  

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion  

• Great team environment working to our Core Values: Courageous, Caring, Driven and Trusted 

Salary 

€69,500 - €81,500 depending on experience

Closing Date 

23rd January 2025

Note: Applicants who anticipate requiring assistance or reasonable accommodations for any part of the application or interview process may contact, in confidence, recruitment@esb.ie 

If you have any queries in relation to this job, please contact recruitment@esb.ie  

Your application will be held in reserve for 6 months should you be suitable for the role.