Retirement Team Leader - H&B Consulting

Company:

Mercer

Description:

We are seeking a talented individual to join the Mercer Marsh Benefits division at Marsh. This role will be based in Sandton, hybrid and has a requirement of working at least three days a week in the office.

We are a leading professional services firm advising, corporate clients and trustees on Group Risk & Retirement Funds plan design, provider management, governance and administration. Our Group Risk & Retirement practice combines deep technical expertise with a client-first approach delivering compliant, sustainable and commercially sound Group Risk & Retirement solutions.

We are looking for a seasoned Team Leader to run our Group Risk & Retirement Business Unit. This role combines strategic leadership, hands-on client management and commercial responsibility. You will lead a team of Client Executives and Consultants, manage a portfolio of institutional clients, drive retention and revenue growth, and ensure excellent governance and regulatory compliance across all operations.

We will count on you to:

Partner with the MMB Africa Leader to shape and deliver the Retirement BU strategy and service model, translate it into clear objectives/KPIs with regular review cycles, and drive innovation to strengthen client propositions.
Lead senior relationships for key institutional clients, drive retention, maintain outcome-focused account plans (risk, cost, value), resolve issues/escalations with specialist support, and run governance forums with executive reporting.
Lead and develop Client Executives and their teams through clear objectives, performance management, coaching and structured development (including CPD), while building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement and representing the business in industry forums.
Generate and convert opportunities across the portfolio and firm (including cross-sell and referrals), lead/support pitches and tenders with strong commercial/technical content, and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external influencers (trustees, intermediaries, consultants and senior decision-makers) to expand the client base.
Own portfolio revenue delivery (tracking, forecasting and allocation) and manage costs within budget, supporting pricing and resourcing decisions to protect margins.
Ensure regulatory and policy compliance and best practice, maintain audit readiness and effective controls, manage corrective actions, and keep the team informed/trained on relevant regulatory and policy changes.
Standardise delivery through robust processes, SLAs and quality controls, and champion technology, data and process improvements to improve efficiency, client outcomes and member experience.

What you need to have:

Experience:12+ years in group risk, retirement funds, pensions consulting or related actuarial/benefits environment, including people management experience.
Technical knowledge: deep understanding of group risk, retirement fund legislation, tax implications, trustee duties and market practices.
Regulatory competence: familiarity with FAIS, fiduciary frameworks and regulatory reporting requirements.
Commercial mindset: demonstrable experience in client retention, cross-sell and new business generation.
Leadership skills: proven ability to lead managers, develop talent, and manage through change.
Communication: confident presenting to senior stakeholders, trustees and regulators.
Relevant tertiary qualifications (BCom, BSc, Risk Management or equivalent)
Professional designations (CFP, actuary credentials advantageous)
Registration and proven experience of participation of industry forums
FAIS (RE5) accreditation.

Why join our team:

We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work and supportive leaders.
We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have impact for colleagues, clients and communities.
Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well-being

Marsh Risk is a business of Marsh (NYSE: MRSH), a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information about Marsh Risk, visit marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Marsh is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age, background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are also committed to providing reasonable support to any candidate with a disability to allow them to fully participate in the recruitment process. We welcome candidates to contact us at reasonableaccommodations@marsh.com to discuss any specific needs.

Marsh is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one “anchor day” per week on which their full team will be together in person.