Global Pension Director

Overview

We are looking for an experienced and strategic Global Pension Director to lead the governance, strategy, and oversight of Akzo Nobel's pension programs worldwide. This is a highly visible leadership role with significant responsibility for safeguarding the long-term sustainability of our pension arrangements while ensuring an exceptional experience for our employees and retirees. The role involves close collaboration with senior leadership, pension trustees, external advisors, asset managers, and regulators across multiple jurisdictions to shape and execute our global pension strategy.

• Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a long-term global pension strategy aligned with Akzo Nobel's business objectives and employee value proposition.
• Lead pension funding, investment, and asset-liability management strategies across defined benefit and defined contribution arrangements, particularly for the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Lead the post-employment work streams in M&A activities.
• Direct pension risk management activities, including de-risking initiatives and liability optimization programs.
• Oversee actuarial valuations and translate outcomes into sustainable funding and governance strategies.
• Drive innovation in pension design, including ESG integration and evolving retirement solutions.

• Governance & Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with pension legislation, fiduciary responsibilities, and regulatory requirements across all relevant jurisdictions.
• Monitor global regulatory developments and proactively adapt governance frameworks and policies.
• Oversee statutory reporting, regulatory submissions, audits, and actuarial certifications.
• Maintain a robust risk and control environment, ensuring effective governance and oversight.

• Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary pension subject matter expert for senior executives, trustees, employees, and retirees.
• Prepare and present pension performance, funding, investment, and governance updates to executive leadership and pension boards.
• Build strong relationships with regulators, actuaries, legal advisors, investment consultants, custodians, and asset managers.
• Represent Akzo Nobel in industry forums and external stakeholder engagements.

• Operational Excellence

• Oversee global pension administration and service delivery, ensuring operational efficiency and accuracy.
• Manage external vendors and service providers, including performance monitoring and contract negotiations.
• Establish KPIs and service standards that drive continuous improvement and member satisfaction.
• Lead and develop a team of pension professionals while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and excellence.

• Minimum 10 years of senior-level experience in pension management, employee benefits, investments, or retirement programs.
• Deep understanding of pension governance, fiduciary responsibilities, funding mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven experience managing complex pension arrangements across multiple countries and jurisdictions.
• Strong expertise in investment strategy, asset-liability management, and pension risk management.
• Excellent financial, analytical, and strategic problem-solving capabilities.
• Outstanding communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at executive and board level.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing high-performing teams and external partners.

• Preferred Qualifications

• Professional qualifications such as CFA, FIA, APMI, or equivalent pension, actuarial, or investment credentials.
• Experience with in a multinational corporate environment.
• Knowledge of global pension trends, sustainability considerations, and emerging retirement solutions.

At Akzo Nobel, you'll have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the financial wellbeing of thousands of employees and retirees worldwide. We offer:

• A highly visible global leadership role within a leading multinational organization.
• Opportunities to influence strategic decision-making at executive level.
• A collaborative and inclusive international environment.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.
• Career growth opportunities within a purpose-driven company committed to sustainability and innovation.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you are a strategic pension leader with a passion for governance, investment excellence, and delivering sustainable retirement outcomes, we would love to hear from you.

Join Akzo Nobel. Let's paint the future together.

At Akzo Nobel we are highly committed to ensuring an inclusive and respectful workplace where all employees can be their best self. We strive to embrace diversity in a context of tolerance. Our talent acquisition process plays an integral part in this journey, as setting the foundations for a diverse environment. For this reason we train and educate on the implications of our Unconscious Bias in order for our TA and hiring managers to be mindful of them and take corrective actions when…