The Vacancy
Our Third Party Administration (TPA) department is a dynamic administration team with a varied portfolio of clients. They play a key part in providing our clients and members with a market-leading service on Defined Benefits (DB), Defined Contribution (DC) and CARE pension arrangements.
We currently have an exciting opportunity to join this department as a Senior Pensions Administrator, within our Client Services team in our Birmingham, Edinburgh or Glasgow Office.
What will your role look like?
You’ll be part of a collaborative and dynamic administration team, delivering high-quality pension administration services across Defined Benefit (DB), Defined Contribution (DC), and CARE schemes.
Your role will ensure accuracy and efficiency in all processes, providing outstanding support to members and clients both internally and externally. In addition to managing workflow when required, you’ll contribute to the growth of the team by mentoring less experienced colleagues, helping them build their skills and confidence.
Though this is a varied role, your key tasks will include:
1. Ensures allocated work is carried out in accordance with BU guidelines, procedures, quality standards and service standards.
2. Maintains and updates member records on the Universal Pensions Management system (UPM) and processes member events, including retirements, deaths, joiners, early leavers, transfers in and out, illustrative quotations.
3. Assists with workflow management, including checking system and non-system calculations and output performed by team members.
4. Ensures a professional and friendly service is provided by the team, and that the agreed scope, timescale and quality is delivered to clients in line with service levels.
5. Identifies exceptions and errors and raises these with the Team Leader so as to mitigate risk (financial, reputation and regulatory)
6. Ensures the standard complaint procedure is followed by reporting all complaints and errors to the Team Leader at an early stage.
7. Gathers and reports client/member feedback to the Team Leader and proactively takes responsibility for implementing service improvements based on feedback.
8. Maintains the scheme cash books, reconciles bank statements and prepares the cash-flow forecasts.
9. Prepares and finalises Administration Reports and presentation of these to clients/trustees.
10. Manages annual and periodic scheme events, such as pension increase and annual renewal exercises.
11. Ensures mandatory Checking process is carried out consistently and effectively.
12. Ensures all work on a project is chargeable, goes to the right code and ensures chargeability expectations of 75% is met.
13. Ensures non-standard work is identified and fees agreed before commencement.
14. Acts as a point of reference in the team on technical issues, non-standard cases, and general procedure.
To enjoy and succeed in this role, you will have:
15. GCSE / Scottish Standard (or equivalent) in Maths and English at Grade B or above.
16. Proven experience of day-to-day pension administration – ideally both DB/DC and CARE pension arrangements – in a client and member focussed environment.
17. Good attention to detail and able to work quickly and accurately.
18. Demonstrates understanding and experience of team-working in a consultative, collaborative manner with others.
19. Has up to date working knowledge of relevant pensions legislation, technical developments affecting pension administration and industry best practice.
20. Experience of working in a client-focussed role in pensions administration.
21. Plans and organises time and workload effectively, is able to juggle priorities, work well under pressure and can be effective in work delegation.
22. Good IT skills, including working with Microsoft Office application and experience of a pension administration system such as UPM, or system(s) with a similar purpose.
23. Communicates clearly, accurately and concisely both orally and in writing and demonstrates effective communication with clients/members which aligns with our values.
24. Knowledge of relevant regulatory body procedures.
25. Good understanding of Data Protection legislation, the Information Commissioner, HMRC Limits, the Pensions Regulator, rules and regulations and recent legislative changes.
Ideally, we would be looking for candidates to hold a professional qualification such as Associate Membership to the Pension Management Institute (or be working towards this). However, we would also be open to applications from candidates who could bring a knowledge of the UK pensions market from relevant industry experience.
We would also encourage applications from candidates who perhaps do not possess all the attributes and experience listed above but are competent with the majority and would be able to quickly develop the additional skills and experience required in post with our full support. We would also love to hear about other knowledge and experience you may have that is not listed but could be of interest.
Please note that as part of the recruitment process for this opportunity, candidates will be expected to complete a pensions knowledge test.
In addition to a competitive salary and access to our profit share scheme, we offer:
26. A flexible selection of employee benefits, so you can choose a package that best matches your lifestyle and needs.
27. A collaborative and encouraging work environment where your thinking and ideas are encouraged.
28. On site mental health and wellbeing assistance.
29. A commitment to helping you develop both personally and professionally, with mentoring opportunities and access to our award-winning learning portal, Aspire.
30. Regular social activities, in addition to three days paid volunteering leave each year and a day’s leave to celebrate your birthday.
31. Hybrid working so you can enjoy the positive wellbeing of working from home as well as the benefits of meeting colleagues in our sociable, modern office environments – with the expectation of two ‘in-office’ days per week.
32. A flexible working window, allowing colleagues the freedom to work flexibly between the hours of 7am and 7pm.
Please note, we recruit on a rolling basis so early applications are recommended to avoid disappointment.
We are committed to being open and transparent in our recruitment and reward processes. Please note that this vacancy does not currently meet the minimum salary threshold requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship within the UK.
To avoid any disappointment, if you require sponsorship we would encourage you to check whether you may be eligible for a discounted salary threshold, or to explore alternative routes to secure your right to work in the UK before submitting your application. If you meet the criteria outlined in the job description we’ll be happy to discuss your individual circumstances further with you.