Senior Pensions Administrator

The Vacancy

Our Third Party Administration (TPA) department is a dynamic administration team with a varied portfolio of clients. The team plays a key role in delivering a market-leading service to clients and members across Defined Benefit (DB), Defined Contribution (DC) and CARE pension arrangements.

An exciting opportunity is available to join this department as a Senior Pensions Administrator within the Client Services team in our Birmingham, Edinburgh or Glasgow office.

What will the role involve?

This position sits within a collaborative and high-performing administration team, delivering high-quality pension administration services across DB, DC and CARE schemes.

The role is responsible for ensuring accuracy and efficiency across all processes, providing excellent support to members and clients both internally and externally. It also involves supporting workflow management and contributing to team development by mentoring less experienced colleagues.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Ensuring allocated work is completed in line with Business Unit guidelines, procedures, quality standards and service levels.
• Maintaining and updating member records on the Universal Pensions Management system (UPM) and processing member events, including retirements, deaths, joiners, early leavers, transfers in/out and illustrative quotations.
• Supporting workflow management, including checking system and manual calculations and outputs completed by team members.
• Contributing to a professional and client-focused service, ensuring agreed scope, timescales and quality standards are met.
• Identifying exceptions and errors and escalating these to the Team Leader to mitigate financial, reputational and regulatory risks.
• Ensuring complaints and errors are reported promptly in line with standard procedures.
• Gathering and reporting client and member feedback and supporting continuous service improvement.
• Maintaining scheme cashbooks, reconciling bank statements and preparing cashflow forecasts.
• Preparing and finalising administration reports and presenting these to clients and trustees.
• Managing annual and periodic scheme events, such as pension increases and renewal exercises.
• Ensuring checking processes are carried out consistently and effectively.
• Ensuring all work is appropriately chargeable, coded correctly, and that chargeability targets (75%) are achieved.
• Identifying non-standard work and ensuring fees are agreed before commencement.
• Acting as a technical reference point within the team for complex cases, procedures and queries.
  
  

What’s required to succeed in this role?

• GCSE / Scottish Standard (or equivalent) in Maths and English at Grade B or above.
• Proven experience in day-to-day pension administration, ideally across DB, DC and CARE schemes, within a client and member-focused environment.
• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to work accurately and efficiently.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a consultative team environment.
• Up-to-date knowledge of pension legislation, technical developments and industry best practice.
• Experience working in a client-focused pensions administration role.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, work under pressure and support delegation of work where required.
• Proficiency in IT systems, including Microsoft Office and pensions administration platforms such as UPM (or similar).
• Clear, accurate and concise communication skills, both written and verbal, aligned to organisational values.
• Knowledge of relevant regulatory bodies and requirements.
• Good understanding of Data Protection legislation, HMRC limits, The Pensions Regulator requirements and recent legislative changes.
  
  

Ideally, candidates will have started studying towards a professional qualification such as Associate Membership of the Pensions Management Institute, or be interested in doing so. However, applications are also welcome from those with relevant UK pensions experience who can demonstrate a strong understanding of the market.

Applications are encouraged from individuals who may not meet all the listed criteria but demonstrate the potential to develop the required skills with support. Additional relevant experience or knowledge not listed is also welcomed.

Please note that, as part of the recruitment process, candidates will be required to complete a pensions knowledge assessment.

What’s on offer?

In addition to a competitive salary and access to a profit share scheme, the following benefits are available:

• A flexible benefits package tailored to individual lifestyle and needs.
• A collaborative and supportive working environment where ideas are encouraged.
• On-site mental health and wellbeing support.
• Opportunities for personal and professional development, including mentoring and access to the Aspire learning portal.
• Regular social activities, three days of paid volunteering leave annually, and a day’s leave to celebrate a birthday.
• Hybrid working, with an expectation of two in-office days per week.
• A flexible working window between 7am and 7pm.
  
  

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so early submission is encouraged.

We are committed to being open and transparent in our recruitment and reward processes. Please note that this role does not currently meet the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship in the UK.

If sponsorship is required, it is recommended to review eligibility for alternative routes or salary threshold discounts before applying. Individual circumstances can be discussed where appropriate.

About Us

Together, we’ve been building better futures for over 100 years. For our people, our clients and their people, our communities and the environment.

We thrive on tackling complex problems. And we believe those problems are best solved by diverse teams – diverse in skills, approaches and backgrounds. Our independence lets our people be themselves and think freely, while working in a collaborative, supportive environment. We love innovative, independent thinking and want everyone to share their ideas.

Working alongside employers, trustees and financial services institutions, we offer pensions, investments, benefits and risk consulting services, as well as data and technology solutions. With over 1000 employees and counting, we’re one of the leading consultancies in our field and are proud to be recognised by numerous industry awards.

We’re committed to developing our people and encourage everyone to carve out their own career path. We’ve many colleagues who started out in one team in the business and have ended up somewhere completely different, having had the chance to develop new skills and explore new passions.

We are continually working to improve our inclusive culture and employ diverse talent. We therefore welcome applications from people from all backgrounds, which includes but isn’t limited to: age, disability, ethnic heritage, gender, marital or civil partnership status, neurodiversity, religion, sexual orientation, and socio-economic background.

Our hybrid working model offers the best of both worlds – home working as well as a fun, collaborative office environment - meaning flexible working patterns to accommodate individual needs. Find out more about our careers here .

If you need any assistance in relation to a personal requirement, medical condition or neurological difference during our selection process then please let us know.

Together, we can make this the best job you’ll ever have.

We Offer

Our culture

We live and breathe our four values – friendly, confident, partnering and straightforward – and genuinely care about out people, clients, community and the environment.

Job satisfaction

Every employee can genuinely make a difference and contribute towards achieving our purpose – together, building better futures. Whether that’s helping our clients build more secure financial futures, using your 3 days volunteering or helping us reduce our carbon footprint.

Reward and wellbeing

We offer competitive salaries, a share of company profits and an award-winning benefits package. We also take your mental, physical, social and financial wellbeing seriously, both in and outside of work.

Flexible working

We trust our people to work in a pattern that suits their circumstances with a healthy balance of home and office working.

Latest technology

We use the most up-to-date technology and software to match our ground-breaking business solutions that make life easier for us and our clients.

Career development

There is no linear path – learning opportunities are plentiful and empower you to carve out your own career.