Pensions Administration Manager

• Leading the provision of pensions administration services for the assigned XPS Administration client portfolio.
• Overseeing day to day management of client relationships with trustees and corporate clients, and participation in trustee and client meetings where applicable.
• Active participation in XPS Administration's marketing initiatives, new business activities, attending new business pitches and company events. Seeking opportunities to generate additional income from existing client portfolio.
• Providing expert advice solutions to pensions queries and pensions consultative advice; keeping abreast of technical and legislative developments within the pensions industry.
• Overseeing the project management of annual and ad-hoc projects such as renewals, benefit statements, pension increases, scheme returns, and trustees' reports and accounts. Ensuring projects are fully monitored and completed in line with customer and legislation requirements.
• Mentoring less experienced colleagues in the team.
• Taking responsibility for all aspects of admin billing, in conjunction with Operations Manager and/or Client Manager. Ensuring all recorded admin time is billed or accrued by the monthly deadline, all chargeable work is correctly recorded on the time recording system and billed as soon as possible, and all bills are issued and payment received on time.
• Presenting technical matters at team meetings.
• Leading non-client activities, conducting internal audits, being alert to potential improvements in pensions administration processes, quality improvement and implementing changes. Ensuring Governance tracking measures (for example central spreadsheets, error logs etc) are updated promptly.
• Responsible for total workflow management of the team.
• Identifying team objectives or other necessary changes in line with business needs and actively implementing appropriate course of action.
• Positively contributing to regular management meetings, implementing any recommendations or decisions made in terms of working practices, resourcing, efficiencies and dissemination of communications to more junior staff.
• Formal staff management responsibilities including areas such as conducting appraisals, setting individual and team objectives, handling HR, performance management issues and recruitment related activities as and where required.
• Forging strong working relationships with other departments/teams both internal and external to the Company in order to provide a total service to our clients. e.g. Pensions Accounts, Payroll, Administration Consulting and Business Support.
• Ensuring the accurate updating on the time recording system for both chargeable and non-chargeable activities, enabling team and self to meet required utilisation and recovery targets, and providing encouragement to team to meet targets and objectives. Reporting to senior management by exception.

• Previous pensions administration experience of Defined Benefit schemes including leavers, retirements, deaths, transfers, monthly processing and investment, benefit statements, scheme renewal and pension increases. This role is likely to appeal to individuals with significant experience although not exclusive as all applications will be considered on an individual basis.
• Thorough knowledge of pensions legislation framework and demonstrable ability to remain informed of changes to the framework.
• Previous supervisory, leadership and management experience including performance monitoring, appraisals, recruitment etc.
• Third party pensions administration experience preferred, although strong all-round experience within an in-house pensions department, which is not purely process driven will be considered.
• Previous project management experience would be required to perform pension administration project-based work.
• IT proficient, in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint

XPS Pensions Group