Pensions Administrator

Pensions Administrator

Senior Associate
Edinburgh
Hybrid
Full Time
Permanent

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. At XPS, our vision is to create a vibrant place to work where difference is recognised as a strength and where talented people can flourish and achieve their highest potential.

Our Pensions Administration business continues to grow and we are now looking for an enthusiastic Pensions Administrator to join our vibrant office in Edinburgh with hybrid working. This is an exciting role and would most likely suit someone with previous pensions administration experience.

A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis. We undertake pensions administration for over one million members and provide advisory services to schemes and corporate sponsors in respect of schemes of all sizes.

The Team
Our award-winning pensions administration business puts scheme members at the heart of everything we do. Our services include scheme administration, first-time outsourcing, member communications and scam protection.

The Role
As a Pensions Administrator you will be involved in:

• Participating in annual projects such as renewals, benefit statements, life assurance, PHI and pension increases. Handling any data processing and administration tasks, ensuring projects are fully monitored and completed in line with customer and legislation requirement.
• Ensuring standard documentation is scheme specific and incorporating them into existing procedures.
• Monitoring ongoing procedural developments and implementing changes to procedures where required.
• First level checking of work completed by more junior staff. In addition, final checking of non-financial work e.g. change of address.
• Informal training and mentoring of more junior members of the team.
• Receiving and handling internal and external telephone queries and where applicable becoming first point of contact for client.
• Running automated systems calculations.
• Performing manual benefits calculations.
• Producing ad-hoc letters to 'draft standards' using Electronic Document Management system (EDM) in response to customer queries or able to complete standard tasks to 'final letter standards'.
• Developing intermediate knowledge and awareness of their clients.
• Taking responsibility for ad-hoc projects and exercise.
• Assisting the team with project related work e.g. bulk mailshots to scheme members.
• Updating relevant pension administration databases and systems.
• Dealing with more complex pensions queries.
• Logging and scanning post/correspondence.
• Handling both Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
• Assisting in non-client related work such as technical committees, training and events.
• Working closely with other departments/teams both internal and external to the Company in order to provide a total service to our client e.g., Pensions Accounts, Payroll, Administration Support and ITM (3rd party IT software provider).
• Ensuring the accurate updating of time recording system (Virtual Office) for both chargeable and non-chargeable activities and meeting required utilisation targets.

Your profile
Essential Criteria

• Previous pensions administration experience of Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes (including leavers, retirements, final salary, deaths, transfers in, transfers out, monthly processing and investment, benefit statements and renewals).
• Graduate/ good standard of education with minimum Grade C in GCSE Maths and English.
• Experience of current pensions legislation and framework is essential, especially the regulatory requirements of the various Pensions and Finance Acts which impact on pensions administration.
• Experience of checking and mentoring more junior members of staff would be desirable.
• 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.
• IT proficient, Microsoft Word, Excel & Outlook.
• Willingness to learn and study for the pensions qualifications.
• Great interpersonal skills.
• Confident communicator.

What we offer:
We offer an attractive reward package, typical benefits can include:

• Competitive salary
• Participation in annual discretionary Bonus Scheme
• 25 days holiday plus flexibility to buy or sell holiday
• Flexible Bank holidays
• Pension scheme, matching contribution structure
• Healthcare cash plan
• Flexible Benefits Scheme to support you in and out of work, helping you look after you and your family covering Security & Protection, Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle
• Life Assurance cover, four times basic salary
• XPS Rewards (offers High Street discounts and savings from retailers and services providers as well as offers available via phone)
• Employee Assistance Programme for you and your household
• Access to a digital GP service
• Paid volunteering day when participating in Company organised events
• Staff referral scheme when you introduce a friend to XPS

What next:
If you feel XPS could be the next step on your career ladder, please apply directly via the links provided and we look forward to learning more about you. We will consider all applicants and respond swiftly.

Please discuss with the recruitment team, via phone or email, if you require any adjustments to the recruitment process.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following requirements:

• Right to Work confirmation
• DBS Disclosure check
• Employment or educational references covering five years
• Satisfactory credit check

We continuously strive to build an inclusive workplace where all forms of diversity are valued, including age, background, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Please note we reserve the right to close our vacancies early and we only accept CVs direct from candidates or our preferred supplier list.

XPS try wherever possible to respond to all applicants if for any reason you have not heard from us within 28 days of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.