Pensions Project Consultant

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Pensions Project Consultant

GMP, Buy-in/ Buy-out, Data Cleansing, or Pension Dashboard teams.

Consultant grade

Remote/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 a Pensions Project Consultant to join our vibrant Administration Projects Team (APT) with remote working. This is an exciting role and would most likely suit someone with previous experience in a pure pensions administration role, or pensions project role where they have gained knowledge and experience of Defined Benefit (DB) pension schemes.

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, including 88 with assets over £1bn. We also provide wider ranging support to insurance companies in the life and bulk annuities sector.

Our people drive our success and as an XPS employee you can bring your whole self to work - Everyone is treated equally and with respect. We will provide you with the support and training you need to grow and be at your very best. It's about inclusion and diversity, ensuring all our people feel included, that they belong to XPS and that they're happy. Above all, it's about ensuring everyone has a voice and feels valued. Because they are.

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.

Our Administration Projects Team (APT) team undertakes projects such as:

• GMP rectification/equalisation
• Buy-in/ Buy-out
• Data Cleansing
• Ad hoc projects for example scheme closures, benefit rectifications, liability reduction exercises
• McCloud implementation: Public sector pension benefit rectification across police, fire, MOJ and LGPS pension schemes.
• Pension Dashboards

Learn more here: https://www.xpsgroup.com/what-we-do/administration/]

The Role

As a Pensions Project Consultant with XPS you will:

In this role you will be responsible for leading and managing projects end to end, in line with budgets, deadlines, and objectives. You will also coordinate and support less experienced staff. This role is client facing therefore you will be expected to:

• Act as point of contact generally and to explain complex issues
• Attend client and trustee meetings to present project update

Other Key Responsibilities:

• Set and achieve project delivery deadlines within scope and budget. Ensure client sign off on fees and scope has been secured as the work
• Delivery of projects within agreed budgets, identification of out of scope work and proactive management and discussion with the clients to ensure that all work is billed in a timely manner
• Involvement in process improvement initiatives.
• Completion and review of calculations for pension benefit data both manually and spreadsheet based.
• Partner with Client and Administration Managers within the business on project delivery requirements and stakeholder management.
• Dealing confidently with HMRC, Clients, Scheme Actuaries, Scheme Administrators, Consultants, Pension Accounts/Payroll, Members and third parties by phone, email and letter.
• Checking and authorising other team members' work
• Understanding and application of benefit structures, Trust Deed & Rules, Inland Revenue guidance notes, PSO, Disclosure requirements
• Provision of technical information both verbally and in writing
• Compliance with ISO and AAF accreditations
• Checking and authorising project work
• Providing general support to the team manager
• Support the delivery of a continuous improvement programme championing operational excellence while identifying areas where the project delivery service to clients could be improved and/or expanded.

Your profile

Essential Criteria

• Experience in a similar role dealing with DB pension schemes.
• Commercial acumen in order to plan, manage, track, and deliver project revenue, client and business requirements within budget
• Strong organisational skills with proven ability to manage resources and operational delivery of a team to ensure revenue targets met and work delivered to plan
• Technical pensions and data projects knowledge to be able to explain complex issues to key stakeholders internally and externally
• The ability to manipulate spreadsheet data using formulas, such as Index, V-look up, Pivot table is essentia
• Ability to efficiently resolve issues by identifying solutions to enable projects to be effectively delivered in accordance with client requirements
• Proven ability to lead a project providing strategic direction and guidance while managing, coaching and mentoring individual team members
• Concise and confident communicator of complex project issues - covering both verbal and written skills
• Ability to work within a team towards targets
• Be proactive, having drive and commitment
• Ability to foster an inclusive working environment and champion diversity within the team
• Able to support a developing a culture of high standards, excellent quality and customer responsiveness.

Desirable Criteria

• May have achieved some exam successes in professional qualifications such as PMI / QPA / RPC / DPC / DPA and actively working towards full qualification.

What we offer:

Find out more about Life at XPS

Find out more about Our People Approach



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. For example, we can provide materials in an alternative format, or give you extra time in interviews or tests.

If you do not feel ready to apply or still have questions, please email us by clicking here





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.

Company

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. 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, including 88 with assets over £1bn. We also provide wider ranging support to insurance companies in the life and bulk annuities sector.

15,000+ clients

One million+member pensions administered

15 locations across the UK

99%of clients agree we are collaborative in our approach and enjoy working with us

Life at XPS

…We provide the opportunities, the training and the support. Our people do the rest!
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. As an XPS employee, you will never be without opportunities to grow and develop, and you will always have access to the wide range of support we offer from our benefits package to our diverse and wide, ranging networks, including mental health allies. We work hard and celebrate success together – join us and find out for yourself how exciting your future could be.

Read more about XPS Group work culture, here and discover XPS people's approach, here .

Rachel Gillion
HR Director

Our purpose

We exist to shape and support safe, robust and well-understood pension schemes for the benefit of people and society

Our vision

We will constantly challenge the pensions industry to improve and achieve better outcomes for members

Our mission

We strive to be leaders in pensions, investment consulting and administration with brilliant people and leading technology delivering better outcomes for pension scheme members and rewarding careers for our people
Our Employee Networks

Our five Employee Networks – XPS Women’s Network, XPS LGBTQ+ Network, XPS Menopause Network, XPS Disability Network and XPS Multicultural Network – play an important role in our culture.

They lead our inclusive programme of events, campaigns and workshops, such as celebrating International Women’s and Men’s Days, Pride Month and Black History Month, our Be Yourself at Work campaign and our workshops on LGBTQ+ Allyship, the importance of self-promotion for women’s careers, menopause awareness and confidence when speaking up. Our internal mentoring programme also has a role to play, for example in advancing gender equality.

Of course, it’s one thing to agree words amongst ourselves. It’s another to bring those words to life.

Enter our people – our problem solvers, our forward thinkers, our hard workers. Whether in our actuarial, investment, administration, HR, marketing, legal or systems departments, all our people work with a societal purpose. It’s the XPS way.

Our people deliver for us. It’s only right therefore that we deliver for them. Our People Approach is designed to do just that and we pride ourselves on delivering around inclusivity, opportunities for all, flexibility, wellbeing and, last but not least, fun!

We want our people to know they matter so we offer a range of perks and benefits:

• Holiday entitlement
• Pension
• Life assurance
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• Season ticket loans
• Sight tests
• Employee assistance programme
• Opportunities for hybrid working
• Generous annual flex allowance
• My XPS, My Benefits – flexible benefits you choose to suit you personally, including the option to buy additional holiday, bikes for work, private health care, travel insurance and dental insurance
• XPS Rewards – designed to offer you access to a wide range of discounts, saving you money on your shopping

A societal purpose, a People Approach – welcome to life at XPS.

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