Team Leader - Pensions Administration

About Us

Spence and Partners (part of 3173 Group), is a UK firm of pensions experts – with a focus on consultancy, actuarial, administration and the development of specialist IT solutions.

Spence specialises in advising on and managing defined contribution and final salary pension schemes (including the provision of the services of a Scheme Actuary) in the United Kingdom and Ireland and acts as a provider of administration to employers, trustees, pension plan members and professional advisers.

We are a leading provider of pensions data audit and pensions benefit audit services for pension scheme trustees and have significant expertise in remedial pension scheme data work often in the run up to Buy‑Out or during a Pension Protection Fund Assessment Period.

We are looking for a highly experienced pensions administration professional to lead a team servicing a portfolio of clients in our Pensions Administration business. This is a role where your technical expertise, leadership skills, people‑management skills and commercial awareness come together. At Spence, we’re continuing to grow, and you’ll play an important part in that journey. You’ll be joining a collaborative and supportive team where your knowledge is valued, your impact is recognised, and your contribution helps shape the future of our pensions services.

Are you ready to take the lead on some of the most complex and rewarding challenges in pensions administration? As a Team Leader in Pensions Administration, you will have an exciting opportunity to lead our team providing Pensions Administration for a portfolio of clients including of schemes of up to around 10,000 members. You will be ultimately responsible for a team of 10-20 administrators and for the service delivery to your portfolio of schemes, ensuring the schemes are managed with precision, compliance, and outstanding client service.

You will have extensive experience (at least 10 years) in Defined Benefit (DB) pensions administration, with proven expertise in complex and technical cases. DC administration experience is advantageous but not essential. You will have in‑depth knowledge of UK pensions legislation, regulation, and codes of practice. You have successful experience of managing key operations individuals in a Pensions Administration business, managing change, goal setting for the key leaders in the business and in leading performance management across the business.

You have a strong desire to help our Company profitably grow and flourish and to take a leading role how services are delivered, supporting new business activity and how our proposition will evolve and adapt to market and technological trends. You have excellent written and verbal communication skills. You have the relevant gravitas and leadership skills to act as a role model and mentor to guide and support both junior and senior colleagues.

You will have excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple schemes. You exhibit the highest standard of professionalism and ethical behaviour, and are pragmatic and adaptable. You are capable of negotiating and influencing decision making at a strategic/complex level by putting forward a persuasive, reasoned argument for why a particular course of action should be taken or avoided.

You have strong inter‑personal skills and is capable of building strong relationships and proactively engaging with members of the Leadership Team, key individuals within the firm and the pensions industry. You are pro‑active and have the ability to work on your own initiative and is a collaborative team player who will work well with the wider team. You will have extensive expensive in managing and supporting internal and external audits of your team’s adherence to process and procedures (e.g. AAF 01/20, ISAE
3402, ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 22301).

Reporting to the Head of Pensions Delivery (Ongoing Schemes), the role involves the following (which may not be an exhaustive list and will evolve over time)

• Accountability for the service delivery by your team to your portfolio of clients.
• Active contribution to…