Pensions Operations Manager - Defined Contributions

About XPS Group

XPS Group is a prominent and growing UK consultancy and administration firm within the pensions and insurance sectors. As a FTSE 250 company with over 2000 employees, we leverage expertise alongside advanced technology to serve over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsors. Our goal is to foster a workplace where diverse talents thrive.

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Permanent, Full Time

Senior Consultant

Hybrid

Our teams of pension administrators provide services to a wide range of trust‑based company pension schemes, including defined benefit, defined contribution, career average revalued earnings, and hybrid schemes. Our administrative approach is scheme‑based; one team is responsible for every aspect of each client’s service, enabling us to build the best possible relationships and provide the clarity of focus each scheme deserves.

Your role initially will be to provide full‑time management of our DC Master Trust Member Administration team with a particular focus on aspects such as quality assurance, complaint management, people, and process development.

Reporting to the Head of DC Administration, you will be actively involved in the delivery of our DC administration services. You will aid the overall Master Trust and DC administration functions in delivering three overall aims:

• Quality – delivering an industry‑leading quality service
• Profit – running an efficient and profitable operation
• Long‑term sustainability – investing in our clients, people and systems

In pursuit of these aims, your objectives would be to assist the Head of DC Administration to:

• Contribute to maintaining the high‑quality standards required within the company and continually enhance the quality and long‑term sustainability of the services provided to our clients across the business.
• Manage and continually develop the pension’s administration capability by demonstrating positive leadership skills and actively mentoring Administration Managers and their Deputies when required.
• Actively contribute to the attraction, training and retention of employees by recruiting appropriately and motivating, rewarding and developing existing employees. Manage HR issues and coordinate administration resources.
• Represent XPS in the management of member‑related administration tasks, ensuring these are fully documented, monitored and completed in line with customer and legislation requirements.
• Participate in on‑going detailed analysis and improvement of the efficiency of our systems and processes, working collaboratively with other areas of the Pension Administration business.
• Develop the commercial aspects of the function, involving Administration Managers in tendering and client‑facing work, billing effectively for value added to clients, and ensuring that profit is delivered.
• Assist the Client Managers with day‑to‑day management of client relationships with all parties involved in the operation of the Schemes, scheme members and Employers.
• Prepare for and, where appropriate, participate in client meetings.
• Assist on tendering processes, creating responses to tenders and assisting with the administration aspects of tenders.
• Build strong and productive relationships with staff across the business, in all other offices.
• Assist on strategic business change and effectively manage the implementation of new practices and processes.
• Contribute to business‑wide process and systems change.

Due to the changing nature of the business, the job holder may from time to time be required to undertake other activities of a similar nature that fall within their capabilities.

• Experienced and successful pension professional with a strong track record in managing, developing and delivering DC pensions administration services.
• Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of technical pension administration activities, including DC member‑related activities and the ability to apply this knowledge to any scheme.
• Previous pensions administration experience of Defined Contributions (DC) schemes, including handling complex DC queries.
• Good understanding of the governance requirements of a DC Scheme. Knowledge…