Pensions Team Leader (Benefits Processing)

London Borough of Sutton; Sutton No. 103; On-site; CAD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A municipal pension service provider in Canada seeks a leader for the Benefits Processing Team. You will oversee casework delivery, manage team performance, and implement quality assurance processes. The ideal candidate has strong LGPS expertise, team leadership experience, and a solid understanding of payroll management. This role offers a supportive work environment and a comprehensive benefits package including generous leave, flexible working arrangements, and professional development opportunities.

Benefits

Generous annual leave of 26-31 days

Enhanced family leave policies

Flexible Working arrangements

Learning and development opportunities

Discounts on local amenities

Interest-free season ticket loans

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Strong technical knowledge of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and experience in benefits administration.
• Experience in leading or supervising a team with performance management skills.
• Experience checking and authorising work to ensure accuracy in complex calculations.
• Experience managing or checking pensioner payroll processes for accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the delivery of all core casework for the Benefits Processing Team.
• Manage and motivate a team of Pensions Officers with performance management.
• Act as the point of escalation for complex, non-standard cases.
• Ensure quality control of calculations and compliance with regulations.
• Identify and implement process improvements for service efficiency.

Skills

LGPS Expertise

Team Leadership

Quality Assurance

Payroll Knowledge

Job description

About the Role

As the lead for the Benefits Processing Team, you will oversee the delivery of all core casework. The team manages complex calculations and ensures that our members’ benefits are paid accurately and on time.

• Team Leadership: You will manage and motivate a busy team of Pensions Officers, conducting regular 1-to-1s, managing performance against KPIs, and supporting their professional development through coaching and training.
• Technical Escalation: You will act as the primary point of escalation for the team, resolving complex, non-standard cases and handling sensitive member queries that require a senior level of judgment.
• Quality Assurance: You will own the quality control process for your team, checking and authorising calculations to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations.
• Payroll Management: You will jointly oversee the monthly pensioner payroll process, ensuring all new retirements and changes are processed correctly before the final payment run.
• Process Improvement: You will proactively identify and implement improvements to workflows and systems to make the service faster and more efficient for our members.

About you

We are looking for a supportive leader who can drive the team forward and act as the primary source of technical guidance on complex cases.

• LGPS Expertise: You must have strong technical knowledge of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) and experience administering benefits, including retirements, deaths, and transfers.
• Team Leadership: You have experience in leading or supervising a team. You know how to manage performance, handle day-to-day HR issues (like sickness or appraisals), and motivate staff to meet strict deadlines.
• Quality Assurance: You must have experience checking and authorising the work of others, with the ability to spot errors in complex calculations before they reach the member.
• Payroll Knowledge: You should have experience managing or checking pensioner payroll processes, ensuring that lump sums and regular payments are processed accurately and on time.

About Us

The Sutton and Kingston Shared Pensions Service delivers a high-quality administration function for the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) across two London Boroughs. With a combined team of 28 staff, we manage the pension records for over 38, members and + scheme employers.

The Benefits Processing Team delivers the core administration for the Fund, including transfers, deaths, and retirements, and ensures that members' benefits are paid accurately and on time.

Our Offer To You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 26-31 days plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade
• Enhanced Maternity, paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Two volunteering days per year
• Flexible Working - Smarter Working Scheme (dependent on the role)
• Adjustable and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Zip car scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support