Implementation Manager (85555B0)

Referment; Crawley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Referment is working with a UK financial services organisation to recruit an Implementation Manager responsible for leading employer onboarding and ensuring workplace pension launches move from scope to live service.

You will combine structured project management with consultative client work, acting as the main implementation contact, translating employer objectives and payroll requirements into actionable delivery plans while coordinating internal specialists to deliver successfully.

Qualifications

• Significant experience implementing UK workplace pension schemes and managing employer onboarding projects.
• Strong understanding of defined contribution pensions and moving employers into live service.
• Proven project planning, governance and risk-management capability.
• Confidence working directly with employers, payroll teams and senior business stakeholders.
• Excellent workshop facilitation and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to explain regulatory information clearly with close attention to detail.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner, Foundation or equivalent qualification.

Responsibilities

• Lead multiple workplace pension implementations from initial planning through to completion, maintaining plans, milestones, governance, risks and dependencies.
• Build trusted relationships with employers through proactive communication, workshops and practical guidance throughout onboarding.
• Understand employer operating models and payroll requirements, then shape workable implementation solutions and challenge assumptions to reduce risk or speed delivery.
• Coordinate activity across operations, payroll, compliance and client relationship teams, keeping responsibilities and hand-offs clear.
• Contribute implementation expertise during new-business discussions and support an orderly transition into delivery.
• Make sure projects meet regulatory, governance and risk requirements, escalating issues and dependencies at the right time.
• Identify improvements to implementation quality and efficiency, and share knowledge or coaching with colleagues.

Skills

Pension implementations

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Payroll coordination

Regulatory knowledge

PRINCE2 qualification

Job description

Referment is working with a UK financial services organisation that provides workplace pensions to employers and their employees. The business is looking for an Implementation Manager to lead employer onboarding and make sure new workplace pension arrangements move from agreed scope into a well-controlled, successful launch.

This is a consultative delivery role combining structured project management with direct employer engagement. You will be the main implementation contact, translating each employer's objectives, operating model and payroll requirements into a practical delivery plan while coordinating the internal specialists needed to complete it.

The Role

• Lead multiple workplace pension implementations from initial planning through to completion, maintaining clear plans, milestones, governance, risks and dependencies.
• Build trusted relationships with employers through proactive communication, workshops and practical guidance throughout onboarding.
• Understand employer operating models and payroll requirements, then shape workable implementation solutions and challenge assumptions where a different approach would reduce risk or improve delivery.
• Coordinate activity across operations, distribution, payroll, compliance and client relationship teams, keeping responsibilities and hand-offs clear.
• Contribute implementation expertise during new-business discussions and support an orderly transition into delivery.
• Make sure projects meet relevant regulatory, governance and risk requirements, escalating issues and dependencies at the right time.
• Identify improvements to implementation quality and efficiency, and share knowledge or coaching with colleagues.

What We're Looking For

• Significant experience implementing UK workplace pension schemes and managing employer onboarding projects.
• A strong understanding of defined contribution pensions and the processes involved in moving an employer into live service.
• Demonstrable project planning, governance and risk-management capability, including the ability to manage several implementations and competing deadlines.
• Confidence working directly with employers, payroll teams and senior business stakeholders.
• Strong workshop facilitation and relationship-management skills, including the judgement to handle challenging conversations constructively.
• The ability to explain technical or regulatory information clearly to different audiences, with close attention to detail.
• PRINCE2 Practitioner, PRINCE2 Foundation with a commitment to progress, or an equivalent project-management qualification.

This could suit an implementation or onboarding professional from a workplace pension provider, master trust, employee-benefits consultancy or pensions administration environment who enjoys combining hands-on delivery with consultative client work.

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