Pension Administrator

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; St Helens; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in England is urgently seeking a Pension Administrator to support its Pensions team. The ideal candidate will possess excellent customer service skills and a strong attention to detail. Responsibilities include preparing and updating NHS Pension records and ensuring compliance with regulations. Candidates should have experience in similar administrative roles, with proficiency in Microsoft Excel and be comfortable managing their workload. Training will be provided for the role, which offers a salary between £24,937 and £26,598 per annum.

Qualifications

• Experience using an electronic payroll system.
• Knowledge of payroll and pension procedures.
• Experience in a customer service environment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure queries from external agencies are dealt with effectively.
• Maintain confidentiality of information at all times.
• Participate in pension record processing and ensure accuracy.

Skills

Customer service skills

Excellent communication skills

Attention to detail

Ability to manage workload

Computer literacy

Education

GCSE level or equivalent

NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration

ECDL Qualification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Pension Administrator

The closing date is 23 December 2025

We are urgently seeking a Pensions Administrator with excellent customer service skills to support our busy Pensions team.

Reporting to the Pensions Team Leader, your job is to accurately prepare and update the NHS Pension/ NEST records/payments via ESR and POL in accordance with the NHS Pension regulations, The Pension Regulator legislation, internal procedures and statutory obligations. Training will be provided.

Attention to detail is essential as is providing excellent customer service, first time every time. You will have excellent communication skills both verbal and written. A working knowledge of Microsoft software, particularly Excel together with the ability to build effective working relationships at all levels.

Interview date - To Be Confirmed

Main duties of the job

Working as part of a team to undertake the preparation and updating of NHS Pension/ NEST records/payments via ESR and POL in accordance with the NHS Pension regulations, The Pension Regulator legislation, Trust's SFI's, internal procedures and statutory obligations.

The JD & PS are currently under AfC review and are subject to change

About us

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

• Acute Care Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
• Primary Care Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
• Community Services Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
• Specialist Regional Services We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

You will be expected to undertake the Trusts' commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Job responsibilities

KEY DUTIES

• Ensure that queries relating to external agencies are dealt with promptly, courteously and effectively.
• Maintain confidentiality and security of information at all times.
• Identify discrepancies, unusual features or queries at any point in the process and either resolve or refer to the appropriate officer for action.
• Ensure all documentation is filed in accordance with departmental procedures and that stored material is in good condition and readily retrievable to respond to queries and for audit purposes.
• Participate in pension record processing ensuring timescales are met, the Trusts policies and procedures are followed and all information is accurate and up-to-date. Key outcomes will be to:-
• Complete pension record processing within the necessary timescales and in accordance with internal/external pension procedures.
• To be fully conversant with the effective utilisation of the NHS Pensions Online system, including data entry, system navigation and report generation.
• Validate all output from the monthly pension interface process to ensure all employees records have been updated.
• Process appropriate reports, schedules and documents and, if appropriate, print and distribute each payroll period.
• Undertake presentations at Trust inductions providing basic NHS Pension information.
• Interpretation of AfC / Trust terms and conditions of employment relating pensions.
• Interpretation and application of statutory regulations regarding pensions.
• Undertaking on-going Data Cleanse activities in respect of NHS Pensions.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with other individuals of the Directorate, other officers of the Trust, colleagues from the NHS Executive, NHS Pensions and officers from other agencies to ensure the delivery of a professional service focused on achieving a high level of customer satisfaction. Key outcomes will be to:-
• Effectively liaise with agencies and statutory bodies on all matters relating to the pension functions.
• Effectively liaise with Finance colleagues on all matters relating to the workplace pension schemes.
• Respond promptly and courteously to all correspondence and enquiries from individuals, statutory bodies and requests for information from NHS Pensions/NEST, or other appropriate organisations.
• Participate effectively and promptly in the provision and analysis of accurate financial, statistical and management information.
• Advise managers and staff on local and national regulations, completion of pension documentation and employees pension membership.
• Provide information, excluding financial advice to employees on all matters related to pension contributions and the NHS Pension Scheme, accurately, promptly and courteously.

TRAINING

• Maintain own compliance with the Trusts mandatory and statutory training requirements.
• Demonstrate activities in own area to new staff to support induction training.
• Develop skills and competencies of self through training and development activities, ensuring that progress is maintained and future needs identified and actioned.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level and/or equivalent qualification and/or equivalent experience in similar administrator role
• NVQ Level 2 in Business Administration and/or equivalent qualification and/or work experience in an administrative role
• ECDL Qualification and/or equivalent level of qualifications and/or experience

Knowledge and Experience

• Knowledge of payroll & pension procedures
• Experience of using an electronic payroll system
• Experience of working in a customer service environment
• Knowledge of legislation applicable to payroll & pension Auto Enrolment
• Knowledge of NHS payroll & pension procedures and legislation
• Experience of processing NHS Pension forms

Skills

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to provide accurate advice regarding pension processes
• Able to manage own workload and priorities to ensure payroll & pension deadlines are met
• Accurate data input requiring attention to detail and accuracy
• Computer literate including the use of Microsoft Office applications of Excel, Word and Outlook
• Excellent planning and organisational skills
• Able to work on own initiative, with minimum supervision and able to problem solve using own judgement
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality
• Confident to handle queries from all levels of staff
• Excellent customer service skills with ability to build professional rapport with a wide range of stakeholders
• Resilient under pressure and able to work at pace to meet stretching deadlines

Other

• Eager to learn and develop skills and knowledge
• Good team player and can demonstrate ability to work as an effective team member and work alone
• Adaptable to change

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

£24,937 to £26,598 a yearper annum, pro rata