Pension and Benefits Co-ordinator

Sopra Steria - UK; North East; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm is seeking a Pension and Benefits Adviser to lead the management of various pension schemes and employee benefits in Newcastle. You will handle pension administration, ensure compliance, and manage employee benefits, while demonstrating deep expertise in pension matters. Join a dynamic team in a hybrid role that emphasizes collaboration and positive impact.

Qualifications

• Solid understanding of multiple pension schemes including reporting and compliance.
• Experience with resolving issues in employee benefits programs.
• Ability to manage multiple schemes and handle time-sensitive tasks.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end pension administration processes.
• Prepare and explain pension exit statements.
• Support compliance with pension legislation, tax rules, and GDPR.
• Handle monthly payroll-linked benefits.
• Act as pension Subject Matter Expert and deliver training.

Skills

Understanding of Civil Service pension schemes

Experience with employee benefits programs

Skilled in HRIS and payroll systems

Advanced Excel skills

Problem-solving abilities

High attention to detail

Education

Professional pension or payroll qualification

GCSE A/B or equivalent

Tools

Payroll systems

Advanced Excel

Job description

Are you an experienced pension professional looking to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic shared service environment? We have a new and exciting role for a dedicated Pension and Benefits Adviser to lead the accurate administration and management of multiple pension schemes and employee benefits.

With pensions at the heart of this role, we’re looking for someone who has hands-on experience across various schemes—ideally including government or civil service pensions—and who may have worked in payroll with crossover into pensions administration. If you bring deep pension expertise, we’ll support you in developing the benefits side.

The People Hub will be joining us in the Newcastle office in the coming months, following a transition of its operations out of Stockton. This brings new opportunity to our Newcastle teams, as we hire into this area.

You’ll be based onsite at our Newcastle office three days a week (Tuesday to Thursday), with the flexibility to work from home on the remaining days. During the initial training period, occasional travel to our Stockton office may be required.

What you'll be doing:

1. Pension Administration: Lead end-to-end processes across multiple schemes (e.g., PCSPS, NHS, LGPS), including joiners, leavers, AVCs, salary sacrifice, and statutory reporting. Provide expert guidance on complex pension queries and liaise with providers to support accurate processing.
2. Exit & Retirement: Prepare and explain pension exit statements and retirement options, ensuring timely and accurate benefit processing.
3. Compliance & Reporting: Support adherence to pension legislation, tax rules, and GDPR. Submit statutory reports and maintain up-to-date policies aligned with legislative changes.
4. Benefits Administration: Be responsible for monthly payroll-linked benefits (e.g., health insurance, PMI, life assurance), including handling Death in Service claims and resolving provider issues.
5. Subject Matter Expertise & Engagement: Act as the pensions SME, delivering training and collaborating with HR, payroll, finance, and external administrators to promote seamless operations and high-quality approaches.

What you’ll bring:

• Solid understanding of Civil Service, NHS, and LGPS pension schemes, including reporting, compliance, and multi-scheme administration.
• Experience with employee benefits programs and resolving provider issues.
• Skilled in HRIS, payroll systems, and advanced Excel; familiarity with case management tools.
• High attention to detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and the ability to explain complex pension matters clearly and empathetically.
• Capable of handling multiple schemes and time-sensitive tasks in a shared services or HR operations environment.
• High numeracy and literacy (GCSE A/B or equivalent); professional pension or payroll qualification desirable.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent.
Location: Newcastle (Hybrid - 3 days PW).
Security Clearance Level: SC.
Internal Recruiter: Becky.
Level: 1+

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

Our business is, first and foremost, about people. And it always has been. The solutions we develop are driven by the connections they make and the problems they solve. Our services only matter if they work for people and if they serve a greater purpose. Known for our collaborative approach, we provide consulting and digital services, creating innovative solutions, at scale, to deliver sustainable growth and services that make life better.

Our work touches many lives in the UK. From helping the Government provide essential public and health services that offer more convenience and choice, to improving financial services to deliver fairer, customer-centric solutions.

Together we are building a better future by delivering real and lasting value.

We are just at the start of what we can achieve together. Come and join us!