Pensions Administrator

XPS Group; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension matching

Healthcare

Life assurance

Retailer discounts

Flexible benefits scheme

Employee assistance

Digital GP service

25 days holiday (buy/sell)

Job summary

XPS Group in Belfast is seeking a Senior Associate to join our pensions administration team. You will work on defined benefit and other scheme types, ensuring accurate processing, timely updates and compliant service delivery for a portfolio of client schemes.

This role emphasizes strong customer service, technical accuracy and mentoring of junior staff, with a hybrid working arrangement and opportunities to develop professional pensions qualifications.

Qualifications

• Fundamental knowledge of pensions administration applicable to any scheme.
• Defined Benefit experience including leavers, retirements, transfers, and pension increases.
• Knowledge of pensions legislation and regulatory framework.
• Experience checking and mentoring junior staff desirable.
• Third-party and in-house pensions administration experience preferred.
• Demonstrated numerical aptitude through work or academics.
• IT proficiency in Word, Excel and Outlook.

Responsibilities

• Adhering to best practice procedures in pensions administration.
• Handling data processing, renewals, benefit statements and life assurance projects.
• Ensuring documentation is scheme-specific and integrated into procedures.
• Monitoring procedural developments and implementing changes.
• First-level and final checks for junior staff work and non‑financial changes.
• Providing informal training and mentoring to junior team members.
• Managing client queries and acting as first point of contact.
• Running automated system calculations and manual benefits calculations.
• Developing knowledge of clients and schemes, participating in ad-hoc projects.
• Updating pension administration databases and systems.

Skills

Pensions administration

Numerical aptitude

Attention to detail

Client service

Education

A Level or Degree or equivalent

GCSE Maths and English (B or above)

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

About XPS Group

XPS Group is a prominent 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.

Location: Belfast

Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time
Hybrid

Grade: Senior Associate

About the Role

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. The administrative approach is scheme‑based; one team is responsible for every aspect of each client’s service, enabling strong relationships and focused delivery. We place equal emphasis on excellent customer service, technical proficiency, and quality control for the benefit of scheme members.

Key Responsibilities

• Adhering to best practice procedures in all aspects of pensions administration as defined by the company.
• Participating in annual projects such as renewals, benefit statements, life assurance, PHI and pension increases; handling data processing and administration tasks and ensuring complete monitoring and compliance with customer and legislation requirements.
• Ensuring standard documentation is scheme specific and incorporating them into existing procedures.
• Monitoring ongoing procedural developments and implementing changes where required.
• First‑level checking of work completed by junior staff and final checking of non‑financial work such as changes of address.
• Informal training and mentoring of junior team members.
• Receiving and handling internal and external telephone queries and becoming first point of contact for clients where applicable.
• Running automated systems calculations.
• Performing manual benefits calculations.
• Developing intermediate knowledge of clients and associated schemes.
• Taking responsibility for ad‑hoc projects and exercises.
• Assisting the team with project‑related work such as bulk mailshots to scheme members.
• Updating relevant pension administration databases and systems.
• Dealing with complex pensions queries.
• Handling both Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) queries.
• Assisting in non‑client related work such as technical committees, training and events.
• Working closely with other departments/teams internal and external to the company to provide a total service to our clients, e.g., Pensions Accounts, Payroll, Administration Support and a 3rd‑party IT software provider.
• Ensuring accurate updating of the time‑recording system (Virtual Office) for both chargeable and non‑chargeable activities and meeting utilisation targets.

Essential

• Fundamental knowledge of pensions administration activities applicable to any scheme.
• Previous experience in Defined Benefit schemes including leavers, retirements, deaths, transfers in, transfers out, monthly processing and investment, benefit statements, renewals, and pension increases; broadly 2 years of experience preferred.
• Knowledge of current pensions legislation and framework, especially the regulatory requirements of the Various Pensions and Finance Acts.
• Experience of checking and mentoring junior staff desirable.
• Third‑party pensions administration experience preferred; extensive in‑house pensions department experience considered.
• Demonstrated numerical aptitude evidenced by work or academic achievements.
• IT proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.

Qualifications

• Educated to a minimum of A Level or Degree or equivalent standard.
• Ideally a minimum of three C grades or above at A Level or equivalent qualification.
• Strong Maths and English GCSE or equivalent qualification – minimum grade B.

Desirable

• Studying for or willingness to study a relevant pension qualification (e.g., CPC/QPA/DPC/RPC/APMI).
• Experience of informal mentoring and management of junior staff.

What We Offer

A competitive salary, discretionary annual bonus, and 25 days’ holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance, retailer discounts, a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance, and a digital GP service. Volunteering events are encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for suitable candidates.

Equal Opportunity Statement

XPS Group is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief. As a Disability Confident employer, we ensure accessible and supportive work settings for all employees.

Eligibility

Any employment offer will be conditional upon satisfying DBS Disclosure checks, employment or educational references, satisfactory credit checks and eligibility to work in the UK. XPS Group is not able to provide sponsorship to employees.