Pensions & Benefits Project Specialist

Maximum ManagementFrazer Jones USA; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading HR consultancy is seeking a skilled Pensions & Benefits Project Specialist to join their team in London on a hybrid basis. This role involves managing pension schemes, ensuring compliance with UK regulations, and overseeing employee benefits programs. Candidates should have over 5 years of relevant experience, a strong understanding of pension legislation, and excellent analytical skills. This position offers the chance to contribute to process improvements in a dynamic environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in pensions and/or employee benefits within HR or shared services.
• Strong knowledge of UK pension legislation and auto-enrolment.
• Experience with large data sets and reconciliation.

Responsibilities

• Administer and manage workplace pension schemes.
• Act as the primary liaison with pension providers.
• Manage vendor relationships and benefit enrolment.

Skills

Experience in pensions and/or employee benefits

Knowledge of UK pension legislation

Experience managing large data sets

Proficiency in Microsoft Excel

Excellent communication skills

Tools

HRIS systems

Job description

Pensions & Benefits Project Specialist

Contract: 6-month FTC (with potential extension) – pro rated

Location: London (Hybrid)

About the Role

My client is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Pensions & Benefits Specialist to join the HR Operations team on a project basis. This role will focus on managing large data sets, advising on the appropriateness of pension arrangements, and ensuring compliance during a period of transformation. You will work alongside the Benefits Manager, who leads on pensions, and contribute to benefits harmonisation and process optimisation projects.

Key Responsibilities

Pensions

• Administer and manage workplace pension schemes, including auto-enrolment, contribution uploads, opt-in/out tracking, and monthly reconciliation.
• Act as the primary liaison with pension providers.
• Manage joiner/leaver pension processes and employee transfers.
• Ensure compliance with UK pension regulations and legislative requirements (The Pensions Regulator, auto-enrolment duties).
• Coordinate pension communications and support employees with queries.

Benefits

• Partner with the Benefits Manager to oversee day-to-day operations of core and voluntary benefits (medical, dental, life assurance, EAP, etc.).
• Manage vendor relationships, renewals, eligibility, and enrolments.
• Support annual benefits renewal process, including data analysis and reporting.
• Maintain accurate benefit enrolment data across HRIS and vendor systems.
• Handle benefit-related queries and lead onboarding/training sessions.
• Assist in updating internal pages/templates and creating communications to enhance the value of the benefit proposition.

Reporting & Compliance

• Prepare monthly and ad-hoc reports for payroll, finance, and HR.
• Support audits and ensure GDPR/data privacy compliance.

Projects & Process Improvement

• Contribute to benefits harmonisation and integration projects.
• Document SOPs and drive process improvements.
• Participate in benchmarking and employee feedback analysis.

Qualifications & Experience

Essential:

• 5+ years’ experience in pensions and/or employee benefits within HR or shared services.
• Strong knowledge of UK pension legislation, auto-enrolment, and benefits programmes.
• Experience managing large data sets and reconciling data accurately.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and HRIS systems.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of international benefits (EMEA/global).
• Project management experience (Agile or similar).

The SR Group (UK) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.