Pensions Project Consultant - De-Risking (RST)

XPS Group; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual discretionary bonus

25 days holiday with buy/sell flexibility

Pension matching

Healthcare plans

Life assurance

Retailer discounts

Paid volunteer days

Job summary

XPS Group in the UK is seeking a Consultant to manage De-Risking projects with a focus on pension administration. The role requires excellent client/project management experience and a thorough understanding of defined benefit pensions. The successful candidate will lead tasks, communicate with stakeholders, and ensure all projects are completed accurately and efficiently. A competitive salary and flexible benefits are offered in a supportive work environment with opportunities for remote work.

Qualifications

• Experience from project conception to implementation.
• Significant manual calculation experience in DB pensions.
• Ability to manage documentation effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead the De-Risking (Buy-In/Buy-Out) project tasks.
• Communicate with stakeholders to ensure project success.
• Monitor project scope and budget effectively.

Skills

Client/Project Management

Understanding of DB pensions

Organisational skills

Stakeholder management

IT proficiency in MS Office

Problem-solving skills

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

About XPS Group

XPS Group is a prominent and growing 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.

Employment Details

Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time

Grade: Consultant

Remote: Yes

Reference: REQ003611

About the Role

Remote working opportunities with occasional office visits to an XPS office for team building – location and frequency to be discussed at interview.

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.

Key Projects

• GMP Rectification & Equalisation
• Buy‑In/Buy‑Out related De‑Risking
• Data cleansing
• Ad hoc projects such as scheme closures, benefit rectifications and liability reduction exercises

Key Responsibilities

• Performing the role of Scheme Lead, maintaining responsibility for all data‑related items in a De‑Risking (Buy‑In/Buy‑Out) project.
• Attending meetings with relevant stakeholders to discuss and plan tasks, taking a leading role to ensure effective and efficient guidance.
• Delivering tasks in line with agreed deadlines and communicating with all relevant stakeholders.
• Managing resources assigned to task completion, planning, developing and providing feedback to the resource within the team.
• Planning, reviewing and authorising tasks alongside assigned resources.

Specific Tasks

• Acting as the main point of contact for the De‑Risking team to ensure team interests are represented during project‑management meetings.
• Reviewing and querying Benefit Specifications provided for a De‑Risking project alongside scheme data.
• Extracting, interpreting, analysing and processing data from several sources (i.e. administration systems, calculated benefits, GMPE results, etc.).
• Undertaking bulk manual calculations such as CSP calculations, benefit rectification and benefit audits.
• Setting up and leading “Kick‑off” calls with all relevant parties to discuss the reason for the task, the process to be followed and any expected issues with potential resolutions.
• Monitoring the overall process of the De‑Risking project from a scope and budget perspective, ensuring stakeholders are contacted prior to any scope change or additional cost.
• Leading the planning process for tasks, reviewing work undertaken and authorising that the completed task is fit for purpose.
• Providing ad‑hoc/on‑the‑job training to assigned resources as required.
• Ensuring all projects/tasks are completed in an auditable manner, providing feedback to resources where best practice has not been followed.
• Providing regular updates to the team manager and relevant stakeholders during scheduled meetings and on an ad‑hoc basis.
• Occasional travel may be required; the job holder may from time to time be required to undertake other activities of a similar nature that fall within their capabilities.

Your Profile

• Client/Project Management experience from project conception to implementation.
• Thorough understanding of DB pensions with significant manual calculation experience.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Strong stakeholder‑management skills.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills to all levels.
• Ability to multi‑task and respond to changing priorities.
• Able to take ownership and responsibility for own work.
• IT proficiency in MS Office with a strong ability in Excel.
• Ability to create and manage documentation.
• Able to work as part of a multi‑disciplined team.
• Flexible approach to work pressures.
• Good problem‑solving skills.
• A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail in documentation.
• Strong belief in adhering to deadlines and quality service.
• Effective interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and build long‑term working relationships at all levels, both internal and external to the organisation.
• Able to recognise the need for a customer‑focused approach to delivery both in terms of quality and exceeding customer expectations.
• Forming successful professional relationships both internally and externally.

What We Offer

Enjoy a competitive salary, annual discretionary bonus, and 25 days’ holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance and retailer discounts. We support our team with a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance and a digital GP service. Participation in volunteering events is encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for introducing suitable candidates to XPS.

Equal Opportunities 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 made 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.