Senior Pension Administration Operations Manager

Gallagher; Manchester; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading benefits consultancy in Manchester is seeking a Senior Manager in Pension Administration Operations to enhance operational efficiency and lead a skilled team. Responsibilities include developing strategies, managing client relationships, and ensuring high-quality service delivery. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in Defined Benefit pension schemes and team leadership. This role offers competitive compensation and a range of benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Defined contribution pension scheme

Life insurance 4x salary

Income protection

Health cash plan or Private medical insurance

Employee Stock Purchase plan

Discounted gym membership

Access to a discounted voucher portal

Emergency back-up family care

Qualifications

• Proven experience in Defined Benefit pension scheme administration and team leadership.
• Expertise in process reengineering and workflow optimisation.
• Strong understanding of legislative and regulatory requirements in pension administration.

Responsibilities

• Lead pension administration activities to improve operational efficiency.
• Develop and implement strategies for the team’s book of business.
• Establish performance standards to enhance efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Skills

Defined Benefit pension scheme administration

Team leadership

Process reengineering

Workflow optimisation

Strong communication

Collaborator leadership

Education

Relevant degree in finance, business, or related field

Job description

Introduction

At Gallagher Benefit Services, you’re a trusted partner to organizations navigating some of their most important people decisions.

We help clients build better workplaces, where people feel supported, empowered, and inspired to thrive. Whether it’s shaping benefit strategies, designing wellbeing programs, or advising on workforce challenges, the work you do here creates meaningful change for businesses and the people who power them.

We’re a community of bold explorers, trusted experts, and compassionate partners; working side by side to solve problems, and shape the future of work. Here, curiosity is encouraged, collaboration is second nature, and your ideas have room to grow.

If you’re looking for a place where your contribution matters and where you can help build a better world of work; think of Gallagher.

Overview

We are looking for a motivated and skilled Senior Manager specialising in Pension Administration Operations to lead and improve our pension administration activities in Manchester. This role plays a crucial part in improving operational efficiency, enhancing technical support, and encouraging professional growth within the Pension Administration team. You will work closely with the Head of Pension Administration to ensure the delivery of high‑quality services and the continuous improvement of processes.

How you'll make an impact

• Run TPA service activities and staff to deliver the highest standards in service and client relationships.
• Develop and implement the overall strategy for the team’s book of business.
• Participate in new business presentations, client meetings, and drafting responses to business proposals (RFPs).
• Plan, coordinate, and lead cross‑functional teams to implement customer programmes as outlined in proposals.
• Establish and uphold performance standards for employees to improve efficiency and customer happiness.
• Build and maintain strong market relationships to support current and future business opportunities.
• Foster teamwork and positive relationships between sales and service teams.
• Identify and develop processes to evaluate programme performance and implement guidelines.
• Manage assigned staff, establish individual goals, and evaluate performance outcomes.
• Coordinate team training and development to ensure continuous improvement.

About You

The ideal candidate will have proven experience in Defined Benefit pension scheme administration and team leadership, alongside expertise in process reengineering and workflow optimisation. Strong communication and collaborator leadership skills are essential, as is a detailed understanding of legislative and regulatory requirements in pension administration. Experience in delivering training and fostering professional development initiatives is also highly desirable.

Compensation and benefits

On top of a competitive salary, great teams and exciting career opportunities, we also offer a wide range of benefits.

Below are the minimum core benefits you’ll get, depending on your job level these benefits may improve:

• Minimum of 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays, and the option to ‘buy’ extra days
• Defined contribution pension scheme, which Gallagher will also contribute to
• Life insurance, which will pay 4x your basic annual salary, which you can top‑up to 10x
• Income protection, we’ll cover up to 50% of your annual income, with options to top up
• Health cash plan or Private medical insurance

Other benefits include:

• Three fully paid volunteering days per year
• Employee Stock Purchase plan, offering company shares at a discount
• Share incentive plan, HMRC approved, tax effective, stock purchase plan
• Critical illness cover
• Discounted gym membership, with over 3,000 gyms nationally
• Season ticket loan
• Access to a discounted voucher portal to save money on your weekly shop or next big purchase
• Emergency back‑up family care
• And many more…

We value inclusion and diversity

Inclusion and diversity (I&D) is a core part of our business, and it’s embedded into the fabric of our organisation. For more than 95 years, Gallagher has led with a commitment to sustainability and to support the communities where we live and work.

Gallagher embraces our employees’ diverse identities, experiences and talents, allowing us to better serve our clients and communities. We see inclusion as a conscious commitment and diversity as a vital strength. By embracing diversity in all its forms, we live out The Gallagher Way to its fullest.

Gallagher is Disability Confident Committed. We have pledged to make sure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, in addition to supporting our existing employees with any long‑term health conditions or disabilities.

We understand that applicants may have disabilities, if you do, you may find some parts of the recruitment process more challenging than others. Don’t worry, we’re here to help, however, we can only do this if you let us know.

Should you require reasonable adjustments to your application, please get in touch with [e-mail] . If you’d prefer to speak on the phone, please request a call back, leaving details, so we get in touch.

Our employing entity, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Limited, is proud to be accredited as a Living Wage employer with the Living Wage Foundation. We are committed to diversity and opportunity for all and are opposed to any form of less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender or gender identity, marital status, civil partnership status, parental status, race, ethnicity, colour, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion/ belief, age and those with caring responsibilities.

Gallagher believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any form of discrimination by its managers, employees, vendors or customers based on race, color, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy status), sexual orientation, gender identity (which includes transgender and other gender non‑conforming individuals), gender expression, hair expression, marital status, parental status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected (herein referred to as “protected characteristics”) by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Equal employment opportunity will be extended in all aspects of the employer‑employee relationship, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, layoff, and termination. In addition, Gallagher will make reasonable accommodations to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.