Principal Pensions Officer

BMA Foundation; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday entitlement

Pension contributions

Leave for volunteering

Maternity/Paternity leave

Life assurance

Learning and development

Season ticket loan

Flexible benefits

Job summary

The British Medical Association, a UK doctors' trade union, is seeking a Principal Pensions Officer to lead expert NHS Pension Scheme guidance and pension policy across the membership.

You will manage a caseload, provide line management to Pensions Officers, and represent member interests with pension bodies while delivering training and stakeholder engagement. This remote role supports doctors nationwide.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of the NHS Pension Scheme and broader pensions legislation.
• Experience advising on complex pension matters and interpreting technical regulations.
• Strong analytical skills for reviewing complex pension calculations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, explaining technical info clearly to non-specialists.
• Experience presenting complex information to groups and delivering training or educational sessions.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on NHS Pension Scheme regulations, wider pension arrangements and related tax legislation.
• Support members via telephone, email, and webforms.
• Analyze and assess complex pension calculations and information.
• Represent members’ interests with pension agencies or third-party organisations.
• Deliver presentations, seminars and member events.
• Produce and maintain member-facing guidance, newsletters and online resources.
• Identify emerging pension issues and contribute to policy improvements.
• Represent the BMA at review groups and external forums.
• Provide training and technical guidance to colleagues.
• Line manage designated Pensions Officers and support their development.

Skills

NHS Pension Scheme

Pension regulation

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Training delivery

Line management

Independent work

Job description

Principal Pensions Officer

Job Overview

About the BMA

The British Medical Association (BMA) is the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK. We represent, support and negotiate on behalf of all UK doctors and medical students.

Join the BMA at a crucial time for doctors and the NHS and be part of a team working for better pay and conditions for the profession.

About the role

We’re looking for a Principal Pensions Officer to play a key role in providing expert pensions advice and support to BMA members, translating highly complex legislation and pension regulations into practical, accessible guidance.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly specialist pensions team, providing expert advice and representation on complex NHS pension matters. You will work directly with members, external pension bodies and key stakeholders, helping to resolve challenging pension issues and ensuring members receive the support they need.

Alongside managing your own caseload, you will provide line management and support to designated Pensions Officers, contributing to their development and helping to maintain a high-quality service for members.

This is a fully remote / home-based role.

As a Principle Pensions Officer you will:

• Provide expert advice and guidance on highly complex NHS Pension Scheme regulations, wider pension arrangements and related tax legislation.
• Support members through enquiries received via telephone, email, webforms and other channels.
• Analyse and assess complex pension calculations and technical pension information.
• Represent members’ interests when challenging pension agencies or third-party organisations on pension-related matters.
• Deliver presentations and facilitate pre-retirement seminars and member events.
• Produce and maintain member-facing guidance, newsletters, articles and online resources.
• Identify emerging pension issues and contribute to policy and service improvements.
• Represent the BMA at relevant review groups and external forums.
• Provide training, coaching and technical expertise to colleagues and other departments.
• Line manage and support designated Pensions Officers, including performance management, development, objective setting and workforce planning.

As a Principle Pensions Officer you’ll ideally have:

• Extensive knowledge of the NHS Pension Scheme and broader pensions legislation. (essential)
• Experience advising on complex pension matters and interpreting technical regulations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to review and assess complex pension calculations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain technical information clearly and confidently to non-specialists.
• Experience presenting complex information to groups and delivering training or educational sessions.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and a commitment to delivering high-quality advice.
• Experience supporting, developing or managing staff would be desirable.
• The ability to work independently, use sound judgement and manage competing priorities effectively.

Why work for us?

We offer a wide range of benefits including:

• 30 days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays and a BMA company day
• Double matching pension contributions up to 12% of salary
• Additional leave entitlement for volunteering, moving house or wedding leave (after completion of probationary period)
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Group Income protection & life assurance that is seven times your annual salary
• Annual salary reviews & incremental salary increases from year one to year three
• Onsite gym and subsidised café (at BMA House in London)
• Electric Vehicle and Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme's (available after completion of probationary period)
• Access to a 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with free confidential counselling, a helpline and specialist support available
• Long service recognition every 5 years
• Professional subscription cover where membership of a professional institution is required for your role
• BMA Law - discounted rates for employees requiring legal services such as will writing/conveyancing
• Multiple flexible benefits and discounts through our employee benefits platform
• Lots of Learning and Development/training opportunities via our internal learning hub
• Season ticket loan (up to £10,000) (after completion of probationary period)
• Additional annual leave- buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year

Anonymous recruitment

The BMA endeavours to be an inclusive employer, ensuring fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for roles. To support our aims, we use specific software to remove all personal identifying information from CVs and applications. Personal information such as name, date of birth, age and gender are anonymised and will only become visible to hiring managers if you are selected for interview.

Whether the role needs you to work at home, in an office or in a hybrid way, we’ll provide all the support you need.

This vacancy will close for applications at midnight on the closing date.

The role profile outlines the current key responsibilities and expectations for the position. However, the British Medical Association (BMA) is presently engaged in an organisation design process, which aims to ensure that our structure, roles, and ways of working best support our strategic objectives and the needs of our members. As a result, the responsibilities and scope of this role may be subject to change as the association evolves. The BMA is committed to communicating any such changes transparently and supporting colleagues through any transitions that arise as part of this process.

Diversity & Inclusion Monitoring:

Our ambition is to work together to promote a more inclusive environment, which attracts everybody with the right skills and experience and signals our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity.

BMA is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity,