Pensions Project Team Manager

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Pensions Project Team Manager

Reading

Hybrid at any of our XPS office locations

Full Time

Permanent

Ref: REQ002718

XPS Group is a leading UK consulting and administration business specialising in the pensions and insurance sectors. At XPS, our vision is to create a vibrant place to work where difference is recognised as a strength and where talented people can flourish and achieve their highest potential .

Our Pensions Administration business continues to grow and we are now looking for an experienced Project Team Manager to join one of our vibrant offices with hybrid working. This is an exciting role and would most likely suit someone with previous experience in a similar role where they have gained knowledge and experience of GMPr.

A FTSE 250 company, XPS combines expertise and insight with advanced technology and analytics to address the needs of over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsoring employers on an ongoing and project basis. We undertake pensions administration for over one million members and provide advisory services to schemes and corporate sponsors in respect of schemes of all sizes, including 88 with assets over £1bn. We also provide wider ranging support to insurance companies in the life and bulk annuities sector.

Our people drive our success and as an XPS employee you can bring your whole self to work - Everyone is treated equally and with respect. We will provide you with the support and training you need to grow and be at your very best. It's about inclusion and diversity, ensuring all our people feel included, that they belong to XPS and that they're happy. Above all, it's about ensuring everyone has a voice and feels valued. Because they are.

The Team

Our award-winning pensions administration business puts scheme members at the heart of everything we do. Our services include scheme administration, first-time outsourcing, member communications and scam protection.

Our Administration Projects Team (APT) team undertakes projects such as:

• GMP rectification/equalisation
• Buy-in/ Buy-out
• Data Cleansing
• Ad hoc projects for example scheme closures, benefit rectifications, liability reduction exercises
• McCloud implementation: Public sector pension benefit rectification across police, fire, MOJ and LGPS pension schemes.
• Pension Dashboards

Learn more here: https://www.xpsgroup.com/what-we-do/administration/]

The Role

As a Project Team Manager with XPS you will provide full time management of a dedicated project team. You will be involved in a wide range of pensions projects, management and consultancy tasks. As manager, you be responsible for managing the projects within the team end to end, in line with budgets, deadlines, and objectives as well as day to day line management of the team. And the key responsibilities include:

• Assuming full responsibility for project delivery within the designated team, including workload allocation, prioritisation and ensuring delivery in line with client expectations, budgets and timescales. Holding regular workflow meetings with senior team members to manage progress and resolve any issues.
• Overseeing day to day management of client relationships with trustees and corporate clients, and participation in trustee and client meetings where applicable. Taking a proactive stance to gain an extensive knowledge of assigned project portfolio to ensure client confidence, credibility and trust. Reacting to clients' needs in a positive manner but maintaining the commercial interests of the business.
• Undertaking all aspects of management reporting and completing centralised governance logs and trackers/MI promptly.
• Ensuring projects are fully scoped, costed, monitored and completed in line with customer and legislation requirements. Identification of out-of-scope work and proactive management and discussion with the clients to ensure that all work is billed in a timely manner.
• Taking responsibility for all aspects of project billing. Ensuring all recorded project time is billed or accrued by the monthly deadline, all chargeable work is correctly recorded on the time recording system and billed as soon as possible, and all bills are issued, and payment received on time.
• Producing and signing off project quotations and booking in/allocation of work once quotation approved.
• Active participation in XPS Administration's marketing initiatives, new business activities, attending new business pitches and company events. Seeking opportunities to generate additional income from existing project portfolio.
• Providing expert project solutions; keeping abreast of technical and legislative developments within the pensions industry.
• Disseminating information to team members on project delivery objectives and targets for assigned projects. Presenting of technical matters at team meetings.
• Identifying team objectives or other necessary changes in line with business needs, and actively implements appropriate course of action.
• Support the delivery of a continuous improvement programme championing operational excellence while identifying areas where the project delivery service to clients could be improved and/or expanded.
• Positively contributing to regular management meetings, implementing any recommendations or decisions made in terms of working practices, resourcing, efficiencies and dissemination of communications to more junior staff.
• Formal staff management responsibilities including areas such as conducting appraisals, setting individual and team objectives, handling HR, performance management issues and recruitment related activities as and where required.
• Formal responsibilities for mentoring, training, coaching and developing of pensions project team members. Ensuring adherence to company policies and working procedures.
• Forging strong working relationships with other departments/teams both internal and external to the Company in order to provide a total service to our clients.
• Due to the changing nature of the business, 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

Essential Criteria

• An experienced and successful pension professional with a strong track record in managing a pensions administration or project team.
• Previous line management experience, including appraisal process, HR issue management, performance management and recruitment related activities.
• Commercial acumen to plan, manage, track and deliver project work, revenue, client and business requirements within budget
• Experience of providing regular management reporting and completing management trackers.
• Strong organizational skills with proven ability to manage resources and operational delivery of a team to ensure revenue targets met and work delivered to plan.
• Technical pensions and data projects knowledge to be able to explain complex issues to key stakeholders internally and externally. Previous experience of Defined Benefit (DB) schemes.
• Proven experience in formulating and writing project scope proposals, preparing and delivering to clients and subsequent client negotiations.
• Ability to efficiently resolve issues by identifying solutions to enable projects to be effectively delivered in accordance with client requirements.
• Proven ability to lead a project providing strategic direction and guidance while managing, coaching and mentoring individual team members.
• Concise and confident communicator of complex project issues - covering both verbal and written skills.
• Be proactive, having drive and commitment.

Desirable:

• May have achieved some exam successes in professional qualifications such as PMI / QPA / RPC / DPC / DPA and actively working towards full qualification.
• Ability to foster an inclusive working environment and champion diversity within the team.
• Able to support a developing a culture of high standards, excellent quality and customer responsiveness.
• Experience of operating within and contributing to a compliant framework, and a strong understanding of quality standards.
• IT proficient, in particular Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint.

What we offer:

Find out more about Life at XPS

Find out more about Our People Approach

We offer an attractive reward package, typical benefits can include:

• Competitive salary
• Participation in annual discretionary Bonus Scheme
• 25 days holiday plus flexibility to buy or sell holiday
• Flexible Bank holidays
• Pension scheme, matching contribution structure
• Healthcare cash plan
• Flexible Benefits Scheme to support you in and out of work, helping you look after you and your family covering Security & Protection, Health & Wellbeing, Lifestyle
• Life Assurance cover, four times basic salary
• XPS Rewards (offers High Street discounts and savings from retailers and services providers as well as offers available via phone)
• Employee Assistance Programme for you and your household
• Access to a digital GP service
• Paid volunteering day when participating in Company organised events
• Staff referral scheme when you introduce a friend to XPS

What next:

If you feel XPS could be the next step on your career ladder, please apply directly via the links provided and we look forward to learning more about you. We will consider all applicants and respond swiftly.

Please discuss with the recruitment team, via phone or email, if you require any adjustments to the recruitment process. For example, we can provide materials in an alternative format, or give you extra time in interviews or tests.

If you do not feel ready to apply or still have questions, please email us by clicking here

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following requirements:

• Right to Work confirmation
• DBS Disclosure check
• Employment or educational references covering five years
• Satisfactory credit check

We continuously strive to build an inclusive workplace where all forms of diversity are valued, including age, background, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, religion or sexual orientation.

Please note we reserve the right to close our vacancies early and we only accept CVs direct from candidates or our preferred supplier list.

XPS try wherever possible to respond to all applicants if for any reason you have not heard from us within 28 days of your application, please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion.