Technical, Research & Policy Officer

3173 is a privately owned UK firm of pensions experts with clients throughout the UK, serviced from offices in London, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds.

The 3173 Group of companies includes Dalriada Trustees Limited (Dalriada) one of the UK's largest professional pension scheme trustee companies. Spence & Partners provides full pension actuarial, consulting, investment consulting and administration services that provide simply smarter solutions for trustees, employers and members and Mantle: reimagines the traditional models of defined benefit pensions administration and actuarial valuation software.

About You

You are a professional within the pensions industry who has already acquired a good knowledge and understanding of workplace pensions and is looking for a role that provides a level of autonomy and responsibility. You will be familiar with the full range of pension scheme documentation and, combined with an awareness of the regulations relating to occupational pensions, will be able to effectively review and summarise information from within that documentation. You will be methodical, enthusiastic about excellent client service, highly organised, proactive and have a keen attention to detail.

Although supported by our Head of Technical, Research and Policy, you can work effectively both on your own initiative and as part of a wider team, ensuring tasks are completed to a high standard within agreed timescales and budgets. Importantly, you are focussed on achieving the desired outcomes for people, our clients, the function, and the business.

Responsibilities & Criteria

We are seeking a Technical, Research and Policy Officer for a role that combines client installation and pension scheme management and operation from take-on to client exit.

For the client installation element of the role, you will provide support in the transition process for onboarding new clients within our group of companies. The clients to be transitioned will be across all our group companies and include Trustee and Corporate advisory, Trusteeship and our Pension Protection Fund clients.

You will be responsible for the management of the transition of scheme documentation and non-member information and ensuring that information is provided to key internal stakeholders such as the wider Installations Team, ongoing client team and Finance. The role is of key importance in ensuring the effective onboarding of new clients and supporting the ongoing governance of our pension scheme clients.

You will also work closely with our ongoing client facing, Service Delivery and Support teams, as well as liaising with previous scheme providers, to ensure a seamless transition from sales to operations.

The governance element of the role will entail working with our Head of Technical, Research and Policy, who is responsible for keeping the business and its clients up to date with developments in pensions law and practice.

You will help ensure that schemes affected by changes in pensions law and practice are identified and, working with Client Managers, that relevant activities are undertaken by trustees, employers and other parties.

This role will be vital in ensuring an end-to-end process for knowledge management within the business, from monitoring changes affecting our industry to implementing these changes at a scheme level, by supporting our trustees and consultants with information, materials and pricing for the work that needs to be undertaken.

The role will also extend to ensuring that, where we no longer deal with a scheme, there is an orderly client exit. You will work with the Client Manager to ensure the process for client exit is adhered to and all relevant documentation and systems are updated.

Key Responsibilities

• Scheme documentation and non-member information: Drive our scheme transition activities in relation to obtaining scheme documentation for new clients; reviewing the documentation, summarising scheme information in client manuals for use by the ongoing client facing teams within our Business.
• Transition Plans: Input into the development and implementation of comprehensive transition plans for new clients; in particular, for the management of scheme documentation and non-member
• Project Management: Manage the part of the Transition Plan in relation to scheme documentation and non-member data, supporting the effective delivery of the overall project.
• Process Management and Improvement: Own the process of onboarding in relation to scheme documentation and non-member data, taking responsibility for the maintenance, continual improvement and communication of the process.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure that all onboarding requirements in relation to the onboarding of scheme documentation and non-member information are met during the transition process, and drive an effective handover process to our ongoing client teams so we can meet the client's needs and expectations in advance of 'Go-Live'.
• Governance: Ensure that the onboarding process is aligned with and supports our clients' initial and ongoing effective system of Identify and manage the set up of any key registrations and accounts. Ensure any regulatory tasks in the transition are completed.
• Undertake our key onboarding checks in relation to the identification of potential conflicts of interest, and assessment of risks, AML and KYC compliance checks. Ensure the completion of our Governance Audit checklist.
• Governance: Following successful installation of clients, monitor changes in pensions law and practice, identify schemes affected by such changes, support and monitor colleagues in ensuring that necessary actions are taken and compliance with legal requirements and best practice is maintained.
• Systems: Ensure that all scheme documentation and non-member information is stored effectively within our various systems and easily accessible to our ongoing client teams, and complete and maintain a scheme documentation inventory.Risk Management: Identify any potential project or service risks and issues, supporting mitigation strategies to minimise the impact on the transition process and ongoing servicing of the client.
• Stakeholder Management: Develop and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, ensuring effective communication during and after the transition. Liaise with and support the ongoing client team on their key related Transition and ongoing governance tasks.
• Reporting: Provide regular status updates in relation to the client onboarding and ongoing governance activities you undertake; highlighting key milestones, risks, and issues.
• ClientExit: Working with Client Managers to ensure client exit processes are adhered to with regard to systems, paper and electronic files.

In summary, the role holder will be responsible for ensuring that the transition process in relation to scheme documentation and non-member data is completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of the client, as well as supporting our wider Transition activities when necessary and applicable. They will need to manage and communicate with multiple stakeholders and handle concurrent projects effectively, while also addressing any risks and issues that arise during the transition process.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

Please note the following points are desirable, therefore we would be willing to consider applicants who can effectively demonstrate the experience necessary to fulfil the key responsibilities.

• Bachelor's 2 - 5 years pensions industry, where you can demonstrate excellent knowledge of pension scheme documentation and effective scheme governance as well as a working knowledge and understanding of occupational pension schemes.
• Project management skills, with previous experience of pension scheme transition to a new provider.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office systems and an ability to become familiar with and use new platforms.
• Experience working with various clients and internal and external stakeholders

Required Skills

• Good project management skills, including experience with project planning, risk management, and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to summarise and communicate technical information
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an excellent attention to detail as well as the ability to identify and help mitigate project risks and issues.

Circumstances

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week.

Location: Flexible within commutable distance of one of our established offices and able to travel to our other offices across the UK when required.

A competitive remuneration package is on offer.

We are an equal opportunities employer.

Applying with a disability or long-term health condition?

As part of our belief that we benefit from the differences among us we are committed to increasing the representation of disabled colleagues and want to remove any barriers or challenges that get in the way of candidates with a disability or long-term health condition from applying to work with us.

If there is support or an adjustment that we can provide to enable you to be at your best during the recruitment and selection process we encourage you to advise us in good time so that we may make suitable arrangements. We understand that being open with us may feel uncomfortable so please only share with us the information that you are comfortable to share and rest assured that we will use this only to provide you with the right support. Any information you give us will be treated completely confidentially. To discuss this further please call028 9041 2000and ask to speak to a member of the HR team.