The Role:
Our client, a leading third-party service provider within a key industry sector, is seeking an accomplished pensions professional to join their Midlands-based team as Operations Manager. This is a fantastic opportunity to oversee and drive the delivery of exceptional third-party administration services.
As Operations Manager, you will take overall responsibility for leading three administration teams and a payroll team. Your focus will be on ensuring outstanding service delivery for current and future clients while meeting scheme members’ needs. You will leverage client insights and effective resource planning to achieve budget targets and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in service quality.
This role offers a hybrid working arrangement, requiring an initial office presence of three days per week, reducing to at least two days per week in the longer term. It is therefore preferable that any applicants should live within in an hours commute of the West Midlands area.
On a day to day basis your role will require you to:
Team Leadership:
Lead teams to deliver high-quality, client-focused pension administration services that meet SLA requirements, ongoing client needs, and change requests, while maintaining budgeted headcount through effective resource planning and training.
Staff Development:
Provide support, constructive feedback, and professional development opportunities to both direct reports and the wider teams.
Resource Management:
Oversee workload and resources to enable completion of revenue-generating projects, ensuring the department meets its annual commercial targets.
Reporting & Communication:
Deliver regular, accurate MI and client reporting within agreed deadlines. Ensure team workload visibility at all times, promptly communicating challenges to the leadership team.
Governance & Risk Management:
Maintain strong governance across teams and processes, identifying and managing risks proactively.
Project Support:
Facilitate the successful delivery of client and internal projects by meeting agreed milestones and managing client expectations effectively.
Client Relationships:
Collaborate closely with the Head of CRM to maintain positive and productive client relationships.
Business Growth:
Support the growth of the Third Party Administration division by contributing to new business opportunities, including responding to RFPs and participating in pitches when required.
Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge:
- Significant experience managing pensions administration teams within a third-party or in-house environment, with at least 5 years at a senior level.
- Comprehensive knowledge of final salary pension schemes and administration, ideally progressing towards professional pensions qualifications.
- Passion for pensions, coupled with a commitment to enhancing quality and service delivery.
- Exceptional communication skills, with a proven track record of collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders at all levels.
Benefits
- A highly competitive salary with a generous bonus scheme.
- 28 days of annual leave plus 8 bank holidays.
- Participation in one of the most competitive defined benefit pension schemes, with a 10.5% employee contribution and 17.3% employer contribution.
- Access to a medical cash plan.
- Support for hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
- Outstanding family-friendly benefits, including 12 months of full-pay maternity leave and 6 months of full-pay paternity leave.
- The company also offers a supportive, long-term environment with tremendous opportunities to learn and develop your career.
If you feel you have skills and experience our clients are looking for and would like to have a confidential discussion with us regarding the role and the company, please contact us today on 0121-684 1555 or send your CV to susan.ford@sfrecruitmentco.uk quoting the job title and/or reference number, stating your salary expectations and we will contact you.