Technical Research & Policy Officer

3173 Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

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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, potentially expert, 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 either a deep understanding or 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.

With your excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, you can build successful internal and external relationships and effectively communicate and key information internally and externally, including any actions that need to be taken by relevant stakeholders (colleagues, trustees and employers). You are process driven and have the enthusiasm to effectively support operational excellence and revenue generation opportunities across our group of companies.

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.

About the role

We are seeking a Technical, Research & Policy Officer for a role that combines client installation and elements of 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 scheme documentation and other information required to effectively onboard new clients. You will be liaising with key internal stakeholders such as the wider Installations Team, Client Management and Finance. You will be setting the foundation which supports the ongoing governance of our pension scheme clients.

You will also work closely with our ongoing client facing, Service Delivery and Support teams to ensure a seamless transition from new business to implementation.

Role will also extend to working with the Client Manager so they can ensure that, where we no longer deal with a scheme, there is an orderly client exit and all relevant documentation and systems are updated.

The Technical element of the role will entail working with our Head of Technical, Research and Policy, who is responsible for keeping the business, and therefore its clients, updated with current and future legislative, regulatory and best practice developments in pensions.

You will help ensure that relevant developments are identified, analysed and communicated to the wider business so that appropriate action can be undertaken by the business as well as trustees, employers and other parties.

Key Responsibilities

• Documentation and non‑member information: Drive our scheme transition activities in relation to new client take‑on, obtaining and saving scheme documentation for new clients to the relevant areas.
• Project Management: Manage the part of the Transition Plan related to scheme documentation and required information, supporting the effective delivery of the overall project.
• Process Management and Improvement: Own the Client Take‑On process in relation to scheme documentation, required information and regulatory compliance, taking responsibility for the maintenance, continual improvement and communication of the process.
• Quality Assurance: Support the Client Manager so they can ensure that all onboarding requirements in relation to the onboarding of scheme documentation and required information are met during the transition process. 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 Client Take‑On process is aligned with and supports our clients’ initial and ongoing regulatory requirements, such as Effective System of Governance. Identify and manage the set up and registrations of any key accounts. Ensure any regulatory tasks in the Client Take‑On process are completed.
• Undertake our key Client Take‑On due diligence, including the identification of any potential conflicts of interest, Anti‑Money Laundering and other Financial Crime. Manage the completion of our Governance Audit checklist.
• Help ensure that relevant developments are identified, analysed and communicated to the wider business so that appropriate action can be undertaken by the business as well as trustees, employers and other parties.
• Systems: Ensure that all scheme documentation and required information is stored effectively within our various systems and easily accessible to our ongoing client teams. Set up the scheme documentation library.
• Management: Identify any potential risks and issues, supporting mitigation strategies to minimise the impact on the Client Take‑On process.
• 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 Transition related tasks.
• Reporting: Provide regular relevant, actionable Management Information in relation to Client Take‑On and Technical activities you undertake; highlighting key milestones, risks, issues, and recommend actions.
• Client Exit: Working with Client Managers to ensure client exit processes are adhered to with regard to systems, paper and electronic files.

Required Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• 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.
• Qualified to A‑level standard or equivalent relevant industry qualifications.
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office systems and an ability to familiar with and use new platforms.
• A working knowledge and understanding of occupational pension schemes.
• An awareness of the regulations applicable to occupational pensions.

Desired Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor\’s Degree or equivalent relevant industry qualification.
• 2 – 5 years pensions industry experience with demonstratable expert knowledge of pension scheme documentation and effective scheme governance.
• A deep understanding of occupational pension regulatory and legislative requirements.
• Project management skills, with previous experience of pension scheme transition to a new provider.
• Experience working with various clients and internal and external stakeholders.

If there are some aspects of the role which interest you more than others, please let us know. If this role excites you and you don’t quite meet all our requirements, please do go ahead and apply.

The 3173 Culture

We aim to provide interesting, worthwhile and healthy careers for all our people; we believe that this emphasis sets us apart from our competitors.

We are defined by our ethos and by our goal: Our ethos is an individual and collective commitment achieved through carefully balancing responsibility with freedom and flexibility, all of which is underpinned by a willingness to work interdependently. When we get this balance right, it is how we do our best work. We look after our staff first and foremost, but for a commercial purpose, which is to deliver great service profitably. By focusing on our goal, we provide the best outcomes for pension scheme members, trustees, and employers.

Circumstances

This is a maternity Cover position, fixed term contract for 9‑12 months.

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

Location: Flexible within commutable distance of one of our established offices.

A competitive remuneration package is on offer.

Equal Opportunities

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.

Seniority level

Associate

Employment type

Temporary

Job function

Finance, Administrative, and Research

Industries

Financial Services, Professional Services, and Pension Funds

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