Pension Specialist

Overview

Our client, a global professional services organisation within the international shipping and maritime sector, is seeking a Pension & Benefits Specialist to join its London-based HR function. This is a compelling opportunity to take ownership of a critical remit spanning UK pension governance and the delivery of an established suite of employee benefits.

Reporting into the Head of Compensation & Benefits, this position exists to enhance operational excellence, maintain full regulatory compliance, and strengthen employee engagement across multiple jurisdictions. The successful hire will play a central role in ensuring pensions and benefits are administered accurately, responsibly, and in line with the organisation’s wider people strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the administration and governance of UK Defined Contribution pensions, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks and supporting international schemes across selected locations.
• Manage outsourced pension administration providers, overseeing service delivery, reporting accuracy, and adherence to SLAs.
• Coordinate cyclical pension activities including benefit statements, statutory submissions, contribution monitoring, and trustee-related processes.
• Oversee day‑to‑day delivery of UK employee benefits, including health, life, wellbeing, and associated operational workflows for joiners, leavers, and policy changes.
• Partner with HR, Payroll, and HRIS teams to streamline benefit processes, maintain documentation, reconcile invoices, and drive operational improvements.
• Support internal communication initiatives to improve awareness and engagement with pensions and benefits offerings.

Candidate Profile

• Demonstrable experience as a pensions specialist within a corporate or professional services environment, with strong expertise in UK pensions legislation, DC arrangements, and governance standards.
• Proven exposure to employee benefits administration, including wellbeing, medical, and life assurance schemes.
• Strong analytical capability, numerical accuracy, and confidence presenting information clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, able to explain complex pension concepts to non‑specialist audiences.
• A proactive, organised working style, able to manage deadlines, solve problems, and drive improvements independently.
• Experience working across multiple geographies or supporting international benefits activity is advantageous.