Pension Administrator in Newport, Wales

Hartley Pensions are looking for experienced pension administrators to support us during an important transitional phase for the business. We are offering a highly unique and professionally rewarding opportunity to play an essential role in delivering an outstanding service to our clients.

As an Interim - Pension Administrator, you will work within a vibrant, friendly and dedicated team of SIPP pension administrators. By ensuring the timely and effective completion of a range of administrative tasks, you will provide high quality and consistent outcomes to our clients. Your key duties include:

• Processing benefit requests.
• Calculating income drawdowns, applying new allowances such as the Lump Sum Allowance (LSA) and determining the maximum tax-free cash allowance available to members.
• Ensuring there is sufficient cleared cash within the account to pay out the requested lump sums or regular income.
• Actioning requests to liquidate assets held within investments in line with strict Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Providing a breakdown of the notional split between uncrystallised and crystallised funds.
• Communicating with clients and IFAs on drawdowns, accessing benefits and the client’s entitlements based on recalculations where crystallisation occurs.
• Obtaining accurate investment valuations and updating the system with obtained values.
• Ensuring that any reporting to HMRC is accurate.
• Performing due diligence in line with FCA guidelines as set out in the Pension Tax Manual.
• Reporting to senior management on potential unauthorised investments and withdrawals.
• Processing ad-hoc payment requests, updating clients and IFAs on progress.
• Assisting in clearing backlogs and helping colleagues in other SIPP administration teams.
• Working cross functionally with other areas of the business, including Finance and Payroll teams.
• Communicating with Hartley’s Transfers Out department regarding member drawdown status.

About You: It is essential that you are capable of handling voluminous, complex and diverse workloads. You have a resilient character who is willing to learn and continually develop their skills and is passionate about going above and beyond in your duties. Prior experience in SIPP administration is mandatory and should be reflected in your CV. You must have a foundational knowledge of pension laws and tax regulations, specifically around annual allowance and retirement and death benefit entitlements. You will be handling sensitive tax-privileged funds where administrative errors can be costly, resulting in significant penalties to the firm. Therefore, you must be diligent and attentive to detail in your work.

You will also be conscious of and have demonstrable experience with GDPR regulations and ensuring the application of security protocols. Numerical proficiency must be an essential element of your skillset, necessary for performing benefit calculations and reconciling investment transactions. A minimum Grade C/4 or above in GCSE Mathematics (or an international equivalent) is required. A competent standard of literacy is also critical, as you will be dealing with complex legal documents, tax regulations and direct client communication. A minimum Grade C/4 or above in both GCSE English Literature and English Language (or an international equivalent) is required.

You must have a decent level of communication skills, able to effectively communicate technical pension information into lay terms to clients, particularly when dealing with vulnerable clients or beneficiaries of deceased clients. Experience and competency utilising bespoke SIPP/SSAS administration platforms is required, with prior experience with Delta Platinum Pro and SIPP Pro being desirable. A competent ability to use core Microsoft tools such as Word and Microsoft Excel is also necessary.

What we offer: A highly competitive rate, meaningful impact, and hybrid working options after successful completion of training period.

Recruitment Process: Hartley Pensions follow a two-stage recruitment process, including a 30-minute screening call and a 90-minute interview with competency-based questions.

Who are Hartley Pensions? Hartley Pensions are a SIPP and SSAS operator providing white label SIPPs for leading investment and trading platforms. We pride ourselves on establishing and maintaining long-lasting relationships with our business partners and clients by providing professional, friendly and personalised administration. At Hartley pensions, diversity is important to us, and we actively encourage individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply.