Retirement and Bereavements Manager

Role: Retirement And Bereavements Manager - Interim

Rate: Competitive (subject to experience & interview competencies)

Location: Bristol, BS1

Hours: 35 hours a week (full-time), Monday to Friday

Reporting to: Operations Director

Hartley Pensions is looking for an experienced SIPP administration specialist to support us during an important transitional phase for the business.

We are offering a highly unique and professionally rewarding opportunity to apply one’s expertise in SIPP administration and bereavements handling, playing a pivotal role in delivering an outstanding service to our clients.

Who are Hartley Pensions?

Hartley Pensions are a SIPP and SSAS pensions operator based in central Bristol. Since July 2022, the company has been in a trading administration. Under the administration of UHY Hacker Young, Hartley Pensions continues to operate an essential service to clients whilst preparing to transfer members to new UK-based operators and wind down the business.

Role

As our Interim - Retirement and Bereavements Manager, you will oversee a dedicated team of professionals in administering our clients’ SIPP accounts. By ensuring the timely and effective completion of a multitude of tasks relating to the administration of our clients’ SIPP accounts, with additional focus on handling cases of clients entering drawdown and already in drawdown as well as handling cases of deceased clients, you will provide high quality and consistent outcomes to our clients and all relevant stakeholders.

Your key duties make up the core of our operations. These include (but are not limited to) the following key areas:

• As Hartley’s Retirement and Bereavements Manager, you will oversee both the daily technical operations involved in SIPP pensions administration as well as the performance responsibilities of a team of SIPP administrators. Critically, you will inspire and drive a high-performance culture amongst your team members. This involves identifying skills gaps, delivering training and performance improvement plans.
• As a senior colleague, you will report directly to the Operations Director and will be responsible for reporting management information (MI) the Board.
• Manage end-to-end benefit requests, including calculating income drawdowns and applying current legislative limits such as the Lump Sum Allowance (LSA). You will be responsible for verifying and coordinating asset liquidations within strict SLA timeframes to ensure the facilitation of timely payments to our clients. In doing so, you will ensure that there is sufficient liquid cash in the SIPP bank account to cover all relevant fees.
• Deliver detailed breakdowns of crystallised vs uncrystallised fund splits. You will act as a technical lead in guiding clients and IFAs through the complexities of drawdowns and benefit entitlements following fund recalculations of the SIPP.
• Obtaining accurate investment valuations and updating the system with obtained current market values. This will involve chasing investment platforms and investment custodians to confirm the current market value of the investment(s). Importantly, you will be accountable for the oversight of disinvestment requests allocated to Hartley’s Investments Team to ensure timely work completion.
• Perform due diligence in line with FCA guidelines as set out in the Pension Tax Manual. Where necessary, report to senior management and compliance on potential unauthorised investments and withdrawals.
• A key aspect of your duties includes compiling and submitting Pension Scheme Returns (PSRs) to HMRC. You will be accountable for providing a granular breakdown of assets, notably in cases where property or unquoted shares are held, providing clear and accurate information in your reports before submitting them via the Managing Pension Schemes (MPS) service. It is your responsibility to ensure these are submitted within the deadlines set out by HMRC.
• Manage and process ad-hoc payment requests for clients and IFAs, maintaining transparent communication and strictly adhering to agreed-upon SLA timeframes. Actively contribute to reducing backlogs and provide cross-functional support to other SIPP administration teams to ensure the firm meets its statutory and regulatory obligations. In doing so, you will ensure that all correspondence and relevant information is provided to the relevant operational team through a collaborative approach across operational teams to ensure a positive outcome for clients.
• You will assist in investigations to resolve issues primarily due to historic poor record keeping and the holding of impaired assets within the SIPP. Liaising with Hartley’s investments and compliance teams to support this.
• Work closely with our Finance and Payroll teams, preparing accurate information on gross amount requested and of the frequency of payments, instructing if a PCLS or recurring income before the execution of payment. By being responsible for the raising of fees, you will ensure that the Finance Team can prepare for collection where necessary.
• Act as primary liaison and technical lead on bereavements cases. You will provide the relevant financial data and pension status of a deceased member to ensure the correct settlement of the estate is in order. In overseeing this function, you will ensure accurate and clear record keeping is upheld.
• As the accountable lead on all bereavement cases, you will manage the end-to-end processes carried out by the team. From ensuring the registry of death notifications on Hartley’s systems, signing off on evidence gathering and where necessary, be the escalated liaison with third parties (IFAs, solicitors, Executors, Enhance).
• You will at times work with Hartley’s Transfers Out and Operational departments, verifying drawdown statuses and ensuring sufficient liquidity is available before authorizing the transfer of SIPP assets to new pension providers.
• As a senior colleague, you will be expected to train and facilitate the upskilling of junior staff by providing your technical SIPP expertise and if required, schedule training plans. This additionally involves creating and maintaining procedure documentation and process maps, chartering the team’s work flows to maximise operational efficiency.

About You

It is essential that you are an individual capable of working well under pressure. Moreover, you can demonstrate your ability to manage multiple workloads and be organised in your duties. As a senior colleague, you will be a reliable member of the team whose expertise and guidance will at times be depended on.

• Extensive experience in SIPP administration is mandatory and should be reflected in your CV. You must have demonstrable technical knowledge and experience administering SIPP pensions across a variety of functions. Ideally, your experience encompasses cradle to grave administration across the entirety of a SIPP’s life cycle.
• It is preferred that you have prior experience on a senior leadership team or at least experience presenting management data to one.
• Hold a comprehensive understanding of up-to-date pension laws and surrounding 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 be conscious of and have demonstrable experience with GDPR regulations and ensuring the application of security protocols, ensuring the privacy and appropriate handling of sensitive client data is always upheld.
• You must have experience and competency utilising bespoke SIPP/SSAS administration platforms. It is desirable that you have prior experience with Delta Platinum Pro and SIPP Pro. Further, you must have a competent ability to use core Microsoft tools such as Word and Microsoft Excel.
• Numerical proficiency must be an essential element to your skillset. This is 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. You will be dealing with complex legal documents, tax regulations and direct client communication. You will also be writing and compiling Scheme Returns to HMRC. Therefore, your ability to read, interpret and write in a clear and professional manner is necessary for this position. 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. It is highly important that as a representative of the firm, you can effectively communicate technical pension information into lay terms to clients. Your ability to communicate must crucially concern the ability to cater your tone to one of empathy and assurance. This is particularly important when being conscious of cases where clients may be vulnerable or in handling cases of deceased clients, where you may be communicating with beneficiaries.

Qualifications

Although experience is more valued for this position, we do favour applicants who hold the following qualifications:

• Certificate in Pensions Administration (CPA)
• Retirement Provision Certificate (RPC)
• Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision (ADRP)
• Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning
• Award in Financial Administration (RQF Level 3)

In addition to holding a relevant pensions qualification, it is preferred that candidates hold a degree with a minimum of a 2-1 or above (in any subject).

What we offer

• A highly competitive rate: We pay within the top 10% of employers in the industry.
• Meaningful impact: A rare opportunity to play a leading part in assisting a business through a crucial transitional period.
• Hybrid working: We allow hybrid options (up to 2 days from home a week) after successful completion of training period and where business needs permit.

Recruitment Process

Hartley Pensions follow a two-stage recruitment process.

• A 90-minute interview with competency-based questions.

At Hartley pensions diversity is important to us. Growing, maintaining and promoting a diverse team is a top priority for us. We actively encourage individuals from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply. Join us in creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

Website

To find out more about Hartley Pensions, please visit:

https://www.uhy-uk.com/hartley-pensions-limited-administration

Please note, we have been in a trading administration since July 2022. This means that we cannot provide sponsorship to applicants at this time.

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