Client Service Specialist- Pension in Bristol

Who are we? Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role Overview

Howden are seeking a Client Services Specialist to achieve success for our clients. This role specifically focuses on delivering exceptional client service within our Pensions team and how operationally we can underpin and support our client’s needs.

Role Responsibilities

• Provide pension administrative servicing support for our pension clients, working collaboratively alongside the Pension Consultancy Team and inline with the client's Scope of Service agreement.
• Complete work for scheme renewals or market reviews in line with clients’ requirements, collation, and analysis of results in appropriate format and support the Consultancy Team with report production.
• Monitor insurers’ performance on behalf of clients and challenge insurer as appropriate to resolve any issues.
• Deal with client queries (verbal and written) in line with service level agreements and liaise with insurers where necessary to deliver this.
• Update all internal systems as per process ensuring we remain compliant.
• Ownership of and proactive management of your workload.
• Manage client relationships in conjunction with the Consultancy team to support retention & growth opportunities.
• Provide peer review support as necessary.

Role Requirements

• Strong prioritisation and work management skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to communicate clearly and efficiently (both verbally and written) with clients, insurers, internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively with colleagues.
• Good understanding of all Group Pension providers in the current market.
• Good understanding of industry regulations, compliance requirements and technical specifications.
• Good understanding of the Employee Benefits sector and its associated products.
• Experience of working with an Employee Benefits Consultancy or with an Insurance Provider is preferred but not essential.
• RO1 & RO4 held, this is preferred but not essential. The business will support you in working towards this.
• Motivated with a strong desire to learn about the Employee Benefits industry and specifically the Group Pension sector.

What do we offer in return? A career that you define. Yes, we offer all the usual rewards and benefits: great healthcare provision, a wide variety of wellbeing offers, competitive salary, generous pensions and more. But we know you expect all that. What you might not expect is a job where everyone has a voice, where volunteering in the community is part of the day job, and where everyone is encouraged to play a part towards our sustainability goals. We want people who want to make a difference – not just in the workplace, but in the industry and in the wider community.

Our Culture: People First

We’ve travelled far since opening our first office in 1994. Back then we were local experts – based in London, with direct access to the world’s biggest insurance market. We’re still locals, and we still deliver the right advice and the right insurance to our clients. But now, we’re local all over the world. With 15,000 global colleagues and a partner network spanning more than 100 territories, we are the largest independent insurance broker in the world. But our values haven’t changed since day one, when we set out to create a company grounded in:

• An employee-ownership model.
• Aligned external investors.
• The trust and integrity born of friendship.
• Expertise.
• Independence.

Our focus on being a people-first business has always been at the very heart of Howden. Our vision was to create an independent business with a unique culture; one that would survive and thrive as a business controlled by the people working for it. Our employee ownership model sets us apart in the market. It’s created a culture of collaboration and innovation, where we’re driven to think bigger and empowered to challenge convention. Our flat structure and entrepreneurial spirit help us attract the best people and empower them to be the best version of themselves. And when we bring in and nurture great talent, more follows. That makes us better – and that’s better for everyone.

Diversity and Inclusion

At Howden we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.

What do we offer in return? A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new.
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges.
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond.

Reasonable adjustments

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

Permanent

Howden began in 1994, as just three people and a dog. Now there are 23,000 of us, and we're a leading global insurance group, managing $37bn of premiums for our clients. Our largest shareholder group is us – the people who work in the business – supported by three long-term, minority growth-equity partners who share our vision to build a business to last, one that will never be sold. The owner's mindset is something that's embedded in our culture; our people readily take ownership of their decisions, their actions, and their outputs. They’re invested in every sense. And we all know that by working together to drive the business forward, everyone will benefit from the extraordinary results we can achieve.