Pensions Technical & Professional Standards Manager in Newtownabbey

This new role will be to shape the technical and professional standards behind high-quality Defined Benefit Pensions Administration.

The Pensions Technical & Professional Standards Manager plays a key role in providing Defined Benefit Pensions technical leadership, governance, and continuous improvement across our pensions administration team. This is a pivotal role for someone who thrives on interpreting complex legislation, influencing senior stakeholders and driving best practice in a third-party administration environment.

Working within our Technical & Quality Assurance team, the role brings together the management of legislative interpretation, technical guidance, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), trend reporting, and pensions administration compliance requirements. This role can be based in our Croydon, Reading, Manchester, Birmingham or Belfast city centre office with a hybrid workstyle.

What does the role entail?

• Acting as a trusted technical expert on Defined Benefit (DB) pensions, supporting complex queries and ensuring consistent interpretation of legislation.
• Translating legislative and regulatory change into clear, practical guidance, processes and communications.
• Supporting and evolving pensions administration standards, frameworks and governance frameworks.
• Leading key activity aligned to industry standard (e.g. General Code, pensions dashboards readiness, GMP equalisation, regulatory reporting).
• Managing ISO 9001 requirements, ensuring robust documentation and audit readiness.
• Taking ownership of the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) framework, identifying trends and driving improvements.
• Producing high-quality MI, trend analysis and insights to inform decision making and prioritisation.
• Collaborating with Operations, QA and senior leadership to embed consistent standards across the business.

What we're looking for

• Essential:
• Significant experience in third party Defined Benefit pensions administration.
• Deep technical knowledge of Defined Benefit pension schemes and UK legislative framework.
• Experience in technical oversight, quality assurance, or governance-focused role within third party pensions administration.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities, including: Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and trend identification.
• Translating insight into proportionate, practical improvements.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, high-quality technical guidance and senior level reporting.
• Explain complex issues to non-technical audiences.
• Influence stakeholders and embed best practice collaboratively.
• Desirable:
• Experience working with industry frameworks and standards, (e.g. TPR Codes of Practice, including the General Code, ISO 9001, AAF, PASA).
• Exposure to risk registers, governance frameworks and regulatory reporting.
• Experience of producing technical updates (both for internal and external use).
• Knowledge of data quality and governance in pensions administration (including, but not limited to, Pensions Dashboard readiness).
• Relevant professional qualification or working towards them (e.g. PMI or equivalent).

What you can expect in return

• A competitive salary and market leading bonus scheme.
• Study support for you to work towards the completion of the Pensions Management Institute (PMI) Certificate in Pension Calculations (CPC) qualification.
• Salary increases for PMI exam passes.

Why Join Isio

Isio is a fast-growing professional services business, that offers career development through an evolving client base, diverse and meaningful work, nationwide opportunities, and a culture that rewards high performance and accountability. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and our values guide how we advise our clients, how we operate as a business and how we work together as a team. We call it the Isio Attitude. We encourage our people to be bold, to communicate with conviction, and to deliver advice that matters. Here, growth brings opportunity - more responsibility, more clients, and work that stretches and develops you. We invest in training and development so you can expand your skills and explore different career paths across diverse markets to make your mark. Isio is a place to realise your potential and build a career with impact.

You can find out more about Isio and the benefits we offer on our careers website.

About Isio

A progressive advisory firm, partnering with clients of all sizes to deliver expertise in pensions, employee benefits and wealth advisory services. Working with pension trustees, employers, individuals, families and their offices, we are supported by talented colleagues across 10 UK offices. With a Big 4 heritage we combine a strong focus on quality with a fresh perspective challenging traditional thinking. Our culture shapes our work; we foster a supportive environment where we develop our people to grow and fulfil their potential. We invest in our services, products and technology, and provide clear, expert solutions for our clients. This brings clarity, confidence, and better outcomes for everyone.

At Isio, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable and diverse workplace, in which our colleagues feel they belong, regardless of background or difference. We uphold the values of respect, fairness, and inclusion in our actions and decisions. We believe that by adhering to these principles, we will create a stronger, more innovative, and supportive environment for all, as well as ensuring that the advice and support we provide to our clients is more creative, more insightful and leaves a lasting impact.

We can offer a hybrid, flexible approach to work, supporting a work-life balance that works for you. Isio Group is an equal opportunities employer, and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. If you think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for any reason at any stage of your recruitment process, please ask us.