Benefits Specialist in Bolton

Duration: 9 months

Location: Manchester/Hybrid (four days per week in the office)

Salary: Competitive

Pontoon is an employment consultancy. We put expertise, energy, and enthusiasm into improving everyone’s chance of being part of the workplace. We respect and appreciate people of all ethnicities, generations, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, and more. We do this by showcasing their talents, skills, and unique experience in an inclusive environment that helps them thrive.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organised and detail-oriented Benefits Specialist to join our financial services client’s People Team. This role will support the administration and delivery of employee benefits programmes across the EMEA region, with a particular focus on the UK, Ireland, and Poland. Working closely with external vendors, payroll teams, pension providers, finance partners, and HR colleagues, you will play a key role in ensuring the smooth operation of benefits programmes while delivering an excellent employee experience. This is an exciting opportunity for a benefits professional who enjoys working in a fast-paced, international environment and is passionate about delivering high-quality employee support.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for benefits administration in designated EMEA countries, managing vendor relationships and supporting annual renewals.
• Administer employee benefits programmes across the UK, Ireland, and Poland, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Manage and monitor shared benefits inboxes, responding to employee and stakeholder queries in a timely and professional manner.
• Coordinate with benefits vendors, pension providers, payroll teams, and internal stakeholders to ensure seamless benefits delivery.
• Process and manage benefits-related invoices, ensuring timely approval and payment.
• Support annual benefits enrolment activities, including platform testing, employee communications, and onsite events.
• Maintain and update benefits communications, policies, procedures, and internal knowledge resources.
• Analyse and reconcile benefits, payroll, and vendor reports, preparing summaries and insights for stakeholders.
• Support third-party governance processes and vendor management activities.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives that enhance operational efficiency and employee experience.
• Assist with benefits-related projects and wider People Team initiatives as required.

About You

You are a collaborative and proactive benefits professional with strong analytical skills and a customer-focused approach. You thrive in a dynamic environment and are comfortable managing multiple priorities while maintaining a high level of accuracy.

Skills & Experience

• Previous experience in benefits administration, HR operations, rewards, pensions, or employee benefits.
• Experience supporting benefits programmes across multiple countries, ideally within EMEA.
• Understanding of UK employee benefits and pension administration; exposure to Ireland and/or Poland would be advantageous.
• Strong stakeholder management and vendor coordination experience.
• Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to analyse data, identify trends, and produce meaningful reports.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Degree in HR, Business, Finance, or a related discipline preferred.
• Polish language skills would be considered an advantage but are not essential.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to join a leading financial services organisation with an international footprint.
• Exposure to a broad range of EMEA benefits programmes and projects.
• Collaborative and supportive working environment.
• Hybrid working model.

If you are an experienced Benefits Specialist looking for your next opportunity within a dynamic and growing financial services environment, we would love to hear from you.

How to Apply:

To apply for this opportunity, please apply with an up-to-date CV. Please note that if you haven't heard from us within 48 hours, your application may not have been successful on this occasion. However, we may keep your details on file for future vacancies and contact you accordingly.

Pontoon is an equal opportunities employer and an employment consultancy. We use generative AI tools to support our candidate screening process. This helps us ensure a fair, consistent, and efficient experience for all applicants. Rest assured, all final decisions are made by our hiring team, and your application will be reviewed with care and attention.