Pensions Assistant Manager in London

We are seeking a pensions professional who thrives in a collaborative, fast-paced environment and is excited by the opportunity to support the delivery of all aspects of our UK trust-based hybrid pension scheme, comprising closed defined benefit and open defined contribution sections, along with our UK self-invested personal pension.

In this varied role, you'll provide operational support, collaborating with the wider Pensions and Benefits team, pension scheme Trustees, and advisers to ensure compliance with legislation and best practices. You'll help manage third-party administrators to ensure efficient pension processes and handle employee and member queries, as well as participate in project work and have exposure to our global pension offerings.

As a member of the Reward and People Risk team, you’ll be joining a group of experienced, dedicated and supportive professionals who continuously deliver work to a very high standard and provide exceptional service to their stakeholders.

What you’ll do:

• Assist in all aspects of the running of our UK pension arrangements and become a recognised point of pensions expertise within Schroders.
• Support preparation and review of Trustee meeting papers, complete meeting actions, and attend and participate in Trustee meetings when necessary.
• Help ensure continued compliance with relevant pensions legislation and best practices and assist in the development and implementation of pension policies and procedures.
• Monitor the pension scheme calendar, ensuring key tasks are completed.
• Support the management of relationships with pension scheme advisors, helping to ensure clear and regular communication between all parties.
• Help manage the relationship with the third-party administrators, overseeing performance, monitoring SLA performance and being the first point of contact for all individual cases referred by the third-party administrator or where members contact Schroders or the Trustee directly.
• Respond to any complaints raised under the scheme’s internal dispute resolution procedure.
• Have responsibility for managing discretionary decisions cases.
• Run the monthly pension scheme contribution cycle, ensuring that the correct contributions are received by the pension schemes each month, working with Payroll and HR teams.
• Support the drafting and review of member communications including the creation of content and review of the Scheme's biannual member newsletter.
• Co-ordinate the processing of annual bonus waivers.
• Produce annual statements for our Funded Unapproved Retirement Benefit Scheme.
• Support ad hoc projects and the wider Reward, Wellbeing and Inclusion team as required.
• Oversee the timely payment of invoices and work with the Pensions and Payroll Manager to monitor the budget.
• Proactively identify opportunities to streamline and improve pensions.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need:

• Previous pensions experience either via a consultancy/administrator or in-house.
• Prior experience in the operation of occupational defined benefit and defined contribution schemes.
• Good knowledge of pension arrangements, legislative requirements, and best practice.
• Good wider pension industry knowledge.
• Third party relationship management experience.
• Proficient IT skills, particularly Excel and the wider Microsoft office applications.
• Excel and data analysis skills.
• Clear and effective communication, both written and verbal.
• Comfortable with confidential and sensitive information.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications that will help:

• Pension scheme governance experience.
• Experience of supporting and working with a Trustee Board.
• Relevant professional qualifications or progress towards a formal pensions qualification.
• Knowledge of self-invested personal pensions and key differences between those and Trustee-based occupational pension schemes.

What you’ll be like:

You will be passionate about pensions. We’re looking for someone who will approach the role enthusiastically - who works in a collaborative and inclusive way, building strong relationships. You deliver accurate, compliant work to a high standard and be a good communicator with a thoughtful, empathetic approach.

We recognise potential, whoever you are. Our purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. Diversity of thought facilitated by an inclusive culture will allow us to make better decisions and better achieve our purpose. This is why inclusion and diversity are a strategic priority for us and why we are an equal opportunities employer: you are welcome here regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or any other protected characteristics.