Principal Pensions Administrator in Manchester

About Us

3173 is a privately owned UK firm of pensions experts with clients throughout the UK, serviced from offices in London, Belfast, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Leeds. The 3173 Group of companies includes Dalriada Trustees Limited (Dalriada), one of the UK’s largest professional pension scheme trustee companies. Spence & Partners provides full pension actuarial, consulting, investment consulting and administration services that provide simply smarter solutions for trustees, employers and members.

The 3173 Culture

Our primary aim is to provide interesting, worthwhile and healthy careers for all our people; we believe that this emphasis sets us apart from our competitors. We are defined by our ethos and by our goal:

• Our ethos is an individual and collective commitment achieved through carefully balancing responsibility with freedom and flexibility, all of which is underpinned by a willingness to work interdependently. When we get this balance right, it is how we do our best work.
• Our goal is to provide interesting, worthwhile, and healthy careers for our people.

Our graduate development programmes offer the opportunity to build a career in the pensions industry. You’ll get direct exposure to working with the directors of our business and the opportunity to really make your mark in a growing business. We will support you every step of the way through our accelerated learning and development scheme.

About You

Are you ready to take the lead on some of the most complex and rewarding challenges in pensions administration? As a Principal Pensions Administrator, you’ll act as the key point of contact for trustees and advisers, ensuring that Defined Benefit (DB) schemes are managed with precision, compliance, and outstanding client service. This is a role where your technical expertise, leadership skills, and commercial awareness come together. You’ll take ownership of entire schemes, oversee and authorise the most complex cases, and provide guidance to colleagues at every level. From attending trustee meetings and presenting reports to leading major exercises such as buy-ins, buyouts, and GMP equalisation, you’ll also support Spence’s business development by building trusted client relationships and contributing to new opportunities.

At Spence, we’re continuing to grow, and you’ll play an important part in that journey. You’ll be joining a collaborative and supportive team where your knowledge is valued, your impact is recognised, and your contribution helps shape the future of our pensions services.

Responsibilities & Criteria

Key Criteria (Essential)

• At least 8 years’ experience in DB pension administration.
• Extensive experience in Defined Benefit (DB) pensions administration, with proven expertise in complex and technical cases.
• In-depth knowledge of UK pensions legislation, regulation, and codes of practice.
• Demonstrated experience acting as lead contact for trustees and advisers.
• Strong client relationship skills, including attending and contributing to trustee meetings.
• Experience leading on scheme-wide projects (e.g. GMP equalisation, buy-ins, buyouts, scheme wind-ups).
• Ability to mentor, guide, and support both junior and senior colleagues.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple schemes.
• Commercial awareness and the confidence to support business development activity.

Desirable Criteria

• PMI qualification (or working towards).
• Experience preparing trustee reports and presenting technical advice at trustee meetings.
• Track record of delivering large-scale or complex pension projects successfully.
• Evidence of contributing to process improvements or shaping team practices.
• Experience representing the business at pitches or new client opportunities.

Circumstances

• Working hours: Monday to Friday, 37.5 hours per week with additional hours as and when required.
• Location: UK-wide with opportunity available in Belfast, Manchester or Glasgow.
• All roles are subject to a six-month probationary period and all prospective employees are required to complete an Access NI check.
• As part of the pre-hire process the successful candidate will be subject to reference checking security vetting.

3173 is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Applying with a disability or long-term health condition? As part of our belief that we benefit from the differences among us we are committed to increasing the representation of disabled colleagues and want to remove any barriers or challenges that get in the way of candidates with a disability or long-term health condition from applying to work with us. As part of this commitment we guarantee to automatically interview anyone with a disability who meets the minimum criteria. If there is support or an adjustment that we can provide to enable you to be at your best during the recruitment and selection process, we encourage you to advise us in good time so that we may make suitable arrangements. We understand that being open with us may feel uncomfortable so please only share with us the information that you are comfortable to share, and rest assured that we will use this only to provide you with the right support. Any information you give us will be treated completely confidentially. To discuss this further please call 028 9041 2000 and ask to speak to a member of the People & Culture team.