About the Role
Experienced SIPP Pensions Technical Oversight & Compliance Specialist to join a Risk & Compliance team of 6.
This is a specialist technical role for someone with strong SIPP pensions knowledge and a detailed understanding of HMRC reporting, pensions taxation, regulatory requirements and operational processes.
You will act as a trusted technical adviser and Subject Matter Expert (SME) across the wider business, providing guidance to operational teams and other stakeholders, while maintaining effective oversight of our third-party pensions service providers and business partners.
The role will combine technical pensions expertise, regulatory oversight, third-party governance, process improvement and project delivery, with a strong focus on ensuring the best possible outcomes for customers.
You will work closely with operational, compliance and client-facing teams to ensure that pensions processes, products, communications and supporting documentation meet regulatory requirements and reflect best practice.
Key Responsibilities
Pensions Technical Oversight
Act as the technical pensions SME, providing expert guidance and advice to operational and wider business teams.
Provide technical oversight of pensions processes, products and services, ensuring they operate in line with regulatory and legislative requirements.
Develop, review and maintain processes, procedures and technical guidance to support consistent and compliant delivery across the business.
Provide technical advice on complex pensions matters, including:
HMRC reporting and requirements
Pension taxation
Pension excesses
Bereavement and death benefit arrangements
Tax reporting
PAG reporting and associated requirements
Data gathering and customer information requirements
Support teams in understanding and applying complex pensions legislation and regulatory requirements in a practical operational environment. Third-Party Provider & Business Partner Oversight
Provide technical and compliance oversight of third-party pensions service providers and business partners.
Monitor service delivery, processes and controls to identify potential risks, technical issues or customer-impacting bottlenecks.
Work collaboratively with third parties to resolve issues and ensure appropriate standards are maintained.
Support governance meetings with clients and third-party providers, acting as the pensions technical subject matter expert where required.
Identify opportunities to improve processes, controls and customer outcomes across third-party arrangements. Regulatory Change
Monitor developments in pensions legislation, HMRC requirements and financial services regulation.
Assess the potential impact of regulatory and legislative changes on the business, its products, processes and customers.
Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure regulatory changes are implemented effectively and within required timescales.
Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, practical guidance for operational teams. Customer Outcomes & Consumer Duty
Support the business in maintaining a strong focus on customer outcomes and regulatory best practice.
Provide technical input into the assessment and resolution of customer issues and complaints, including providing advice on appropriate complaint outcomes where required.
While the role will not have direct responsibility for managing complaints, provide technical expertise and input to ensure outcomes are fair, accurate and appropriately supported.
Support the implementation and ongoing embedding of Consumer Duty requirements across pensions products, services and processes.
Review product and customer information to ensure that customers receive clear, accurate and appropriate information. Products, Literature & Customer Communications
Provide technical input into pensions-related literature, customer communications and published product information.
Support the compilation and presentation of product information to ensure accuracy, consistency and regulatory compliance.
Work with relevant teams to ensure product and service information reflects best practice and supports good customer outcomes.
Identify areas where customer communications, processes or product information could be improved. Training & Development
Deliver technical training and guidance to the wider business on pensions-related requirements.
Provide training covering areas such as:
Pensions technical matters
Regulatory and legislative changes
Consumer Duty
Products and services
Data gathering
HMRC requirements and reporting
Processes and procedures
Act as a point of escalation for complex technical questions and support colleagues in developing their pensions knowledge and capability. Projects & Change
Lead or contribute to projects involving pensions, compliance, regulatory change, products and operational processes.
Translate technical and regulatory requirements into practical project deliverables.
Work with internal teams and third-party partners to implement changes effectively.
Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, efficiency and enhanced customer outcomes. Client & Stakeholder Management
Develop strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, clients and third-party business partners.
Act as a credible technical representative of the business at client governance meetings and other stakeholder forums.
Attend client sites when required, typically approximately once per quarter, ensuring effective communication and helping to identify and resolve potential bottlenecks.
Communicate complex pensions and regulatory issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences. About You
We are looking for someone with significant experience in pensions technical, compliance, operations or consultancy, who can operate confidently as a subject matter expert within a regulated financial services environment.
You will ideally have:
Strong technical knowledge of UK pensions.
Extensive experience with HMRC pensions reporting and taxation requirements.
Good knowledge of pension excesses and associated tax implications.
Knowledge of bereavement/death benefit arrangements.
Understanding of PAG reporting and relevant pensions reporting requirements.
Experience interpreting pensions legislation and regulatory requirements and translating these into practical business processes.
Experience providing technical guidance to operational teams.
Experience creating or maintaining processes, procedures and technical documentation.
Experience overseeing or working closely with third-party service providers/business partners.
An understanding of Consumer Duty and its application to pensions products and services.
Experience contributing to projects and implementing regulatory or operational change.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical matters clearly.
Confidence working with clients and senior stakeholders.
A proactive approach to identifying risks, issues and opportunities for improvement. Personal Attributes
You will be:
A credible and approachable technical expert.
Comfortable acting as the person others turn to for advice.
Commercially aware, while maintaining a strong focus on regulatory compliance and customer outcomes.
Analytical and able to interpret complex technical information.
Practical and solutions-focused rather than purely theoretical.
Confident challenging existing processes where appropriate.
Comfortable working independently while collaborating across multiple teams.
An excellent communicator who can build trusted relationships with colleagues, clients and external partners. The Team
You will report directly to the Chief Risk & Compliance Officer and join a team of 6 covering a broad range of risk and compliance responsibilities.
The wider team has responsibility across areas including:
Regulatory compliance
FSCS liaison
Complaints
Financial crime
AML/KYC
Risk and compliance oversight This role will provide a specialist pensions technical capability within the wider Risk & Compliance function, working collaboratively across the business to ensure that pensions activity is technically robust, compliant, well governed and focused on delivering the right outcomes for customers.
Why Join?
This is an opportunity to take ownership of a specialist pensions technical function within a growing financial services environment.
You will have genuine visibility across the business, working with senior stakeholders, operational teams, clients and third-party providers, while playing a key role in shaping processes, regulatory change, customer outcomes and best practice.
The role would suit an experienced pensions professional who wants to move beyond purely operational delivery and take a broader technical oversight, governance and advisory role
Salary description
£40000.00 - £50000.00 per year