Resolution Technical Lead – LGPS Pensions

Hybrid working with 2 days per week in our Preston Office (PR1).
Fully Home working contracts will be considered for candidates living 50+ miles from our offices in Preston.
Salary circa £50 – 55k DOE

A glance at the role and LPPA:

A brand-new opportunity has arisen for an experienced LGPS technical lead to join our team. The role combines technical knowledge of LGPS pensions and general pensions legislation, to lead on all complaint disputes & appeals within the operational function.
You will be responsible for dealing with complaint disputes & appeals around various technical, regulatory and service matters, as well as being responsible for driving service improvement through lessons learned and regular reporting.
You will report into the Head of Data Management & Member Experience, and will work closely with the Operational, Technical and Risk Teams to ensure LPPA meets all regulatory and service requirements in relation to Complaint disputes & appeals.
Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 2,100 employers and more than 655,000 members of Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes, keeping them fully informed about their pensions whilst working closely with employers to continuously educate and support them.


What we can offer you:

- Attractive salary of £50 – 55k DOE
- 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and additional concessionary days, with the ability to ‘buy and sell’ leave.
- Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for when you might need some support.
- The opportunity to earn through our Employee Referral Scheme.
- Access to our bespoke Reward Discount Scheme – ‘Your Perk Site.’
- Opportunities to attend Wellbeing webinars and social events.
- Daily free fruit and snacks available to you in our office.
- Free Car Parking in Preston Town Centre



What you’ll be doing:

• To lead on technical and service matters arising within the formal complaint dispute and appeals process
• Ensure disputes and appeals are logged and dispositioned accurately, and are concluded inside the appropriate timeframe, including proactive chase of outcomes which clients are responsible for issuing
• Proactively liaise/escalate matters with members, clients, employers and other third parties where appropriate
• To lead on all reporting for disputes and appeals, and contribute to the collation of standard complaint reporting, including monthly and quarterly reports
• Facilitate discussion and learning with wider operation teams to ensure that lessons learned, and root-cause are captured and implemented as appropriate to reduce the overall number of disputes and appeals being received
• Ensure robust measures are in place to minimise the amount of redress payments made to members, challenging Ombudsman redress payment recommendations where appropriate
• Develop and maintain strong relationships within LPPA teams to ensure appropriate response and actions are taken on a timely basis, including but not limited to Operational, Technical and Risk
• Primary point of contact for admin assistants, providing guidance on when to log a complaint or dispute & appeal
• Continually review and challenge ways of working and processes to maximise use of new technology (including UPM, LPPA’s pensions administration software) and automation of processes to improve efficiency
• Working closely with the engagement and communication team, act as the subject matter expert to ensure compliance set out in acknowledgement and resolution letters, as well as up-to-date website content around the appeals process
• The role will require you to support the business across other activity where required, including supporting the operational teams with resolution of formal complaints, breaches and audit activity
• Comply with LPPA’s Data Protection and Information Security policies and any relevant GDPR legislation



What we need from you:

Essential:
• Minimum of 5 years, but preferably at least 10 years of LGPS experience
• In-depth knowledge of LGPS regulations
• Ability to construe complex technical documents
• Knowledge of overarching pensions legislation
• Knowledge of Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure and Pension Ombudsman dispute processes
• Passionate about delivering a first-class member experience
• Ability to manage multiple tranches of activity simultaneously
• Demonstrate expertise in collaboration and relationship-building, with the ability to engage and work effectively with various stakeholders, including other Technical Leads to foster a cooperative environment and ensure effective and timely resolution management

Nice to have:
• Knowledge of the UPM system
• Experience of working in a customer complaint handling role

Working with and upholding our values:

• Working together
• Committed to excellence
• Doing the right thing
• Forward thinking.

LGPS Experienced Pensions Administrator – Retirements Team (Hybrid or Remote)

Remote/Hybrid Working with 2 days in Preston, Lancashire
Fully Home working contracts will be considered for candidates living 50+ miles from our offices in Preston.
Salary £26K – £30k DOE 37 hours a week

A glance at the role:
We have the opportunity for Experienced Pensions Administrators to join us on a full time, permanent basis. You will have a background in LGPS – ideally in Retirements
You will join a friendly, welcoming and sociable work culture where there are many opportunities for continuous personal and professional development where you will be supported to reach your full potential.

A bit about us:
Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 2,100 employers and more than 655,000 members of Local Government, Police and Firefighter pension schemes, keeping them fully informed about their pensions whilst working closely with employers to continuously educate and support them.

What we can offer you:
- Competitive salary DOE
- 25 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and additional concessionary days, with the ability to ‘buy and sell leave.
- Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme for when you might need some support.
- The opportunity to earn through our Employee Referral Scheme.
- Access to our bespoke Reward Discount Scheme – ‘Your Perk Site.’
- Opportunities to attend Wellbeing webinars and social events.
- Daily free fruit and snacks available to you in our office.
- Free Car Parking in Preston Town Centre



What you’ll be doing:

• To process and check a range of general pensions casework, including, but not restricted to benefits estimates, transfers, retirements, commutation of benefits and the combining of benefits, ensuring that service level targets and deadlines are met in respect of these areas
• To respond to member correspondence relating to the work undertaken within the team, again ensuring that service level targets and deadlines are met in these areas
• To develop an understanding of current pensions regulation and overriding legislation, maintaining up-to-date knowledge
• Liaise with customers and third parties obtaining information in respect of the work undertaken on the team
• Comply with LPPA’s Data Protection and Information Security policies and any relevant GDPR legislation


What we need from you:
• Practical working experience in an LGPS Pensions administration role, ideally a minimum of 2-3 years.
• Proven ability to undertake detailed mathematical calculations accurately. Please note, the interview process may include numerical assessments.
• Demonstrable ability to work accurately and to deadlines
• Previous work with internal database systems is desirable, & experience with processes relevant to payroll and pension administration, UPM experience would be beneficial
• Good capability using the Microsoft Office packages (e.g. Word and Excel)
• Strong communication skills with the confidence to work independently when required whilst also being an effective team player

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs or equivalent including Maths and English at Grade C or above
• A recognised pension administration qualification (or working towards) would be desirable

Working with and upholding our values:

• Working together
• Committed to excellence
• Doing the right thing
• Forward thinking