Head of Applications & Automation
Hybrid or remote-based with travel to Preston.

Salary: £80,000 - £85,000 DOE | 37 hours per week

A glance at the role:
This is a senior technology leadership opportunity to shape how LPPA uses enterprise applications, automation and systems integration to deliver better services for our colleagues, employers and members.

As Head of Applications & Automation, you will set the strategic direction for LPPA’s enterprise applications portfolio and automation capability. You will be accountable for ensuring our systems remain secure, resilient and effective, while identifying opportunities to simplify processes, improve user experience and deliver measurable organisational value.

Working closely with the Chief Technology Officer and as a key member of the IT Leadership Team, you will lead the development and delivery of LPPA’s enterprise applications roadmap, automation strategy, governance framework and integration approach. You will also lead and develop the Applications & Automation team, build effective strategic partnerships and help shape LPPA’s wider technology and transformation agenda.

A bit about us:

Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is a multi-award-winning organisation and one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 1,500 employers and more than 700,000 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 £80,000-£85,000 DOE + inclusion in annual bonus scheme
• 30 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays, two additional concessionary days and one day for your birthday, with the option to buy and sell leave.
• Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.
• Access to Health or Dental Plan and an Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme
• Free car Parking in Preston City Centre

What you’ll be doing:

Strategic Leadership & Application Portfolio Management
• Develop and maintain the roadmap for enterprise applications and automation services aligned to organisational priorities and technology strategy.
• Lead the continual review of LPPA's application landscape to maximise value, user experience and operational efficiency.
• Contribute as a member of the IT Leadership Team to the development and delivery of LPPA's technology strategy.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and modernise business processes through technology and automation.
• Ensure technology investments deliver demonstrable business benefits, operational improvements and service efficiencies that support organisational objectives.

Automation, Integration & Process Optimisation
• Own and deliver LPPA's automation roadmap, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce manual effort across business processes.
• Lead the assessment, prioritisation and implementation of automation opportunities across the organisation.
• Chair and co-ordinate the Automation Forum, ensuring governance, prioritisation and alignment with business objectives.
• Oversee integration pipelines between core systems, third-party applications and external data sources.
• Work with operational teams to identify high value automation opportunities that improve colleague productivity, customer service and member outcomes.
• Ensure automation and integration solutions are scalable, secure, resilient and sustainable.

Enterprise Applications Leadership
• Lead the support, maintenance and continual improvement of LPPA's enterprise applications estate.
• Ensure business-critical applications achieve agreed service levels, availability, performance and user satisfaction standards.
• Establish and maintain governance and lifecycle management practices for enterprise systems.
• Oversee application upgrades, enhancements and implementation of new functionality.
• Act as an escalation point for major application-related incidents and risks.

Leadership & People Management
• Lead, develop and inspire a high-performing Applications & Automation team.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement.
• Set clear objectives, priorities and performance expectations, ensuring alignment to LPPA strategic goals.
• Coach and support team members and create opportunities for professional and technical growth
• Undertake workforce and capability planning to identify future skills and development needs.
• Promote knowledge sharing and best practice across IT and the wider organisation.

Supplier, Governance & Stakeholder Management
• Manage strategic relationships with software vendors, implementation partners and third-party support providers.
• Ensure supplier performance is effectively monitored and contractual obligations are achieved.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks for automation technologies and enterprise applications.
• Develop policies and operating standards that support secure, resilient and effective service delivery.
• Build strong relationships across the business to understand requirements and translate them into technology solutions that meet organisational needs.
• Contribute to the leadership, planning and continuous improvement of the wider IT function as a member of the IT Leadership Team.


You’ll need:
• Significant senior leadership experience within enterprise applications, business systems, automation or digital services.
• A successful track record of developing and delivering enterprise application strategies, roadmaps and technology-enabled transformation programmes.
• Demonstrable experience of identifying and delivering measurable business value, operational efficiencies and service improvements through technology.
• Experience of leading, developing and building capability within multidisciplinary technical teams.
• Strong experience of managing enterprise applications throughout their lifecycle, including service performance, risk, resilience, security and continual improvement.
• Experience of designing or leading automation, workflow orchestration, systems integration and process optimisation initiatives.
• Strong technical understanding of automation technologies and integration approaches, including UiPath, Microsoft Power Platform, APIs or comparable platforms.
• Experience of establishing effective governance, prioritisation and assurance arrangements for enterprise technology and automation portfolios.
• Strong commercial and supplier-management experience, including the management of strategic technology partners and third-party service providers.
• The ability to influence senior stakeholders, manage competing priorities and translate complex technology issues into clear organisational decisions.
• Strong strategic thinking, judgement and problem-solving skills, combined with the ability to maintain effective oversight of operational delivery.
• A good understanding of technology risk, information security, service management and regulatory considerations.

Nice to have:
• SQL, reporting and data analysis experience
• UiPath or Microsoft Power Platform or related automation qualifications
• Experience of enterprise systems governance or service management frameworks
• Familiarity with Agile delivery methods
• Experience working in pensions, financial services, public sector, regulated environments or member-focused service organisations

Working with and upholding our values:

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

Head of Pension Systems (UPM).
Hybrid or remote-based with travel to Preston.

Salary: £85,000-£95,000 DOE | 37 hours per week

A glance at the role:
Our Head of Pensions Systems is a business-critical role, responsible for driving the strategic direction, development and operational capability of the LPPA pension administration system, currently based around the Civica UPM pension platform. You will manage the day-to-day relationship with Civica and other technology partners, ensuring the systems remain robust, compliant, scalable and aligned to LPPA’s strategy.

You will build and lead a sector-leading Pensions Systems team, responsible for developing and supporting the platform including its configuration, workflows, automation, data integrity and web portals enabling the LPPA to provide an excellent service to its members, employers and clients.

Working closely with member services teams and internal and external project teams, ensure there is a responsive and well-governed project delivery pipeline that supports regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement that underpins LPPA’s ability to deliver excellent pension services at scale.

A bit about us:

Local Pensions Partnership Administration (LPPA) is a multi-award-winning organisation and one of the UK’s leading pension administration companies. We strive to deliver the best experience for over 1,500 employers and more than 700,000 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 £85,000-£95,000 DOE + inclusion in annual bonus scheme
• 30 days’ holiday, plus bank holidays and 2 additional concessionary days and 1 day for your birthday, with the option to ‘buy and sell’ leave.
• Access to an excellent pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contributions.
• Access to Health or Dental Plan and an Enhanced Employee Assistance Programme
• Free Car Parking in Preston City Centre

What you’ll be doing:
Product Ownership & System Governance
• Serve as the technical product owner for the UPM system and its associated portals.
• Ensure UPM is configured to best-practice and documentation is maintained.
• Oversee release management, testing and safe deployment of changes.
• Lead the Pensions Systems team in delivering a high-quality support service.
• Monitor SLAs, XLAs, and drive continuous service improvement.
• Manage incident, request, problem, and change management aligned with ITIL 4.
• Drive workflow automation to reduce manual processes and improve efficiency.
• Own development and enhancement of Member and Employer Portals.
• Manage relationships with Civica and relevant technology suppliers.
• Collaborate with external organisations to share best practice.
• Incident manager for performance and availability issues with the pension system and associated portals


Leadership & People Management
• Lead and develop high performing operational technology teams, promoting:
o Clear accountability
o Strong customer focus
o Continuous improvement
• Develop talent, capability, and succession within the team.
• Develop the team to support the change portfolio and day-to-day operational needs.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, resilience, and service excellence.
• Communicate clearly to ensure team members are working harmoniously and to the same standard
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring clarity, alignment, and shared understanding of priorities.

Strategic Contribution
• Act as key adviser to the Chief Technology Officer, contributing to the development and delivery of the IT Strategy
• Attendance at Change Board ensuring effective decisions are reached to aid with the progression of projects and problem solving
• Provide expert leadership on the strategic direction of the UPM platform and associated portals, ensuring alignment with LPPA’s digital and operational goals.
• Champion automation, workflow optimisation, and integration opportunities to reduce manual effort and improve service quality.
You’ll need:
• Proven experience of managing a pension administration system (UPM preferred)
• Understanding of UK pension administration processes and regulatory requirements
• Experience in system configuration, workflow design and governance
• Leadership experience of a support and/or development team
• Proven leadership experience in managing and developing high-performing teams, with a focus on talent development, performance management, and fostering a culture of innovation and accountability
• Experience managing suppliers and third party service providers
• Strong stakeholder engagement, communication and analytical skills
• Experience and understanding of system development and SQL database development
• Understanding of ISO 27001 and managing audit requests.


Nice to have:
• Experience working with Civica UPM or other pension administration platforms.
• ITIL v4 certification or experience applying IT service management principles.
• Experience with automation tools, workflow technologies, APIs and system integration solutions.
• Familiarity with Agile delivery methodologies and continuous improvement practices.

Working with and upholding our values:

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