The Opportunity
We are recruiting for an experienced SIPP Administration Team Leader to join a specialist pensions organisation in Bristol on a long-term interim basis.
This is a hands-on leadership position combining technical SIPP administration with responsibility for supporting, mentoring and guiding a team of pension administrators.
The organisation is looking for an experienced SIPP professional who can confidently handle technical cases and escalated queries while helping ensure workloads are completed accurately and within agreed service levels. An established Team Leader or Manager would be well suited, although a strong Senior SIPP Administrator looking to take the next step into leadership can also be considered.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage, support and mentor a team of experienced and entry-level pension administrators.
- Provide technical guidance and support with escalated SIPP queries.
- Oversee end-to-end benefit requests, including income drawdown calculations and relevant legislative limits.
- Coordinate asset liquidations and ensure sufficient liquidity is available for payments and applicable fees.
- Produce and review crystallised and uncrystallised fund breakdowns.
- Support clients and IFAs with SIPP drawdowns and benefit entitlements.
- Obtain accurate investment valuations and liaise with investment platforms and custodians.
- Manage ad-hoc client and IFA payment requests within agreed service levels.
- Work closely with Finance and Payroll teams on pension payment instructions, including PCLS and recurring income.
- Support SIPP transfers to new providers, including verifying drawdown status and available liquidity.
- Help reduce administration backlogs and provide support across wider SIPP administration activities.
- Train and develop junior colleagues, sharing technical SIPP knowledge and supporting upskilling.
About You: To be considered, you will need:
- Extensive SIPP administration experience with demonstrable technical knowledge across a range of SIPP functions.
- Ideally, experience covering the full SIPP lifecycle.
- Strong knowledge of current pensions legislation and relevant tax regulations, including annual allowance and retirement and death benefits.
- Previous experience using bespoke SIPP/SSAS administration platforms.
- Strong numerical skills, attention to detail and the ability to handle complex pension calculations.
- Awareness of GDPR requirements and the handling of sensitive client information.
- The ability to explain technical pensions information clearly to clients.
- Confidence managing competing workloads and working in a deadline-driven environment.
- Competence using Microsoft Word and Excel.
Qualifications: Relevant pensions qualifications would be advantageous, including:
- Certificate in Pensions Administration (CPA)
- Retirement Provision Certificate (RPC)
- Advanced Diploma in Retirement Provision (ADRP)
- Level 4 Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning
- Award in Financial Administration (RQF Level 3)
Why Consider This Role?
This is an opportunity to take on a senior position within a specialist pensions environment where your technical SIPP knowledge can make an immediate impact. It would particularly suit an experienced administrator ready to step into leadership, or an established SIPP Team Leader/Manager seeking an interim assignment.
Hybrid working of up to two days per week from home is available after successful completion of the training period and where business requirements permit.