Team Manager; Pensions Administration

About XPS Group

XPS Group is a prominent and growing UK consultancy and administration firm within the pensions and insurance sectors. As a FTSE 250 company with over 2000 employees, we leverage expertise alongside advanced technology to serve over 1,400 pension schemes and their sponsors. Our goal is to foster a workplace where diverse talents thrive.

Location: Perth
Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time
Grade: Senior Consultant
Hybrid
REQ
003396

The Team Manager for DB Scheme Events, Projects & Operational Delivery is accountable for the planning, execution, and quality of all cyclical Defined Benefit (DB) scheme events and complex project work while also contributing directly to the delivery of technical tasks. The role combines people leadership with hands‑on operational expertise, ensuring the team delivers accurate, timely, and compliant outcomes across both scheme events and project work streams such as Barber Rectifications, de‑risking exercises and GMP Equalisation.

The postholder actively supports client relationships, drives process improvement, and ensures all activities meet statutory, regulatory, and contractual expectations.

• Lead the planning and delivery of all DB scheme cyclical events including benefit statements, pension increases, year‑end processes, and ad‑hoc statutory tasks.
• Personally perform complex calculations, data validations, and technical checks where required, ensuring accuracy and adherence to scheme rules and regulations.
• Maintain detailed delivery calendars, project documentation, and workflows to support timely and compliant execution.
• Demonstrate agility in managing shifting priorities and deadlines and adapt how project tasks are prioritised.

• Manage and contribute directly to specialist work streams such as GMP Equalisation, Barber Rectifications, data investigations, reconciliation, and de‑risking exercises.
• Ensure project methodologies, assumptions, and calculations align with industry standards and internal technical guidance.
• Produce detailed progress reports, risk logs, and governance materials for internal and client‑facing forums.

• Monitor all activities within the team to ensure high standards of accuracy, completeness, and compliance.
• Review and sign off complex casework, project outputs, and event deliverables.
• Identify errors, root causes and trends; implement remedial and preventative actions to strengthen operational control.

• Collaborate closely with administration teams, technical functions, actuarial advisers, quality assurance, data teams and payroll to ensure coordinated delivery.
• Provide clear and timely communication on workloads, deadlines, risks, and dependencies.
• Support preparation for client governance meetings, audits, and internal assurance reviews.

• Direct and support a team of administrators and senior administrators, providing coaching, mentoring and technical guidance.
• Oversee work allocation to balance operational and project demands, ensuring fair workload distribution and strong productivity.
• Conduct performance reviews, facilitate skills development, and contribute to recruitment and onboarding.
• Support team members’ personal development by providing mentoring and coaching to help them achieve their growth goals.

• Ensure all scheme events and project activities comply with legislation, scheme rules, regulatory guidance (e.g., TPR, HMRC) and internal control frameworks.
• Maintain robust documentation, audit trails and evidence to support compliance and assurance requirements.
• Proactively identify operational risks and implement effective controls to mitigate them.

• Drive operational efficiency through process improvement, automation opportunities and streamlining of manual tasks.
• Update and maintain procedure notes, guidance materials and checklists to ensure consistent practice.
• Contribute feedback and insight to support wider business improvements, technology…