Assistant Pensions Consultant Apprentice

About this opportunity

XPS Pensions Group are recruiting for an Assistant Pensions Consultant for their Reading Team. This is an entry level role, you will have excellent communication skills, a passion for client service, together with drive and enthusiasm.

To Apply Please Use The Following Link
https://ce0382li.webitrent.com/ce0382li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC107GF.open?VACANCY_ID=0223424Uip&WVID=7384220Foy&LANG=USA

We are an award-winning Pensions Consultancy with over 1300 staff in 15 locations across the UK.

We provide a positive working environment with an emphasis on training and development and we put relationships at the very heart of our business. You can expect an exciting and fulfilling career in a growing business and an industry that provides a consistent challenge.

This role will be based/attached to our Reading Office however, flexible working arrangements for this role will be considered and can be discussed at interview. You can find out further information here.

The role

• You will be working as part of a team to assist clients solve their challenges and best meet their objectives. This includes but is not limited to:
• Providing general support to the wider consulting team.
• With the assistance of a senior colleague prepare for, attend, and follow up from client meetings.
• Where appropriate, collate and publish meeting papers for client meetings.
• Draft minutes from client meetings within agreed timescales and ensure that action points are communicated to relevant parties and followed up.
• Attendance and participation at internal technical training sessions.
• Assist with scheme governance matters such as monitoring statutory deadlines, setting up and maintaining scheme business plans, maintaining scheme document libraries.
• Working and liaising with internal departments at XPS and external advisors.
• Undertake, with assistance of senior colleagues, all or some of the following; drafting for pension scheme annual reports, member newsletters, and other specific member communications.
• Working as part of a team, initially to assist client team leaders but progressing to reviewing the work of others and communicating directly with clients at the appropriate time for you.

We want someone who is unafraid to express a view and can express their view clearly, thereby contributing to the ideas we rely on to achieve our aims.
We want to help you reach your potential and be the best that you can be. By joining XPS you will be involved in a wide variety of work. You’ll be supported by on-the-job training, resulting in you developing your knowledge and abilities quickly.
In addition, we will support you through an apprenticeship scheme to complete the Pension Management Institute (‘PMI’) exams if you wish to.

About the Business Area/Department
Our mission is to help our clients manage the complex issues which impact their pension scheme in a pragmatic and understandable way. Communication is a key part of this.

We advise Trustees and Corporate clients on a wide range of actuarial-related areas, including:

• Helping them to understand the risks within their pension schemes and how they can manage this;
• Supporting clients and their members through the life cycle of the pension scheme. This runs from scheme set up and benefit design through to eventual scheme wind-up;
• Providing tailored advice on a variety of aspects including funding and member options;
• Analyse new and changing legislation, regulation and guidance to help clients understand what it means for their scheme and what actions they need to take;
• Supporting the governance of the pension scheme to ensure it is effectively and efficiently run for the ultimate benefit of the members; and
• Advising Corporates on the pensions elements of their statutory accounts.

We are very ambitious and want to continue our strong growth. As part of this we are committed to developing market leading tools and approaches for our clients. For example, our online funding software ‘Radar’ has been awarded Actuarial Software of the Year for the last two years.

We offer an attractive reward package, including:
• Competitive salary
• Participation in Discretionary Bonus Scheme
• A set of core benefits including pension plan, life assurance, employee assistance programme, 25 days holiday per year and access to a qualified, practising GP 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
• A comprehensive range of voluntary benefits to suit your age and lifestyle including holiday trading, tech scheme, cycle to work scheme, dental cover, healthcare cash plan, critical illness cover, private medical cover for self and family, travel insurance and a broad range of discounts at hundreds of retailers.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate the following requirements:
• Right to Work confirmation
• DBS Disclosure check
• Employment or educational references covering five years
• Satisfactory credit check

What you should have to apply

• GCSE Maths and English A-C/9-4

Personal Qualities

• A keen interest in financial services
• An inquisitive mind and a desire to learn
• An understanding of the value of good customer service
• Highly motivated and driven to succeed
• Enjoy thinking independently and able to make decisions
• Outstanding accuracy and attention to detail
• Desire and ability to build great relationships with colleagues and clients
• Adaptable and a team-player

Skills

• Outstanding communication skills, written, oral and in presentation form
• Highly organised with the ability to prioritise effectively
• Strong computer skills, particularly Microsoft Office