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: Manchester
Employment Type: Permanent, Full Time
Grade: Consultant
Work Environment: Hybrid
Job Reference: REQ003499
About the Role
Our teams of pension administrators provide services to a wide range of trust-based company pension schemes, including defined benefit, defined contribution, career average revalued earnings, and hybrid schemes. Our range of pensions administration services include:
- Scheme administration
- Communication
- Scam identification
- Payroll services
- Pension scheme accounting
- De-risking projects
- Technical consultancy
Our administrative approach is scheme-based; one team is responsible for every aspect of each client’s service, enabling us to build the best possible relationships and provide the clarity of focus each scheme deserves. Ultimately, pension schemes are there for their members; we place just as much emphasis on delivering excellent customer service as we do on technical proficiency and quality control.
This role is within Implementation Services (IST). IST is comprised of specialist teams whose members support the XPS Administration business in a variety of areas. The teams provide technical, IT and specialist expertise to XPS Administration that underpins the quality solutions we provide to our administration clients. The teams are located across the XPS Administration national offices. The key areas in which IST provide support are:
- New Client Implementations (Data & Calculations)
- Data and Calculation Support
- Business Interface with IT Services
- Management Reporting
Key Responsibilities
- The role is a skilled Data Programmer to help design, build, and maintain the systems that power our data operations. This role blends programming expertise with deep SQL knowledge to ensure data is accurate, accessible, and ready for analysis. You’ll work closely with analysts and business teams to create reliable data solutions that support decision-making across the organisation.
- Develop, optimise, and maintain SQL scripts for data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL).
- Meeting the business requirements and implementation needs of clients in an accurate and timely manner and in accordance with any agreed standards and procedures.
- Expanding knowledge within their discipline by working with internal and external colleagues.
- Identification and analysis of data queries to ensure data is held correctly for all workstreams.
- Requirements gathering and documentation from initiation phase and throughout the lifecycle of the project.
- Working with our internal and external clients to understand their requirements and help to translate them into formal documentation/specifications.
- Produce clear testing strategies and carry out sufficient testing to ensure a high-quality output.
- Work with relevant stakeholders/teams to identify functional changes to our core products and processes that are required to ensure business needs are met and to ensure these are formally documented.
- Provide support and mentoring to colleagues within the Data Services team and wider teams.
- Support the Implementations Manager in driving best practice within Data Services team.
- Taking opportunities to lead analysis of solutions or standards, tools and framework through internal technical forums or client projects.
- Due to the changing nature of the business, the job holder may from time to time be required to undertake other activities of a similar nature that fall within their capabilities.
Essential - Your Profile
- Strong proficiency in SQL (Complex joins, subqueries, CTEs, window functions, and aggregations).
- Familiarity with ETL tools or frameworks.
- Understanding of relational database concepts and data modelling.
- Ability to work with large datasets and optimise query performance.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- Able to work as part of a multi-disciplined team, influencing decisions where priorities and interests are often conflicting.
- Ability to multi-task and respond to changing priorities.
- Able to take ownership and responsibility, including contributing actively.
- Flexible approach to work pressures.
- Good problem-solving skills and ability to think laterally.
- A high degree of accuracy and attention to detail in technical documentation.
- Strong belief in adhering to deadlines and quality service.
- Able to recognise the need for a customer focused approach to deliveries both in terms of quality and exceeding customer expectations.
- IT proficient in MS Office, with an emphasis on using Excel.
Desirable
- Azure Data Factory (ADF) Pipeline Development. Ability to create and configure pipelines, datasets, and integration runtimes.
- Proven experience of working within an administration team as a user, or a system support position in the pensions industry is required, covering but not limited to a diverse range of pension arrangements: DB/DC/CARE/Public Sector/Master Trust.
- Experience of working with common pension administration systems and third-party IT suppliers e.g. PenScope, Compendia, ProFund Classic.
- Proficient knowledge in benefit structures for DB, DC and Hybrid pension schemes.
- Candidates with strong A-Level qualifications (or equivalent qualifications)
- Strong Stakeholder management skills.
- Strong written, verbal and presentation skills to all levels.
- Able to articulate complex messages with clarity and ease to all audiences and flex style as required.
- Ability to create and manage documentation.
- Effective interpersonal skills, ability to communicate and build long-term working relationships at all levels, both internal and external of the organisation.
- Understands the methodologies used in a software development and support environment e.g. Agile, Waterfall, ITIL.
- Driving Change & Improvement and adaptable, responding well to feedback and the need for change.
What We Offer
Enjoy a competitive salary, annual discretionary bonus, and 25 days’ holiday with buy/sell flexibility. Benefits include pension matching, healthcare plans, life assurance, and retailer discounts. We support our team with a flexible benefits scheme, employee assistance, and digital GP service. Participating in volunteering events is encouraged with paid volunteer days available. Referral bonuses are offered for introducing suitable candidates to XPS.
Equal Opportunities Statement
XPS Group is committed to diversity and equal opportunities. We welcome applications from all candidates, irrespective of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or belief. As a Disability Confident employer, we ensure accessible and supportive work settings for all employees.
Eligibility
Any employment offer made will be conditional upon you satisfying DBS Disclosure checks, Employment or educational references, Satisfactory credit checks and eligibility to work in the UK before an offer can be made. XPS Group is not able to provide sponsorship to employees.
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