Workplace pensions (administrator or consultant)

Knowledge

K1: Workplace Pension Schemes: Broad understanding of the structure of workplace pensions schemes and the different roles involved in running a scheme. Back to Duty

K2: Regulatory and Compliance: Understands the regulatory and legislative environment for workplace pensions and the impact of this on their role. Understands the difference between providing information, guidance and advice. Back to Duty

K3: Business Awareness: Understands their organisation’s business strategy, culture and role within the workplace pensions sector. Has an awareness of how their own role fits within the wider organisation and workplace pensions industry. Back to Duty

K4: Systems and processes: Understands all systems and processes used in the role together with the standards to be met. Back to Duty

K5: Scheme Benefits: Interprets relevant pension scheme information and benefits payable; understands how to interpret scheme documentation, perform calculations and check for reasonableness. Back to Duty

K6: Trustee Responsibilities: Understands how Trustee boards are comprised and run; understands Trustee Governance requirements, including risk management, complaints processes and Trustee business planning. Back to Duty

K7: Scheme Benefits: Understands relevant pension scheme information and benefits payable. Understands the different types of calculations and benefit structures Back to Duty

K8: Client Understanding: Broadly understands the nature of scheme sponsors and Trustees as clients and the context of their business requirements, projects, circumstances, goals and cultures. Understands the options for, and importance of, communications with and to pension scheme members. Back to Duty

Skills

S1: Delivers excellent service, meeting client needs e.g. producing quotations or advising trustees; meeting internal service standards; handles a range of situations including dealing with complaints appropriately. Back to Duty

S2: Delivers work that meets required quality, standards and targets, using the required systems and processes. Back to Duty

S3: Communication: Demonstrates good interpersonal skills and communicates effectively with all stakeholders e.g. pension scheme members or sponsors. Back to Duty

S4: Consistently supports colleagues and collaborates to achieve results. Builds and maintains strong working relationship with colleagues and clients e.g. sponsoring employers or trustees. Aware of own role within team and impact on others Back to Duty

S5: Plans and manages own workload effectively, responding to changes when necessary. Back to Duty

S6: Proactively plans and records their own development in both current role and career through a range of methods e.g. workplace learning, professional courses. Back to Duty

S7: Able to demonstrate analytical thinking, including identifying non-standard situations that arise, where relevant. Back to Duty

S8: Able to demonstrate analytical and investigative thinking, suggesting viable solutions to client issues that arise. Able to support implementation of solutions, including straightforward negotiations with clients when required. Back to Duty

Behaviours

B1: Truthful, sincere and trustworthy in their actions. Shows integrity by doing the right thing. Maintains confidentiality at all times. Back to Duty

B2: Meets personal commitments and expectations, e.g. completing work, timekeeping. Takes ownership of tasks. Back to Duty

B3: Demonstrates enthusiasm and dedication. Willing to suggest / share new ideas and opportunities for change. Back to Duty

B4: Accepts changing work priorities and patterns when new jobs need to be done and adapts to business change. Back to Duty

B5: Works well under pressure, deals with challenges and meets targets. Back to Duty