Pensions Technical Specialist

Role is based in Portsmouth or remote As Pensions Technical Specialist, you will be the team's subject matter expert on all aspects of SIPP and pension administration. You'll act as the go-to person for technical queries, complex casework, and regulatory interpretation, ensuring the team consistently delivers accurate, compliant, and high-quality administration. A core part of the role is the design, delivery, and ownership of training across the team. You'll build and maintain structured training plans for new joiners and experienced administrators alike, supporting their technical development and ensuring consistent standards across the function. Working closely with the TPA Team Manager and Team Lead, you'll also support quality assurance, contribute to process and procedural improvements, and help the team stay ahead of legislative and regulatory change. This is a senior, hands-on technical role — not a people management role — suited to someone who enjoys problem-solving, sharing knowledge, and shaping how a team operates. Responsibilities Technical Expertise Act as the primary point of escalation for complex technical queries across SIPP administration, including contributions, transfers (cash and in-specie), benefit crystallisation events (PCLS, drawdown, UFPLS), death benefits, and overseas transfers Provide authoritative guidance on HMRC pension legislation, FCA requirements, and wider regulatory matters affecting SIPP administration Research, interpret, and communicate the impact of legislative and regulatory changes (e.g. Finance Act updates, Lifetime Allowance abolition, tax treatment of lump sums) Review complex cases prior to processing and provide sign-off where required Support the resolution of technical errors, breaches, and complaints, including root-cause analysis and remediation Training & Development Own, develop, and maintain the technical training plan for the administration team Design and deliver structured training programmes for new joiners, including a defined induction pathway Build and run ongoing technical training sessions for experienced administrators, covering legislative updates, complex case studies, and refresher topics Maintain a library of up-to-date training materials, technical guides, and reference documents Assess competency and identify development needs across the team, working with the Team Lead and Team Manager to address skills gaps Coach and mentor administrators on technical aspects of their casework Quality, Compliance & Risk Support quality assurance activities, including technical reviews and file checks Ensure procedures, process notes, and technical documentation remain current, accurate, and aligned with regulatory requirements Identify and escalate technical, operational, or regulatory risks Support internal and external audit activity Contribute to the maintenance of a strong compliance and good-customer-outcomes culture Process & Continuous Improvement Identify opportunities to improve technical processes, controls, and procedures Support the implementation of system enhancements, automation initiatives, and change projects from a technical perspective Ensure technical considerations are properly reflected in new processes and procedural updates Contribute to ad-hoc projects, including client onboarding, scheme migrations, and regulatory implementation work Stakeholder Support Provide technical support to client-facing colleagues, helping resolve queries and shape responses to clients Build effective working relationships with the Team Manager, Team Lead, administrators, and wider business functions Where appropriate, support direct client communication on complex technical matters About you Experience Proven pensions administration experience in a senior SIPP role with end-to-end administration experience, or previous experience in a dedicated pensions technical role Strong working knowledge of SIPP products, HMRC pension tax legislation, and FCA regulatory requirements Demonstrable experience handling complex cases including transfers, benefit crystallisation, death benefits, and tax reporting Experience designing and delivering training, coaching, or knowledge-sharing in a pensions environment Skills & qualities Technical knowledge — Deep, current expertise in pensions legislation and SIPP administration; confident interpreting and applying regulatory requirements Training & coaching — Able to translate complex technical content into clear, engaging training for varied audiences Communication — Clear and confident written and verbal communication; able to explain technical matters to non-technical colleagues and clients Problem solving — Analytical, methodical, and solution-focused approach to complex queries Organisation — Strong planning skills with the ability to manage training plans, technical reviews, and project work in parallel Collaboration — Approachable, supportive, and proactive; comfortable being the team's go-to person Continuous learning — Genuine interest in staying ahead of legislative and industry change Qualifications Relevant pensions qualifications strongly preferred (e.g. CII RO4, CII AF7, PMI Retirement Provision Certificate, or equivalent) Progress toward, or willingness to work toward, advanced qualifications (e.g. CII Diploma in Regulated Financial Planning, PMI Diploma in Retirement Provision) A little about us We’re the Nucleus Financial Platforms group and we help make retirement more rewarding. People come first - whether it’s our colleagues, or the advisers and customers we support, we know that working in partnership and collaboration leads to the best outcomes. Together, we’ve shaped the platform to how it is today. We work hard, and we celebrate hard too. Our ambition is to create a platform with a difference, putting the customer centre stage meant tearing up the rule book and starting from scratch. We’ve come a long way since then, but our mission remains just as focused. That’s why our culture, values, and social responsibility are things we keep at the top of our agenda – because we know they matter and have a big impact. Our culture is one of the many things that sets us apart from the pack. We want to have an environment where our people feel that they can make a real difference, know they’ll be rewarded for their efforts and more importantly, enjoy themselves at work. Are we a perfect match? Check out this video and find out! Inclusion and diversity at Nucleus As with most things in life, who cares, wins. We really care about inclusion. For us it’s not a tick box exercise; inclusion and diversity are embedded in our culture and everything we do. It’s a commercial imperative. It isn’t about being PC. It’s about being future-relevant and durable. We owe it to ourselves and the industry to ensure we are playing our part in creating a fair, balanced and transparent financial services sector. More diversity means broader experience, a wider set of perspectives and a better collective ability to problem-solve. And it means being more representative of customer groups, which supports areas such as product development. At Nucleus, we offer a generous blend of benefits for the things that really matter to our people, including a non-contributory pension, bonus, enhanced parental leave, paid time off for emergencies, health and wellbeing initiatives and flexible working options.