Job Description – Client Services Consultant
Starting Salary: £40,000 per year (dependent on knowledge and experience)
Location: Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester (in person)
Job Type: Full-time | No weekends | 37.5 hour week
Flexible working: Choose between a 9-day fortnight (an extra day off every two weeks) or a standard Monday-Friday week with flexi time
Hybrid Working: Work from Home up to 2 days a week
About Us
Join Whitehall Group, a multi-award-winning pensions specialist. Recognised as the Best Pension Service 2025 and Highly Commended Best SSAS Provider at the Moneyfacts Awards, and five-time winner of Best SSAS Provider, we’re proud of our reputation for exceptional service, innovation, and integrity.
Want to find out more? Visit our website at www.whitehallgroup.co.uk to see who we are and what we do. You can also meet the team here.
We’re now looking for a Client Services Consultant to join our highly successful team. You will manage a significant portfolio of SSAS pension schemes throughout their full lifecycle - from scheme setup, all investment classes through retirement and drawdown, to handling death benefits. At every stage, you will uphold Whitehall’s core values of Integrity, Understanding, Respect, Ambition, and Responsibility.
Key Responsibilities
- An experienced and knowledgeable professional who has worked in this sector for a number of years
- Familiar with all elements of operating SSAS pension schemes
- Capable of working unsupervised
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with clients, IFAs, and key stakeholders
- Handle general scheme correspondence
- Handle all pension scheme investments, top-ups and sales including standard and non-standard investments, loans, commercial property transactions and unquoted equity
- Process retirement benefit and pension drawdown requests and arrange pension payment through pension payroll
- Carry out fund split calculations for benefit and anniversary purposes
- Handle various types of death benefit payment and ensure work is completed within regulatory deadlines
- Handle any pension sharing orders on divorce cases and ensure work is completed within regulatory deadlines
- Make pension scheme alterations
- Process contributions, transfers-in and transfers-out
- Liaise with banks, insurance companies and investment providers
- Handle all pension scheme enquiries by telephone, email, in writing or face to face/video call
· Attend and hold client/introducer meetings both on-site and externally
- Issue standard reminder letters
- Perform pension scheme administrative tasks which arise
- File all regulatory returns, specifically pension scheme returns, event reports, accounting for tax returns and TPR returns
- Update our back-office system
- Produce Trust Deeds and Trustee Resolutions
- Make clear and concise telephone and file notes and write both standard and non-standard letters in a clear, concise and grammatically correct manner
- Provide exceptional customer service
- Assist colleagues with queries and provide on-the-job training
- Provide client operations information to management team
- Maintain an active CPD (Continuing Professional Development) log
- Work within the defined company policies and procedures as well as the risk and governance framework
- Act with professionalism and integrity in all contact with colleagues, members and third parties
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Significant experience of SSAS pension schemes
- Experienced customer service skills
- A strong understanding of registered pension schemes and HMRC pension legislation (essential)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to follow policies and procedures methodically
- High standard of work, accurate record keeping and attention to detail
- Good numerical skills
- A team player and able to work independently using your own initiative
- Good analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment whilst dealing with a high number of cases; workload is managed efficiently and effectively as a result
- Excellent time management and the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines
Preferred experience:
- SSAS pension administration experience: 5 years (preferred)
- Financial services/other pensions industry: 8 years (preferred)
Education:
- A-Level or equivalent (preferred)
Benefits
- 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
- 2 days holiday between Christmas and New Year where 1 day is worked at reduced hours
- 9-day fortnight (extra day off every two weeks) or standard Monday-Friday with flexi time
- Work from Home up to 2 days a week
- Company pension scheme
- Death in service benefit
- Annual discretionary bonus
- Support with professional qualifications – course fees, examination fees and study leave
- Access to online learning platforms
- Employer funded team events
- Sick pay
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: From £40,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Flexitime
- Sick pay
- Work from home
Experience:
- operating SSAS pension schemes: 2 years (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Ramsbottom BL0 9HX
