Operational Readiness Manager

• Collaborate with and influence third-party administrators and senior PIC operational managers to deliver new client projects into PIC's operating model.
• Implement improvements to systems, processes, and technology.
• Oversee implementation of new schemes and their impact on policyholders, including onboarding TPAs and supporting go-live.
• Support new business deal pitches with scheme onboarding and operational readiness expertise.
• Oversee operational readiness activity, including risks, dependencies, readiness gaps, mitigations, and Day 1/Day 2 actions.
• Represent PIC in decisions concerning client project delivery and operational readiness requirements.
• Support the Head of Pension Operations in delivering high service levels to clients and policyholders.
• Manage transition managers and outsourced administration teams to deliver successful scheme onboarding.
• Lead the operational readiness workstream, governance, implementation delivery, issue escalation, and go-live readiness.
• Produce and present MI and reporting on implementation quality, readiness status, risks, service readiness, and post-go-live actions.
• Identify and implement process and service efficiencies across PIC's administration model.
• Develop more junior PIC team members.
• Manage onboarding workstreams, ensuring scheme benefits, incoming data, payroll runs, and pension increase runs are understood, tested, and signed off.
• Oversee data analysis, reconciliation, verification, payroll testing, and pension increase testing.
• Ensure readiness requirements are implemented across outsourced administration and customer experience teams, including calculation automation, website releases, communications, documentation, training, reporting, and post-go-live support.
• Collaborate with internal actuaries to document valuation data requirements and resolve data issues.
• Lead readiness checkpoints, issue-resolution meetings, escalations, and Go/No Go preparation with outsourced administrators.
• Ensure projects meet milestones, deliverables, quality standards, and documented governance requirements.
• Complete internal onboarding and continuous-improvement projects.
• Apply Consumer Duty considerations to onboarding, communications, customer journeys, reporting, and service readiness.

Requirements

• Good technical knowledge of DB pension schemes
• Thorough knowledge of project management techniques
• Good knowledge of pension buy-ins and buy-outs
• Strong technical knowledge of scheme implementations from buy-in to buy-out
• Strong organisational skills
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to persuade and influence directly and indirectly
• Ability to manage people and resources effectively
• Ability to organise work to meet deadlines
• Ability to work within defined procedures
• Effective collaboration with key stakeholders
• Good commercial judgement
• Good Microsoft Excel competency and working knowledge of other Microsoft products
• High level of pension experience
• Experience in DB pension scheme onboarding
• Experience of complex data analysis work
• Prince2 or APMI, or capability and willingness to work towards it
• Experience working at a senior level in a corporate or consulting environment

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong technical knowledge of DB pension schemes and project management techniques, with a focus on scheme implementations and operational readiness. Capable of leading onboarding processes, managing teams, and ensuring high service levels through effective collaboration and communication.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• DB Pension Scheme Knowledge
• Project Management Techniques
• Scheme Implementation Expertise
• Data Analysis Experience
• Prince2 or APMI Certification

ATS Optimization Keywords Hard Skills

• DB Pension Schemes
• Project Management
• Pension Buy-Ins and Buy-Outs
• Data Analysis
• Operational Readiness
• Microsoft Excel
• Process Improvement
• Governance Requirements
• Service Readiness
• Onboarding Management

Soft Skills

• Organisational Skills
• Communication Skills
• Persuasion and Influence
• Collaboration
• Commercial Judgement

Certifications & Qualifications

• Prince2
• APMI

Industry Keywords

• Pension Operations
• Client Project Delivery
• Outsourced Administration
• Consumer Duty
• Stakeholder Engagement

Tools & Technologies

• Microsoft Products