In House Pensions- Legal Counsel -(4 or 5 days)

In House Pensions- Legal Counsel 

An unusual opportunity for a Pensions lawyer to move In-House (4 or 5 days)

We’re on the lookout for an experienced and motivated Pensions lawyer to be part of the in house Legal team.

This role is a great opportunity to join an ambitious and diligent team who advocate for and promote a strong legal risk management and compliance culture throughout the group. 

The new Legal Counsel will have the opportunity to make a real difference by supporting the wider business through involvement in advice in respect of SIPPs and other products, agreements with the distribution chain, product literature, complaints handling, interaction with the Ombudsman and engaging with our people on pensions related matters.

By working collaboratively across various teams, you’ll have the opportunity to build relationships and work in partnership with colleagues and third parties to promote engagement and embed a culture of continuous process improvement.

It’s a varied role with lots of interesting and value-add work to keep you busy, and here are some of the ways you’ll spend your time:

• Advising on a range of legal issues relating to self-invested personal pensions, investments, WRAPs and retirement platforms Supporting the Group for all aspects of pensions and product advice (including technical aspects of complaints matters and matters referred to the Ombudsman, changes to and advice on the trust deeds and rules and drafting commercial agreements, contracts and business terms) Supporting the business (including Marketing and Product teams) with product literature, advertising, promotional activity and customer communication Support the Distribution team in putting in place agreements with advisers, investment managers and fund managers Reviewing internal policies, procedures and documentation to ensure regulatory compliance, including in relation to data protection and Consumer Duty Putting in place precedents and tools for the wider legal team so they are able to confidently pick up and work on agreements with the distribution chain and trust deeds and rules Partnering with outside counsel as required to take an active role in resolving technical pensions issues Working on mergers, acquisitions, disposals and other strategic change projects

A bit about you Your friends would probably describe you as a ‘problem-solver’ who is motivated by doing the right thing and supporting others to do the same. You’ll love researching and absorbing new information on a range of subjects. You’re the type of person who takes time to really understand an issue and aware that each person or team has their own unique needs and requirements. Tenacious, unafraid to challenge, and leaving no stone unturned, you’re thorough, with an eye for detail, who’ll ask great questions to help solve problems and will persevere to get the best outcome possible. You’re a pro at understanding how the little things influence the big picture.

You'll demonstrate an open and honest approach and be able to build relationships and communicate confidently across the business. You'll encourage the right behaviours, support our core values and lead by example. You’ll set the bar high and help engender a team environment which is both supportive and rewarding, where high performance is the norm.

We’ve always placed more importance on cultural contribution above technical ability, but we’d really like you to have:

• Solicitor or Barrister qualified in England &Wales with a minimum of 2-5 years PQE/call in a financial services setting and entitled to work in the UK Detailed knowledge of the FCA Handbook (in particular COBS and DISP) Experience in handling interactions with FOS and TPO
• Solid understanding of trust law
• Experience and understanding of SIPP and platform structures and associated products (e.g., ISA, GIA and Bonds) (desirable but not essential) Excellent PowerPoint/Word/Excel skills Excellent relationship building skills Great written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to groups and engage with a diverse workforce Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills Ability to work on own initiative and independently when required
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities and evolving work demands without sacrificing quality or accuracy

 A little about our client

Our client is a fast growing and highly acquisitive organisation operating within the Financial Services sector.