From Trustee meetings and managing relationships to regulations and compliance – it’s the role of the NFU Mutual Pensions team to prepare for our people’s future and deal with all things surrounding pensions. We sat down with Mel Arthur, our Pensions Manager, to talk about her role and to find out why a job in the Pensions team might be the right step for your career.
Thanks for joining us today, Mel! Can you start off by telling us about your career leading up to this point?
Not long after I graduated from university, I took a role at a third-party outsource provider as a Pensions Administrator. While I was there, I was able to take some additional qualifications, which helped me understand more about the technical side of pensions. As it was all third-party, I was dealing with a number of different pension schemes for other organisations - but then a job came up with NFU Mutual as an in-house Pensions Administrator.
I was initially attracted to the role because, compared to third-party, in-house pension management is a completely different culture. There’s a greater variety to the role because you’re dealing with so many different stakeholders. However, I was also keen to work for NFU Mutual because they have a really good reputation as an employer. I also knew I’d get lots of support when it came to my personal and professional development, which was important to me. So, I joined in 2009, and I’ve been in the Pensions team ever since. There have been multiple opportunities to take extra qualifications and work my way up the ladder. I took on the role of Assistant Pensions Manager and I was promoted to Pensions Manager in 2022.
That’s very impressive! As someone who’s been here for 15 years, what can you tell me about the Pensions team?
Well, the Pensions team is a small team of three within the HR division. We’ve got a wide variety of responsibilities, which is the main thing I love about the job. I act as the Secretary to the Trustee Directors, who are ultimately responsible for the pension scheme. So, we handle business for them – arrange meetings, take minutes, and move actions forward to completion. We also need to make sure the scheme complies with all legislative requirements, and we manage relationships with a number of different third parties. That includes Administrators, the Scheme Actuary, the Investment Team, and Communications Advisors who create the website along with all the great communications for our members. On top of that, we also need to deal with our pension scheme members – colleagues, ex-colleagues, all the way up to Board Directors. So, there’s a wide range of internal and external parties we’re regularly in contact with.
It’s also quite a technical role, which I appreciate. The members of the team are currently studying for different qualifications, learning more about the inner workings of pensions, which they’re really enjoying. But it’s also nice to manage the member relationships alongside the technical part of the role. There are currently two main priorities on the Trustee agenda – the first is about putting focus on member engagement and communication, and the second is to ensure our governance systems meet the requirements of the new General Code of Practice. These priorities perfectly encapsulate the two sides of our role, and how much variety you can expect here.
What’s the culture like within the team?
Because we’re a small team, we have a really close working relationship. We’re very supportive of each other – always looking to guide, share knowledge, and push each other forward. We’re all committed to doing a good job; we want what’s best for both the Trustee Board and NFU Mutual. That means trying our best to provide a top-class service for the pension scheme, for our members and our colleagues. I think being within the HR division really helps us get a wider perspective too, because we’re right at the heart of the company’s culture. One of our key strategic company objectives is to be a great place to work, and we really try to embody that within our team. So when we talk about the team culture, I don’t think it’s just about our experiences but the experience we aim to deliver for our colleagues too.
Why should someone come and join the Pensions Team?
We would really welcome someone to come and be a part of the culture we were just talking about – it’s a dedicated team, a fun team, we work closely together, and we strive to provide excellence in everything we do. I think there’s scope here to make a real difference, so we need someone who won’t just join us, but who’ll drive us forward to the next phase and next chapter of the team. It would be great to have someone who’s not afraid to suggest new ways of doing things – someone who can come on board and say: “Why do you do that? Have you thought about doing it this way?” Because I think there’s a real benefit to someone bringing fresh ideas and a new perspective.
There’s a lot of opportunity for development too, especially as my role changes and I take on different responsibilities. No matter what level you join, there will always be chances to gain further qualifications and progress in your role. As part of the HR division, you’ll often get the chance to work on wider projects that are either one-off or broader company-wide programmes. As NFU Mutual is always supportive of where you want to take your career, you’ll be fully supported if you decide to take a sideways step into another area of the business.
In terms of experience, it would be great to have someone who’s worked in a similar position before or has a good background in pensions. It will be a bonus if you’ve got experience dealing with trustee boards directly – with things like taking minutes and understanding the governance side of pension schemes. But what’s most important is being willing to learn – you can go far here just by being a naturally inquisitive, technically-minded team player.
Thank you for your time, Mel. Before we go, what do you think makes NFU Mutual a great place to work?
I think first and foremost, it’s the people. Everyone at NFU Mutual wants to do their best, to do right by our customers and that extends to our colleagues too. You can see from the ‘Which?’ awards and various other accolades that NFU Mutual has won, that core customer service is something we all feel very passionately about. But I think it’s also a great place to work because as a company, we care about customers, about employees and about doing the right thing and that really stands out.
Join us on our journey
Are you interested in building a career like Mel’s? Take a look at our current Pension team vacancies, or sign up to receive job alerts by email.