About the job

Job summary

The Government Actuary’s Department employees just over 200 staff, based in Canary Wharf and Edinburgh. Our goal is to integrate analytical and actuarial techniques into the business of government to achieve better outcomes for decision-makers and the public.

We are exceptionally proud of what we do at GAD, therefore we are looking for someone to help move forward with recruitment campaigns, enhance our employee experience, and help bring a stronger sense of pride to GAD.

You will be supported by 9 other colleagues in the team, The first point of call for basic employee relations and wellbeing queries, escalating where necessary. Ensuring that HR administrative tasks are carried out on time, to a high standard.

The post holder will use a full mixture of skills built on from enthusiasm, a questioning approach and hands-on experience, to support predominantly the HR Business Partners, but also other members of the HR team, in relation to employee relations cases, wellbeing initiatives, recruitment & onboarding approaches delivering efficient day to day HR advice & administration, supporting the other HR Officers.

About the Team

This is a new team, so it’s an exciting time for us at GAD right now, and it’s a great time to be joining us, with many new projects in the pipeline.

Our team have a growth mind-set, and a strong team focused work ethic - we work together and take great pride in what we do. Never afraid to think differently, and to develop new and bold ways to provide our services, we also provide healthy challenge and encourage each other to achieve the best outcomes. So, if these are all qualities that you see in yourself, then we would welcome you joining the team.

You can find out more about GAD, our work, the open positions, and our assessment process in the following recruitment pack and YouTube video:

• GAD Actuary Recruitment Pack - July 2023 (publishing.service.gov.uk)
• Actuaries in government - YouTube

Job description

About you

You are both passionate and knowledgeable about HR, prioritise customer service to ensure colleagues are responded to quickly and effectively.

You will have the ability to build effective relationships and apply influencing skills with the ability to collaborate cross functionally and be able to work in an agile way, often with conflicting priorities.

You will be a team player, always willing to provide support to colleagues and work slightly outside of your comfort zone in order to grow.

Our Corporate roles come with big potential to make your mark on our business. We are constantly evolving and finding new ways to improve, if you’re an innovator, you will be in your element at GAD.

Role Purpose

Providing 1st level proactive operational professional advice to colleagues & managers for the whole of the employee life cycle, predominantly in an administration context, but with the expectation of an advisory context as well.

The first point of call for basic employee relations and wellbeing queries, escalating where necessary. Ensuring that HR administrative tasks are carried out on time, to a high standard.

The post holder will use a full mixture of skills built on from enthusiasm, a questioning approach and hands-on experience, to support predominantly the HR Business Partners, but also other members of the HR team, in relation to employee relations cases, wellbeing initiatives, recruitment & onboarding approaches delivering efficient day to day HR advice & administration, supporting the other HR Officers.

Person specification

Recruitment

• Advise and action contractual changes for staff, that are new joiners, leavers.
• Organising interviews, preparing recruitment forms, interview schedules, interview packs, etc.
• Undertake relevant pre-employment checks including right to work checks, vetting and references.
• Arrange for roles to be advertised internally on job boards, and with recruitment agencies.
• Assist and participate in the interview process as requested.

Onboarding

• Oversee the paperwork for new starters, working closely with the Payroll and Systems Manager to ensure inputs are done in a timely fashion.

• Ensure new starters have everything that they need and following up with individuals to make sure they are fully supported.

Employee Relations

• Advise and action contractual changes for staff in the following circumstances: flexible working, adhoc contract changes, maternity, paternity, shared parental leave.
• Takes accurate notes at a variety of meetings & distribute to relevant parties in a timely manner.
• Manage the probation process advising managers on key dates, ensuring probation reviews are held.
• Support managers with probation related queries, with support and guidance as necessary
• Issue probation extension, pass, termination letters as appropriate and update the HR system.
• Oversee the leavers process of ensuring building passes & equipment is returned on the last day

Wellbeing

• Oversee the administration of occupational health appointments.

• Monitoring of sickness, both in terms of inputting sickness onto the system and keeping track of sickness, to ensure the relevant sickness meetings are held.
• Invite staff to sickness meetings and attend sickness meetings as appropriate.
• Supporting staff at times of distress, whether it be through sickness meetings or opportunistic visit to HR and referring to Occupational Health or pointing them towards our Employee Assistance programme.
• Overseeing the Eye Test and Bupa vouchers process.

HR database, records and reporting

• Managing the HR team shared email inbox, escalating more complex queries, & employee relations issues to the appropriate HR Business Partner.
• Amend records on the HR database and running reports from the system exporting into Excel as required.
• Working with Finance to ensure that the establishment list is updated regularly and is completely accurate.
• Filing promptly (electronic and on SharePoint) in order that HR records are up to date.
• Assist with the archiving and destruction of documents in accordance with the document retention schedule and Data Protection requirements.

System Management:

• Be comfortable with systems to provide cover for other members of the team when needed.
• Utilising HR systems to run structure reports, provide case management updates, maintain staff records online particularly sickness records.
• To be the one of the main point of contact for making referrals to occupational health, so detailed knowledge of the Occ Health Providers.

Administration

• Raise Purchase Orders as required, particularly around Desk Station Assessments.
• Assist the team with the organisation and co-ordination of meetings/interviews, booking rooms and listing visitors as required.
• Drafting letters for members of the team, mainly using standard templates, and send out in line with the information classification and handling policy.
• Responding to emails / face to face enquiries, re-allocating within the team where appropriate, in order to ensure timely responses to all queries in line with HR SLAs where these exist.
• Complete all filing in a timely manner.  Ensure that all HR records are accurate, complete and up to date and adhere to all record keeping and audit requirements.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties as requested from time to time by the HR Business Partner.

Personal Responsibility:

• To be an ambassador & role model the values & behaviours we expect to all colleagues.
• To work in partnership with the whole of the HR team to deliver joined up working in delivery of a comprehensive HR service.
• An interest in developing and growing the role to develop the organisation and to develop your own skills.
  

Benefits

As well as competitive salaries, we offer a substantial package of benefits:

• 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time colleagues)
• GAD expects colleagues in the office 60% of the time. We would expect you in our Canary Wharf at least three days a week, dependent on operational requirements and typically the other days at home.
• Pension -An average employer pension contribution of 27% per year.
• Professional Fees – you can claim back the cost of professional fees associated with your role.
• Extensive talent, career and personal development, with up to ten days a year, being used for Continuing Professional Development.
• Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• Complimentary BUPA health check for permanent colleagues
• Community volunteering programme, the opportunity to join a trade union, access to Edenred discounts, some examples include, 5% off supermarkets, and up to 40% off gym memberships and social groups
• Salary advances for travel costs, including season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Technical skills.

Expected Timeline
Advert closes: Sunday 28 January 2024 (23.55)
Sift: Expected to take place Wednesday 31 January 2024
Final panel interview: Expected: Wednesday 7 – Thursday 8 February 2024
Interviews will be held in person in our Canary Wharf Office.

The recruitment process consists of one interview before the final decision is made. If required, a further second interview may be conducted.

Please apply via our recruitment portal below.

As part of the application form process, please submit your CV and supporting statement. Please do not email your CV outside of this process as it will not be accepted.

Shortlisting criteria is based on the Person Specification as set out in the Assessment Criteria section of the Job Description. Please ensure you provide examples of how you meet the Assessment Criteria; a strong application will also demonstrate that you meet the required criteria that are identified as key for this role. Applications will be shortlisted in line with the essential criteria for the role. Behaviours will be assessed at interview stage. Candidates who are successful at shortlist will be contacted as soon as possible and advised of the interview process and assessment (exact times and dates will also be confirmed).

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.