About the job

Job summary

We are looking for a Pension Supervisor to manage a high quality, customer focused, effective and efficient pension service to all UKHSA staff. This will involve providing extensive technical pensions support to the pensions team and stakeholders across the business to ensure compliance.  

 The role provides advice to senior management and staff in relation to pension legislation, HMRC regulations and various pension scheme rules.  You will support the Pensions Manager on pension matters relating to administrative and operational matters of all UKHSA pension schemes. 

 The post holder will develop, manage and monitor systems and procedures aimed at ensuring the provision of an effective and efficient pension service. The role will lead on pension projects and support related programmes of work.

Job description

• Provide extensive technical pensions experience for the NHS and/or the Civil Service Pension Scheme.  Oversee all technical pension areas, translate legislation and governance changes, provide departmental support for any technical queries.  
• Lead on the implementation of changes in accordance with legislative changes, liaise with stakeholders across the business to ensure compliance; and support internal departments on technical matters.
• Lead on pension projects by formulating and writing project scope proposals and delivering desired project outcomes.
• Manage and lead the Pension Administrators (in the absence of the Pensions Team Leader) and ensure they complete their work in a timely and accurate manner.
• Responsible for resolving complex pension issues promptly and for keeping employees and managers informed of progress with dealing with pension queries and issues.
• Undertake the calculation of a variety of payments (e.g. redundancy, Voluntary retirement / Exit)
• Maintain accurate and timely pension input.  Maintain data using advanced Excel techniques to prepare, secure and submit returns to third parties.
• Establish and maintain pension records for scheme numbers and providing returns to pension providers in accordance with employer administration requirements and annual procedures. 

Please see full details on the Job description attached.

Person specification

You will have direct line management of EO’s while managing the day to day development, implementation and monitoring of appropriate and effective pension processes, policies and standards to ensure consistency and fairness throughout UKHSA.

You will work closely with the Payroll Manager, HR Admin Manager and Recruitment Managers to ensure effective, integrated working quality of service between recruitment, payroll and pensions, and HR administration functions.

Providing proactive and visible pensions support to managers and their teams in accordance with service level agreements and KPI’s. Always ensuring pension reports are completed accurately and meet internal and external deadlines. 

Essential Criteria:

You will be assessed on the below (8) essential criteria's, which have been selected from the Job Description.

• Post graduate management qualification or able to demonstrate equivalent competence to that level. 
• Significant experience of working in pension administration and operating an integrated HR/payroll/pensions system. 
• Experience of managing a team. 
• Intermediate skill in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint
• Works within set routines with little direction.
• Demonstrate an understanding of NHS Pensions Scheme Regulations and/or My Civil Service Pension Scheme Regulations.
• Previous experience of working in a Pension role with a level of supervision. 
• Able to demonstrate working with GAD/DH/HMRC/MyCSP/NHS Pensions.

 Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of employment law
• Knowledge of ESR

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,473, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,228 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift 

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed essential criteria, and this will be in the form of  a:

• CV/ Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 word Statement of Suitability

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The CV / Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked separately, and you must pass both to move forward to interview.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 1500 words.  We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage. 

Stage 2: Interview 

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Interviews will be held week commencing TBC. Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Location information 

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).

Disability Confident scheme  

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.  

Reserve List  

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.   

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.  

Security Clearance Level Requirement 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.

Working for the Civil Service:

The Civil Service Code 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. 

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment. 

 It’s important to note that there are currently exceptions to applications being considered if your conviction relates to any of the following: 

• life sentences 
• arson 
• sexual offences 
• hate and terror offences 

Some departments will also consider the specific offence against the nature of the business, i.e., a conviction for fraud may rule you out for a finance role. 

 If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

Starting salary

Entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.  

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase.  

Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

For further details please refer to the Information Sheet - Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

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.