Executive/HR Business Support and Project Support

Job summary

This is an exciting time in the delivery of our HR People Strategy 2030, and this role will be pivotal in managing the successful delivery of key projects across a friendly, high‑performing team. You will maintain the HR risk register, routinely reviewing and recording risks, and highlighting any concerns to senior leaders. The role also provides high‑quality, professional and trusted support to the HR Director, producing polished and accurate materials—often at short notice—to meet business needs.

The Executive / HR Business Support Officer provides high‑quality executive and operational HR support to the HR Director and HR Leadership, enabling strategic focus and consistent delivery. The role manages information flow, prepares professional communications and presentations, coordinates priorities, oversees key commitments, and ensures structured tracking of progress against the HR Strategy and associated project plans. The postholder works at pace and with discretion in a complex environment, providing proactive support across HR to maintain delivery momentum on key projects and plans.

The post holder will use a full mixture of professional skills and integrity built on from enthusiasm, initiative and hands-on experience, to support predominantly the HRD and Senior Team, 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.

The role will require full support in ensuring key recruitment data cleanse and transition to a new HRIS model as required by the Project and senior leadership.

This role also plays an important part in promoting a positive employee experience by ensuring well‑managed processes, supporting smooth delivery, and role‑modelling reliability, trust, and a proactive, can‑do mindset

Job description

As our HR Business Support & Project Officer, you will be the engine room of GAD’s People Strategy 2030. This isn't just an administrative role; you will hold the blueprint for our departmental transformation, ensuring our ambitious projects stay on track, while serving as a trusted partner to the HR Director.

To do this, you will provide proactive professional operational support across HR, The Post-Holder will be responsible for managing our People Strategy delivery with a dedicated project tracker to maintain timely updates, the person will own and manage the project planner and hold others to delivery, reporting weekly into the HRD. The same will be the approach to maintaining a risk plan.

In advance of transitioning to a new HR Information System, the post holder will support in the transition of key data, including cleansing, to ensure we are compliant and ready for the integration of relevant data leading to successful implementation.

The Post Holder will provide dedicated and trusted support across the team, setting an example to cross-working and greater integration across all areas of HR as required by the new People Strategy 2030.

Proficiency in MS tools and other software is required, with the experience of supporting programme delivery, and project management office-style tracking will be required.

The role itself underpins the development and ownership required of a Project and Risk Plan and offers dedicated business support including direct to HRD. They will monitor progress against tasks, log issues, decisions and provide timely updates to enable effective oversight and intervention by the HRD.

Please note this job description is a broad reflection of the current duties. It is not an exhaustive list and it is an evolving role based on the business needs whilst we lead delivery of our People Strategy 2030. There will, therefore, be an expectation to support delivery by working across projects and taking a can-do approach to working in different areas of the HR Team on a regular basis as the need requires – this offers a great development opportunity for an enthusiastic and growth driven individual. Any broader change of scope will be at the discretion of the HR Director and discussed in conjunction with the post holder.

Person specification

Executive Support

• Provide high-level inbox and diary management for the HRD, ensuring deadlines are met and correspondence preparation.
• Support with correspondence, presentation preparation and compiling data reports.
• Processing of Purchase Orders and other finance actions.

Project and Risk Management

• Own and maintain the HR Strategy Project Tracker, action/decision logs and milestones; monitor and follow up actions with owners
• Support the HRIS transition through proactive data cleansing and migration activities
• Compile trackers and dashboards as required (eg: progress, risk and dependency views).
• Create high-quality slide decks, dashboards, briefing notes and reports for HR and Leadership meetings
• Stakeholder Coordination. Act as a trusted point of contact between HRD and key stakeholders

HR Operations

• Monitor the HR Inbox, resolving standard queries and escalating complex cases
• Handle sensitive information appropriately; exercise sound judgement and maintain professional discretion at all times.
• Coordinate meetings, workshops and events (agendas, invites, rooms/VC, materials)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• HR CIPD Level 3 (Desirable)
• Project planner, project management and risk management (Desirable)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,543, Government Actuary's Department contributes £10,007 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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

  • Exceptional learning and development opportunities that you can explore alongside your day-to-day work.
  • 25 days annual leave per year, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service. In addition, we offer 9 days public and privilege days leave per year (pro rata for part time staff)
  • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
  • 5 days of paid volunteering leave
  • Up to 9 months maternity leave on full pay + generous paternity and adoption leave
  • Staff reward and recognition bonuses that operate throughout the year.
  • Occupational sick pay
  • Family-friendly policies such as help with caring responsibilities, special leave, generous paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
  • Access to employee assistance programme which offers staff 24/7 confidential support and resources such as counselling, debt guidance and management advice.
  • The opportunity to join a trade union.
  • A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
  • Salary advances for travel costs, including annual season tickets and cycle-to-work schemes.
  • Access to the Edenred employee benefits system which offers discounts to popular retailers and access to various useful resources such as financial and savings advice.
  • Complimentary BUPA health check for permanent staff.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Stage 1: Application sift

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained.
• A Personal statement of up to 500-words explaining how you meet the essential criteria for the role, with particular reference to the criteria provided in the person specification of the JD.

The Civil Service application process has a standardised method for assessing candidates, we strongly recommend that you read the descriptions of the civil service behaviours. Strong applications will present these in the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) method.

We will use your CV and Personal Statement to assess the Experience and Technical skills listed in the JD.

Stage 2: Panel interview

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert.

Timelines

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 23 March 2026
Shortlisting: w/c 23 March 2026
Interviews: w/c 06 April 2026

Interview locations: London

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. The desirable criteria will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates. Behaviours will be assessed at sift and 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.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Recruitment Team
• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@gad.gov.uk

Further information

The Government Actuary’s Department’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the recruitment principles of the Civil Service Commissioner, which outline that selection for appointment be made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm… If you feel at any time your application has not been treated in accordance with the values in the Civil Service Code and/or if you feel the recruitment has been conducted in such a way that conflicts with the Civil Service Commissioner’s Recruitment Principles, you may make a complaint, by contacting the recruitment team at recruitment@gad.gov.uk in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commissioners.

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-actuarys-department

Attachments

Exec EO Business Support HR Feb 2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 578kB)