Pay Lead

Job summary

DWP is looking to fill a Grade 7 Pay Lead role within the Strategic Reward Team based in the People and Capability directorate. This is a highly visible role with extensive engagement at senior levels, placing you at the centre of a high‑profile and strategically important agenda.

You will be expected to confidently lead conversations, challenge thinking and present proposals that shape the department’s direction, and therefore this role would be suitable for candidates with deep experience in pay and reward and an excellent understanding of pay policy stakeholder engagement.

This role is an exciting opportunity for someone who has technical reward knowledge coupled with strategic vision and enjoys the challenge of delivering within a complex, fast paced and large organisation.

Job description

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Play a pivotal role in shaping high‑quality reward proposals, ensuring they are robust, insightful and fully aligned with DWP policies and the wider HMT Treasury and Cabinet Office reward frameworks.
• Be responsible for underpinning proposals with technical scenario understanding, explanation and modelling. You will track funding and spending of proposals, and lead Spending Review bids in collaboration with wider Reward Leads.
• Confidently engage with our senior leadership community to shape and generate engagement with the strategy. This role offers a high degree of senior stakeholder visibility and influence.
• Bring clarity to complex issues, confidently outlining risks and championing value for money for the taxpayer.
• Work hand‑in‑hand across the Reward function driving collaboration and momentum.
• Lead a small team who provide technical reward advice; including benchmarking, impacting reward strategy proposals, scenario development and modelling.
• Support engagement with Trades Unions
• Bring flexibility and energy to a fast‑paced team, stepping in to support other priority workstreams as needed and helping the team deliver at pace.
• Be an active, positive force within the Strategic Reward management team, sharing your knowledge, lifting capability across the group, and helping to steer focus toward the highest‑impact priorities. You’ll contribute to — and help shape — a supportive, inclusive and high‑performing team culture.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Significant experience in pay and reward, with a strong understanding of pay policy, pay frameworks and reward governance, alongside an ability to lead the development, assurance and implementation of complex pay models, overseeing pay modellers, shaping analytical outputs and turning modelling insights into clear, actionable recommendations (LEAD CRITERIA)
• Resilience and inclusivity as a leader, experienced in managing and motivating geographically dispersed, diverse and multidisciplinary teams. You should be able to inspire high performance, develop technical and non‑technical capability, and navigate teams through periods of ambiguity, complexity, pressure and change.
• A strong ability to design practical, evidence‑based solutions to complex pay, reward and workforce issues, using data, scenario modelling, benchmarking and financial insight to create deliverable options that meet business needs.
• Ability to build trusting, influential relationships with colleagues and senior stakeholders, working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to shape policy, test pay reform proposals, and ensure evidence and analysis inform decision‑making.
• Being an adaptive and confident communicator, skilled at translating complex modelling outputs, pay architecture concepts and policy implications into clear, compelling narratives for a range of technical and non‑technical audiences, including leaders and trade union partners.
• Excellent problem‑solving and judgement, with the ability to interpret complex information, assess risk, weigh evidence and make balanced, timely decisions in fast‑moving environments.
• Being a visible role model for inclusion, actively promoting diversity of thought, psychological safety and inclusive leadership behaviours across teams and workstreams.

Qualification/Accreditation:

• You must have achieved CIPD Chartered membership or be willing to work towards this upon commencement of your role.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £16,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

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 Experience.

Written Sift:

A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. The CV is an on-line tool accessed through the Civil Service Jobsite and there is no requirement to upload your personal CV. Our CV element is short and allows an initial check of eligibility but is not scored so please put the main content of your evidence and skills in your Personal Statement.

A personal statement (maximum 1250 words), explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities, and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role against the essential criteria in the person specification.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

If we receive a large number of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criteria:

"Significant experience in pay and reward, with a strong understanding of pay policy, pay frameworks and reward governance, alongside an ability to lead the development, assurance and implementation of complex pay models, overseeing pay modellers, shaping analytical outputs and turning modelling insights into clear, actionable recommendations"

If you pass the initial sift, you will be progressed to a full sift or directly to interview.

Interview:

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend an interview lasting up to 60 minutes. This will take place virtually via MS Teams. The interview panel will be a minimum of two people and will assess Experience and Behaviours.

During the first 5 minutes of your interview, you will be asked to deliver a presentation based on Experience. Please note that visual aids will not be permitted. To help you prepare and settle into the interview you will be sent the presentation topic 7 days prior to your interview. This should be treated as confidential.

Sift and Interview Dates (provisional):

• Sift week commencing 2nd March 2026
• Interviews week commencing 23rd March 2026

Hybrid Working:

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office. If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Important Information – Visa Sponsorship

For this vacancy, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Further Information​

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWP’s Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

Feedback

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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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 : PSR Recruitment Team
• Email : psr.wfprecruitment@dwp.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dwprecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: HR.BUSINESSASSURANCE@DWP.GOV.UK.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB)