Payroll and Pensions Lead

Job summary

The Payroll & Pensions Lead is a hands‑on operational leader responsible for ensuring the accurate, timely and compliant delivery of Ofgem’s payroll and pensions services. This role requires someone who can confidently lead and motivate a large team through high‑pressure cycles and complex workloads, providing clear guidance, empathetic support and decisive oversight to maintain high performance standards. They will act as the senior escalation point for sensitive and challenging payroll issues, communicating clearly and professionally with distressed employees, senior leaders and external partners. A strong and influential communicator, they will build effective relationships across HR, Finance, Digital, HMRC and pension providers while steering the team through significant change, including the transition to the new CSR system. With deep expertise in payroll and pensions operations and a commitment to accuracy, governance and continuous improvement, the successful candidate will combine strategic oversight with a proactive, hands‑on approach to service delivery.

Ofgem has a culture of inclusion that encourages, supports and celebrates the diverse voices and experiences of our colleagues. It fuels our innovation and helps ensure we can best represent the consumers and the communities we serve. Everyone is welcome - as an inclusive workplace, our employees are comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work. This is a full time position, however we welcome flexible working patterns including compressed hours and job share.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead, develop and motivate the payroll and pensions team, ensuring clear priorities, fair workload distribution, strong performance standards and effective wellbeing support.
• Build a culture of accountability, service excellence and continuous improvement.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee day‑to‑day payroll and pensions operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance and efficient processing across all activities.
• Provide guidance and expert decision-making during peak periods and operational pressure points.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders including HMRC, pension providers, finance teams and senior leaders.
• Champion the secure handling, storage and transfer of sensitive payroll and personal data.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management

• Act as the final escalation point for complex or sensitive payroll and pension cases, managing issues with professionalism and empathy.
• Work closely with HR Business Partners, Service Enablement Hubs and business leaders to ensure integrated service delivery.
• Collaborate with Finance and Digital teams to ensure readiness for and smooth transition into new CSR system requirements.

Process & Systems

• Ensure payroll impacts of HR, organisational and finance policies are fully understood and accurately reflected in processes, guidance and workflow.
• Lead continuous improvement activity to streamline processes, strengthen controls and enhance customer experience.
• Contribute operational expertise to the design, testing and implementation of CSR system changes.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Accurate and timely processing of monthly payroll.
• Generation and distribution of payslips, P45s and P60s.
• Management of pension enrolments, changes and contributions.
• Submission of statutory returns and reports to HMRC and pension providers.
• Maintenance of audit trails and provision of audit support.
• Payroll validation, reconciliation and quality assurance.
• Secure handling and transfer of sensitive payroll and pension data.
• Development of payroll and pension reports and insights for stakeholders.
• Effective team leadership, performance oversight and wellbeing support.

Key Skills and Capabilities

• Proven people‑management experience, with the ability to lead teams through high‑pressure cycles, sensitive customer interactions and significant change.
• Extensive experience in payroll and pensions operations within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of HMRC regulations, Civil Service pension schemes, payroll governance and internal controls.
• Ability to manage sensitive information, confidential data and emotionally challenging situations with integrity and empathy.
• Experience supporting system change or transition projects, ideally including process redesign or large operational shifts.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Commitment to continuous improvement, accuracy and high professional standards.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Holds a payroll specific qualification such as CIPP or equivalent. (LEAD)
• Significant experience managing payroll and pensions administration teams in a large, complex organisation, with strong knowledge of UK payroll legislation, tax regulations and both statutory and occupational pension schemes. (LEAD)
• Proven ability to lead, develop and motivate teams, driving high performance, engagement and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing payroll and pensions policy changes, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, governance frameworks, audit standards and effective risk management.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively across HR, Finance, senior leadership, pensions providers and both internal and external auditors. Able to explain complex payroll and pensions issues clearly, manage scrutiny confidently and ensure transparency and assurance in all audit‑related interactions.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data, provide actionable insights and utilise payroll systems, HRIS and IT tools with a high level of data security awareness.
• Proven experience leading change within payroll and pensions functions, e.g. system upgrades, process redesign, transitions to new providers or embedding new ways of working.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in the Civil Service or public sector, with understanding of relevant frameworks and governance.
• Experience in leading large-scale payroll or pensions projects, including system upgrades or transitions.

Qualifications

Holds a payroll specific qualification such as CIPP or equivalent.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• You will also be asked to prepare a presentation. Full details of the presentation will be included in the invitation to interview.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,895, OFGEM contributes £13,875 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; 30 days annual leave after 2 years; Excellent training and development opportunities; The opportunity to join the generous Civil Service pension which also includes a valuable range of benefits; hybrid working (currently 1 day a week in the office but this is kept under review), flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Plus lots of other benefits including clean and bright offices based centrally, engaged networks and teams and an opportunity to contribute to our ambitious and important targets of establishing a Net Zero energy system by 2050. This exciting blend of professional challenge and personal reward identifies career opportunities at Ofgem as something to get excited about.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. You must ensure that any evidence submitted as part of your application or used during interview, including your CV and any statements or examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Ofgem takes any incidences of cheating very seriously. Please ensure all examples provided are of your own experience. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant applications will be withdrawn from the process. Please note that plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own.

Please refer to Civil Service candidate advice on the acceptable use of artificial intelligence within the recruitment and selection process - Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [ https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

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 : Lucy Dowding
• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Role Profile - Payroll and Pensions Lead Opens in new window (pdf, 172kB)Candidate Pack - Payroll and Pensions Lead Opens in new window (pdf, 705kB)Terms and Conditions Apr25 Opens in new window (pdf, 335kB)