Pensions Administrator

Job summary

About us

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

Job description

The role

As a Pensions Administrator, you’ll be part of the team overseeing pensions for colleagues across MI5 and MI6. You’ll answer enquiries, provide guidance and work with current and past MI5 and MI6 staff to keep them updated on pension matters. And you’ll do it all as part of a welcoming, supportive workplace that’s committed to helping you fulfil your potential.

You’ll bring an existing knowledge of HR, pensions or payroll to the team and take responsibility for a variety of tasks. You might be completing all processes related to pensions including calculations, updating records and filing personal information compliantly. With your attention to detail, you’ll be trusted with sensitive information and work efficiently whilst adhering to legal obligations.

You’ll establish your place in a growing department and regularly collaborate with teams across Policy, Payroll and HR. And you’ll get the chance to take on individual project work to help with your own development. Please note that whilst there are no line management responsibilities in this role, you will act as a mentor to junior staff. Whether you’re providing advice and guidance or meeting deadlines, you’ll provide a reliable service across MI5 and MI6 that ensures pensions are secure and properly managed.

Person specification

About you

You’ll have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a similar role or pension-specific sector (such as HR or payroll). This will be supported by a minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above in mathematics and English language (or an equivalent Level 2 qualification), and proficiency with IT. And of course, you’ll be comfortable working with numbers and have confident maths and calculation skills.

Organised and able to balance multiple tasks at once, you’ll also be customer-focused, collaborative and an effective communicator. You’ll be taking queries by phone or email and will be required to answer colleague questions with clarity. Plus, you’ll have experience handling complaints and difficult conversations. Importantly, you’ll have a passion for pensions and be excited about the chance to contribute to MI5 and MI6's work.

Benefits

Training and development

When you join, you’ll be assigned a dedicated buddy to help you settle in and get on-the-job training from our pension specialists. Plus, you’ll have access to internal training courses available from any of the UK’s Intelligence Services, as well as access to internal communities, support networks, and mentors.

And if you’re interested, you’ll also get the option to gain a CIPD or similar pension accreditation (subject to places). We’ll provide you with study leave and funding to do it, along with plenty of internal support to help your learning.

You’ll be expected to stay within Pensions for your first 4 years, after which time, you’ll be able to apply for roles across the organisation.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £40,428, plus other benefits including:

· 25 days’ annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days’ public and privilege holidays

· opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme

· personal learning budget

· interest-free season ticket loan

· excellent pension scheme

· cycle to work scheme

· facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)

· paid parental and adoption leave

Equal opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.

We’re Disability Confident

MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

· a minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade 4/C in mathematics and English language (or an equivalent O-Level, BTEC or Level 2 qualification)

· you must be able to demonstrate that you can work collaboratively

· you will be required to meet the minimum pass mark for the questions which explore your motivation to work for the organisation and this particular role

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

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

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

· application sift, looking at your motivation and skills for the role and the organisation. There will also be a competency question

· an interview, examining your responses to different situations typical to the role

· if successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment and then proceed to the vetting stage

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before you apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria on our website.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process on our website.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely. The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to Withdraw Statement:

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.

Please note, it is this organisations policy not to provide feedback at any stage of the recruitment process. This is contrary to the message below.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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

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
• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk