Pensions Officer

Job summary

The Pensions Officer will manage a high quality, customer focused, effective and efficient pension service to all UKHSA staff. This will involve providing pensions support to the pensions team and stakeholders across the business to ensure compliance.

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

The UKHSA People Function plays a key role in supporting the business through change as we build our organisation and ensure we recruit and retain the very best people to achieve our vision. Our people and culture are integral to our organisation’s identity and the success of our strategy, policy, and operations for protecting the public requires recruiting, developing, and retaining high-calibre people in all areas and ensuring they work well together. This means a customer-focused, solution-driven delivery of priorities across the whole HR spectrum - at the same time as undergoing our own restructure to ensure we are appropriately sized and skilled to deliver and excel.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Job description

Working as a Pensions Officer at UKHSA, which is a fast-growing operation of 7000 plus employees, your main duties and responsibilities will include:

• Responsible for checking correct scheme for new starters. In exceptional circumstances, arranging special ad hoc payments or in certain cases stopping payment.
• As a first point of contact for employees and managers, to provide support and deal with queries. To be aware of confidential and sensitive issues as they arise and handle them in the correct and appropriate manner.
• Validate and process redundancy payments, AVCs, pension opt in/out forms, AW8’s etc.
• Responsible for collation and analysing of information with regards to salaries, pensions, personal details and correctly interpreting the data, calculating and inputting into ESR system in respect of starters, leavers and re-grading, amendments and redundancy payments.
• Support training of pension officers to ensure work is performed in accordance with changes in organisation and legislative requirements, and follows best practice.
• Investigate and give advice on pension queries. Complete work in accordance with published payroll and pension statutory requirements and deadlines.
• Promote and ensure customer confidentiality.
• Responsible for maintaining the accuracy and integrity of the ESR payroll system and NHS Pensions Online (POL) and Civil Service Pensions
• Provide advice to managers and staff on pension requirements on both NHS & Civil Service pension schemes.
• To ensure that an adequate audit trail is maintained for all transactions to demonstrate all changes have been appropriately authorised and processed.
• To ensure that workload is performed in accordance with the payroll and pension policies and procedures without direct supervision.
• To ensure the integrity of the data input into the payroll and pension systems.
• To undertake the calculation of a variety of payments (e.g. redundancy, protection of earnings entitlements), Total Pensionable Pay (TPP), processing of pension refunds and estimates of benefits.
• To provide advice on ESR to both staff and managers on pension processes.
• To be aware of the organisation policy and relevant legislation (principally the Data Protection Act) with regard to customer confidentiality and to communicate appropriately.
• To manage day to day changes in personal workload and resources to ensure work is completed in accordance with weekly and monthly payroll/pension timetables.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Experience of working on payroll systems
• Proficient in the use of all Microsoft applications including, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and be able to interrogate spreadsheets and databases.
• Plan own day to day work schedules to meet weekly, monthly, payroll deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
• Able to remain calm under pressure and act appropriately in response to sensitive pension issues.
• Able to work with minimum levels of direct supervision.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of analysing and interpreting pension payments. Investigate and rectify pension queries to identifying errors/discrepancies. Carries out detailed payroll/pension calculations.
• Ability to train other staff members on the payroll system on a day-to-day basis.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality of opportunity and good working relationships, both in terms of day-to-day working practices, but also in relation to management systems

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,547, UK Health Security Agency contributes £8,270 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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 and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and experience.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success profiles Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed (6) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 1500 word supporting statement.

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.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria

If used, the following will proceed to shortlisting. (delete as appropriate)

1. Meets all essential criteria

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Experience of working on payroll systems
• Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

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

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Behaviours, Strengths and experience will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Changing and Improving
• Communication and Influencing
• Working Together - Lead behaviour
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace

Interviews dates are to be confirmed.

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

Location

This is a home working role.

Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

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

Eligibility Criteria – External

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

Salary Information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another governmentdepartment, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary.

Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Please be aware that the salary is based on your office location:

Executive Officer (EO)
• £28,547- £33,196 (National)
• £30,441- £35,576 (Outer London)
• £32,624-£37,737 (Inner London)

Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're
appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any
reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability
Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs. You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be
checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional
circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Please note: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) group, where this role sits, is undergoing organisational change over the next 12–18 months. While the process is still in the planning stage, some roles may be affected by future restructuring. We are committed to keeping candidates informed and will share updates as they become available.

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 : Gurkamal Bhambra
• Email : gurkamal.bhambra@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the
basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's
Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment
Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should
contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for
further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk