Senior HR Operations and Project Delivery

Job summary

About GAD

At GAD, our people are our greatest asset. Our People Strategy 2025–2030 underpinning our Business Strategy 2030 sets out a bold vision: to support GAD to be the world’s leading public sector actuarial organisation, defined by expertise, innovation, and a deeply engaged, diverse workforce. We are committed to building a dynamic, flexible talent ecosystem, fostering a culture of inclusion and learning, and delivering excellence for our clients and the UK public sector.

We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where you’re learning and development is taken seriously.

Job description

As Head of HR Operations and Project Delivery, you will hit the ground running and lead the delivery of high-quality, efficient, and compliant HR services that underpin the employee lifecycle. Also supporting on projects to continuously improve HR delivery including in preparation for a new HR system. You will be a key driver of operational excellence, cultural maturity, and continuous improvement across the HR function. This role requires a confident and emotionally intelligent leader who can manage team dynamics, embed accountability, and deliver impactful change.

As Deputy support to the HR Director, you will play a pivotal role in directly supporting in shaping the future of HR delivery and people management across the organisation through project integration within the team.

Person specification

Operational Excellence

• Lead and manage the delivery of end-to-end HR operations, including recruitment, onboarding, contractual changes, payroll interface, HR systems, and offboarding.
• Ensure all HR policies, procedures, and compliance frameworks and processes are current, legally sound, and aligned with organisational needs. Deliver timely policy reviews, refresh and updates as required by the HR Director
• Monitor and manage SLAs and KPIs to ensure timely, high-quality service delivery.
• Support in embedding a culture of broader cross-working and adaptability to change to remain responsive to evolving priorities across a diverse team
• Direct support on key project execution for the HRD and leading adoption to it becoming the key delivery plan for the People Strategy, and embedding practice within the team

People Leadership and Cultural Change

• Provide strong, mature, and proactive leadership to the HR Operations team, setting clear expectations, and fostering professional growth
• Role model inclusive, emotionally intelligent leadership, creating a high-trust, high-performance culture, supporting cultural change with confidence, leading on the development of team members
• Inspire, motivate, and empower the team to deliver consistently high standards of service in times of change

Systems, Data, and Reporting

• Oversee the effective use and continuous improvement of the HR information system, ensuring data accuracy and insightful reporting providing assurances as needed, on data, reports and complex queries
• Collaborate with internal partners (e.g. Finance, IT) to enhance system integration and workforce analytics

Process Improvement and Project Delivery

• Identify and lead on requirements and processes, process mapping, gaps analysis documentation, including inefficiencies in system processes and informing on futureproofing for system integration to streamline and automate HR processes, improving efficiency and employee experience
• Oversight support on the HR Inbox to identify common themes and solutions to these common issues
• Deliver HR transformation and improvement projects with clear milestones, stakeholder engagement, and measurable outcomes reporting in weekly to the HRD
• Drive project delivery practice with weekly check-ins against progress escalating matters as appropriate

Risk, Governance, Policy and Compliance

• Ensure full compliance with employment law, civil service policies, data protection, and audit requirements. Refreshing current policies and procedures as directed by the HRD to support a fast-paced organisation and HRBPs to be at their best. Ensure end-end timely integration of new regulation into HR
• Manage relationships with external providers (e.g. payroll, recruitment) to ensure value for money and service excellence, working closely with Pay Head
• Manage the Risk Register

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Developing Self and Others
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Experience in the Civil Service or wider public sector (Essential)
• CIPD qualified (Essential)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £66,361, Government Actuary's Department contributes £19,224 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. The interview will include a presentation, details of which will be sent to those invited to interview. There are likely to be follow-up questions on the Behaviours below leading on from the presentation to ensure the panel gain a rounded picture.

Timelines

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 21st April 2026
Shortlisting: w/c 27th April 2026
Interviews: w/c 04th May 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

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 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

Senior HR Operations and Project Delivery - JD Opens in new window (pdf, 582kB)