Pay and Reward Lead

The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s remit, as an agency with a global-to-local reach, is to protect the health of the nation from infectious diseases and other external threats to health. As the nation’s expert national health security agency UKHSA will:

• Prevent: anticipate threats to health and help build the nation’s readiness, defences and health security

• Detect: use cutting edge environmental and biological surveillance to proactively detect and monitor infectious diseases and threats to health

• Analyse: use world-class science and data analytics to assess and continually monitor threats to health, identifying how best to control and mitigate the risks

• Respond: take rapid, collaborative and effective actions nationally and locally to mitigate threats to health when they materialise

• Lead: lead strong and sustainable global, national, regional and local partnerships designed to save lives, protect the nation from public health threats and reduce inequalities., This is an exciting time with UKHSA placing an important focus on the pay and reward agenda. This covers both pay and non-pay elements including innovative approaches to our pay awards, introducing solutions which will change and modernise our pay structures and promoting the wider staff benefits offer. While the main focus of this role will be pay and reward, the post holder will have the opportunity to get involved in a variety of work areas across the team’s portfolio. The post holder will play a key role in developing products and interventions to support the delivery of UKHSA’s pay and reward strategy, and providing expert advice to colleagues across the group. The role requires collaborative working with a range of stake holders across the People and Workplace Group, and wider, and will allow the successful candidate to explore the skills, experience and behaviour required to progress their career within HR., The main responsibilities of this role include:

• Working with business areas and HRBPs to understand business issues and develop effective reward strategies and interventions that reflect public sector pay policy, legislation, the strategic needs of the department, and the wider political context.

• Preparing papers and recommendations for reward interventions in respect of Senior Civil Servants and delegated grades, including support for the planning and implementation of pay awards.

• Using excellent communication skills to effectively manage challenging situations and stakeholders, with the ability to convey complex information to different audiences, including experience of influencing and advising at all levels including up to Director General.

• Ownership and responsibility for leading on and driving forward key work portfolios within the wider pay and reward agenda.

• Building and maintaining strong, credible, and trust-based relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation and the Civil Service.

• Working in collaboration with others to design and deliver timely reward interventions and tackle issues.

Other

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the group.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Working for our 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.

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers, + Identify, discuss and action own professional performance and training / development needs with your line manager through appraisal / individual development plan. Attending internal / external training events

• Participate in all mandatory training as required, i.e. fire safety, information governance and all other mandatory training.

Key Working Relationships

The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to UKHSA. This will include;

Internal

• Deputy Director, HR Business Partnering, ER, Casework, Pay, and Policy

• People Group Senior Leadership Team

• People Group colleagues

• Colleagues in other corporate functions e.g. Finance

• Recognised Trade Unions

• Relevant staff network groups

External

• Department of Health

• Cabinet Office

• Civil Service Employee Policy

• Government Legal Department

• DHSC Arms’ Length Bodies, This vacancy is using success profiles and will assess your behaviours, experience, and strengths. You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the above listed 8 essential criteria , and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)

• 750 word Statement of Suitability.

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and Statement of Suitability will be marked together.

Longlisting:

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

• Meets all essential criteria

• Meets some essential criteria

• Meets no essential criteria

In order to be shortlisted you must meet all and some of the essential criteria listed above.

Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:

• A background of successful, high-impact Reward delivery in a demanding, complex environment

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

Please do not exceed 750 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours and strengths will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Working Together

• Changing and Improving

• Making Effective Decisions

• Seeing the Bigger Picture

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

Eligibility Criteria

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQ’s. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA’s core HQ’s (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London) Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.

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

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ

Your application may be rejected and/or you may be subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence (AI), as your own.

This is a Non-Reserved post under the Civil Service Nationality Rules. To be eligible for employment in the UK Civil Service applicants must meet the Civil Service Nationality Rules (CSNRs) which operate independently of and additionally to the Immigration Rules. Applicants must also meet necessary security and vetting requirements, along with any other relevant pre-employment checks.

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

For more information on job nationality requirements and the right to work in the UK, see the Civil Service Nationality rules (opens in a new window) and the UK Visas and Immigration rules (opens in a new window)

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

The Civil Service pay structure and progression is different from NHS Agenda for Change (AfC), most local authority pay grades and other systems that have annual pay increments. For further details, please refer to the Information Sheet- Starting Salaries & Benefits attachment.

For AfC or Medical/Dental posts, you must have the correct professional registration to be appointed. The pay will follow the AfC or Medical & Dental terms & conditions. You may be asked to provide evidence of previous service whilst we are conducting pre-employment checks to determine your starting salary.

For Temporary Appointments, if you are not currently a civil servant, you will take up the post on a Fixed Term appointment. You may be able to take this role up as a Secondment. If you are an existing Civil Servant, based outside of the UKHSA, you will take up the post as a loan which you will need your department to agree. You cannot take the post up as a fixed term. If you are an existing UKHSA member of staff, you will take up the post as either a level transfer or a temporary promotion as per the UKHSA’s Pay policy.

Given the nature of the work of the UKHSA, as a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act, you may be required in an emergency, if deemed a necessity, to redeploy to another role at short notice. You may also be required to work at any other location, within reasonable travelling distance of your permanent home address, in line with the provisions set out in your contract of employment.

Late Applications will unfortunately not be considered.

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 equality of opportunity. 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 UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: [email protected] 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 here.

Reserve List – If more than the required number of suitable candidates pass the interview criteria, you may be kept on a reserve list for 12 months subject to your agreement. You may be contacted, in merit-order, if similar roles with closely matching essential criteria become available and the department choose to appoint from a reserve list.

Interview expenses will not be reimbursed.

UKHSA is required to check employment and/or education history covering three consecutive years. Please ensure you give details of at least two different referees, even if you were employed in one company for three years or more.

If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Any move to UKHSA 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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

Benefits of working at UKHSA include

You will be assessed on the below 8 essential criteria, which have been selected from the Job Description

• Strong professional knowledge of Reward

• A background of successful, high-impact Reward delivery in a demanding, complex environment

• Experience of communicating and working effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders to a high standard

• Able to provide and receive highly complex, sensitive or contentious information, negotiate with stakeholders on difficult and controversial issues, and communicate complex information to different audiences.

• Excellent problem-solving skills, and ability to respond to sudden unexpected demands.

• Excellent attention to detail and analytical skills, with the ability to identify risks/issues and develop informed options.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office with intermediate keyboard skills.

• Excellent written communication skills, including experience of drafting policy, briefings or comprehensive responses to complex queries, challenging for accuracy and sense-checking

Plus public holidays and one privilege day for the King’s birthday

• Access to a generous Defined Benefit pension scheme with employer contributions.

• Access to a cycle-to-work salary sacrifice scheme, season ticket advances and payroll giving.

• Access to a retail discounts and cashback site.

• We also promote flexible working patterns (part-time, job-share, condensed hours). UKHSA views flexible working as essential in enabling us to recruit and retain talented people, ensuring that they are able to enjoy a long-lasting career with us. All employees have the right to apply for flexible working and there are a range of options available including working from home, compressed hours and job sharing.

• We also offer a generous maternity/ paternity and adoption leave package.

Hybrid Working

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce.

As a hybrid worker, you will usually spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted hours (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA’s locations (approximately 3 days a week pro rata) and the rest of your time working from home.

Disability Confident Scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria at sift to ensure these candidates are invited to interview. If you wish to be included in this scheme please tick the box on your application form.

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 take into account 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 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.