Pay, Reward and Benefits Specialist PO6 (PERM)

Job Title : Pay, Reward and Benefits Specialist PO6 (PERM)
Job Category : Human Resources
Category : Permanent Recruitment
Location : Newington Barrow Way, London Borough of Islington
Start Date : 04/09/2023
Closing Date :13/08/2023 12:00
Base Salary : £51,783.00

Salary PO6 – £51,783 – £54,825 –
Cover letter and CV required on submission.
Desk based work style – which requires attendance in office of a minimum of one day per week. Flexibility is required as we area a Place based organisation and this role would require in person attendance at meetings and negotiations. Other benefits listed in job ad.
We don’t need a payroll specialist (these are the bulk of candidates put forward in the past). We do need someone to act as the specialist for HR colleagues and the organisation for; pay allowances, grading advice, job evaluation (GLPC and Hay), reward, renumeration and staff benefits. Someone who can work with and analyse data, build and maintain relationships with suppliers and Union colleagues. Understanding of legislation and best practice for fair and equitable pay and reward schemes.
Qualifications
CIPD qualification or equivalent knowledge, skills and experience.
Evidence of continued professional development.

Experience
Substantial experience of leading on pay and reward matters within a complex, unionised organisation, (including strategy development, negotiations and implementation).
Experience of leading on the delivery of advice, guidance, both within the HR service and to others within the Council on remuneration, overall reward management; employee benefits and strategic management of the Council’s job evaluation scheme
Monitoring, analysis and interpreting HR management information to inform pay and reward strategies.
Assessment or provision of benefit packages.
Knowledge of local authority pay arrangements including pension provision.
Ability to benchmark salary and other data, plus cost of benefits, to assess and devise programmes that best fit the council.
Ability to understand, assimilate, interpret, present and clearly communicate complex information.
Strong writing and presentation skills to prepare business cases and informational materials on compensation and benefits plans for employees.
Ability to create and build effective relationships with a range of senior managers, stakeholders and professional staff.
Strong interpersonal and negotiating skills with the ability to build credibility and maintain effective working relationships both internally within HR and the wider council, with trade unions and externally with other employers, government departments and professional associations.

Key responsibilities

To provide strategic and technical subject matter expertise, advice, guidance and management on pay, reward and benefits practice.

To lead on the design and ongoing delivery of pay and grading structures, benefits strategy and reward and recognition schemes.

To lead on the provision and application of job evaluation, Labour Market Intelligence and recruitment and retention strategies for hard to fill roles, including use of Market Factors.

To lead and provide strategic direction to the development of pay, performance management, reward, recognition and benefits strategies, policies and systems, ensuring the adoption of best practice and alignment to the objectives of a high performing modern council.

To act as the council’s expert on remuneration, providing high quality consultancy advice to HR and others within the council on pay, reward and benefits ensuring practice is fair and equitable and in line with the reward strategy, local, regional and national agreements and e.g. HMRC regulations.

To lead on pay negotiations (as delegated) with the council’s trade unions, including reporting to the Executive and associated committees such as Audit and Scrutiny Committees as appropriate and production and presentation of e.g. the council’s pay policy statement, gender pay gap data.

To be the council’s expert on pay legislation, negotiating bodies and frameworks for e.g. equal pay, gender pay, minimum wage, London Living Wage, holiday pay, to protect the council from legacy or future risks, ensuring legislative and other case law changes are monitored and implemented in a timely way to minimise risk and cost.

To understand the market in order to lead on the provision and application of competitive benefits packages, specifying and procuring products and services, plus managing contracts that maintain Islington as an employer of choice

To be responsible within HR for collaborative work with payroll and pensions colleagues, driving take-up by ensuring benefits are clear and easily accessible including ability to sign up for schemes and consideration of total benefits statements.

To work collaboratively with the resourcing lead to develop recruitment and retention strategies for hard to fill roles, working closely with HR colleagues and managers and using regular benchmarking and labour market intelligence to enable the council to remain competitive.

To review the reward and benefits offer and ensure it is modern and competitive and aligns with the council’s objectives and priorities and to provide oversight of the council’s approach to job evaluation, maintaining consistency and fairness.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, partners and other stakeholders to help build an organisation that attracts and retains talents and develop our reputation as a successful council delivering great value for its residents.

Contribute to the development and implementation of ‘Be Islington’ to support the achievement of the council’s vision.

Develop and implement a flexible total reward strategy and approach for the Council that recognises the varying expectations of a modern, diverse and inclusive workforce, and better aligns reward with organisational values and performance.

To provide oversight of the council’s approach to job evaluation, maintaining consistency and fairness.

To explore opportunities and lead on the development and management of financial and non-financial recognition schemes and frameworks.

Work with colleagues to design and deliver a reward and recognition framework that supports the achievement of appropriate behaviours and high performance.