Pay and Policy Manager

The Pay and Policy Manager will work as part of the wider People and Culture (P&C) team and will report directly into the Head of People to provide specialist expertise and guidance on all matters relating to Civil Service pay and reward and people related policies. The role will be part of the wider P&C team and will be supported by colleagues from people operations, data insights, engagement and inclusion, talent acquisition and people business partners.

They will directly line manage the SEO Policy and Procedure Lead and have responsibility for delivering tactical advice on appropriate pay and reward solutions, application of people policies and strategic development of the policy framework. They will have excellent experience, understanding and knowledge of developing and implementing pay and policy strategies which contribute to organisational effectiveness and engagement particularly within the public sector. They will analyse complex SFO and wider civil service practices in relation to pay and policy, and manage project work to enhance the SFO’s approach. The role holder will communicate to all employees and managers clearly and effectively on changes to governmental practice that relates to pay and people policy.

The role requires close liaison with key stakeholders (P&C colleagues, Executive and Senior Leadership Team, the Board, Trade Union and Heads of Division).

As the Pay and Policy Manager, you will be responsible for:

• Lead on the development and delivery of the SFO pay and reward framework, including the annual pay remit processes for both SCS and delegated grades, ensuring compliance with central Government pay controls and approval processes.
• Working with Divisional business areas, people and financial business partners to understand business issues and develop effective reward strategies that align with Civil Service pay policy, legislation, the strategic needs of the SFO and the wider political context.
• Analyse workforce market trends and bench-marking data to inform competitive pay and reward structures which are accurately modelled and costed appropriately.
• Building and maintaining strong, credible, and trust-based relationships with key stakeholders across SFO and the public sector, including the Civil Service.
• Engaging with Trade Unions on policy and pay negotiations, supporting consultation and collective bargaining where required.
• Preparing papers and recommendations for pay strategies and people policy, including plans for internal communication and engagement development of line managers to effectively and consistently apply the policy principles and expectations.
• Ensure all people related policies align with wider SFO values and strategic objectives and take into account the overall Civil Service frameworks, legal requirements and good practice.
• Using excellent communication skills to effectively manage challenging situations and stakeholders; conveying complex information to different audiences, including up to Executive and Senior Leadership teams and the Board.
• Ownership and responsibility for leading on and driving forward key work portfolios within the wider HR agenda, including job evaluation requests, pay flexibility, pay equality and employee benefits.
• Represent the policy, pay and reward specialism across the civil service network of all government bodies, with particular focus on the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.
• Line manage and develop the Policy and Procedure Lead, setting clear objectives and supporting professional development whilst managing their performance and engagement to work in a collaborative and professional manner.

For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see the link to the Job Pack below.

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Application stage

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

A personal statement of no more than 750 words attached to your CV that provides specific examples of how your skills and experience meet each the following criteria (based on the Essential Experience required for the role):

• Proven experience of scoping, designing and implementation of pay and reward strategies and policies.
• Significant experience in HR policy development.
• Experience of working collaboratively with Trade Unions.
• Strong analytical and numerical skills that have enabled you to make robust evidence based decisions or recommendations.
• A supporting CV outlining your job history and qualifications.

It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Behaviours and experience as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.

Candidates invited to interview will also be required to complete a short exercise designed to assess your experience.

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Interviews are expected to take place in person at the SFO offices from week commencing 14th September 2026.

All dates are indicative and subject to change.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. To be eligible you must meet the following residency requirements:

SC: 5 years residency in the United Kingdom preceding this application.

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