Project Management Lead

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is a well-established non-ministerial department in the heart of government, which uses statistical analysis and probabilistic financial models to assess a wide range of risks facing the public sector. Using these techniques, we aim to enhance the stewardship of public sector finances by providing expert advice to government departments in areas including pensions, contingent risks, insurance, and social security.

Examples of our work include: (1) the regular assessment of approximately £1 trillion of public service pension schemes liabilities, covering around 15 million people; and (2) the ongoing appraisal of the financial positions of social security frameworks together with recommendations on how to manage them.

For further information about the role and GAD, please see the following pack: Project Management Lead - Project Management Lead

This role is an excellent opportunity to help shape the project management of such complex, important and often interdependent projects, and to support GAD in delivering high quality projects.

The successful applicant will be a project management professional with significant relevant experience and a proven track record of successfully delivering strategically important projects with senior stakeholders. You will have a desire to learn and understand how this relatively specialist department and its actuarial professionals operate. You will be able to adapt quickly to changing priorities and establish effective working relationships with all business areas.

At GAD we embrace diversity and believe that it builds a stronger and more effective organisation. It is therefore important to us that we recruit from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds, bringing varying perspectives and experiences to our work. All our recruitment is made on merit, on the basis of open and fair competition.

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 Technical skills.

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.

Your CV and Personal Statement will be used to assess the essential criteria listed in the job description.

During the interview you will be assessed on the experience and behaviours listed in the Person Specification and detailed in this advert.

Application deadline: 1200 hrs on 09 November 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 09 November 2026

Interviews: w/c 23 November 2026

Interview location: In office (London or Edinburgh)

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.

Agency Notice: We will not pay agency fees for any candidate submitted in response to this advertisement unless we have explicitly agreed and contracted with an agency to support that specific role prior to advertising. Agency referrals will only be recognised where prior approval has been obtained from the Recruitment Team for the specific vacancy. Any other candidate submissions will be treated as direct applications.

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