Head of Department

West Yorkshire Pension Fund; Bradford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Pension scheme membership

Professional development

Job summary

West Yorkshire Pension Fund is seeking an inspirational Head of Governance and Fire Pensions Administration to lead governance and pension administration for Fire & Rescue Authority clients and LGPS funds. You will report to the Assistant Director and shape governance frameworks, ensuring accurate, compliant, and customer-focused services.

You will lead teams for over 50,000 Fire Pension Scheme members, manage relationships with 24 Fire & Rescue Authorities and three LGPS funds, implement

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in pensions administration or a related field.
• Experience delivering regulatory and organisational change programmes.
• Strong governance and stakeholder management capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Fire Pensions Administration and Governance teams.
• Ensure compliance with Fire Pension Scheme legislation, HMRC requirements and The Pensions Regulator's expectations.
• Drive performance through KPI management and continuous improvement.
• Develop strategic relationships with Fire & Rescue Authorities, partner organisations and industry bodies.
• Oversee governance arrangements, including Local Pension Board and Advisory Panel support.
• Lead regulatory change programmes and readiness for legislative developments.
• Manage responses to FOI and SARs.
• Promote innovation, operational excellence and high-quality client service.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

Governance

Pensions administration

Change management

Communication

Education

Continuing professional development

Job description

Head of Governance and Fire Pensions Administration

Lead one of the UK's largest Fire Pensions Administration and Governance services and shape the future of public sector pensions.

West Yorkshire Pension Fund (WYPF) is one of the UK's largest and most respected local authority pension funds. We provide pension administration services to Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employers and Fire & Rescue Authorities across the country.

We are seeking an exceptional leader to join our senior management team as Head of Governance and Fire Pensions Administration. This is a unique opportunity to lead a high-performing service responsible for delivering pension administration and governance functions to Fire & Rescue Authority clients while ensuring the highest standards of regulatory compliance, customer service and organisational governance.

The Role

Reporting to the Assistant Director (Finance, Administration and Governance), you will provide strategic leadership for Fire Pensions Administration and Governance services, ensuring the delivery of accurate, compliant and customer-focused pension administration.

You will oversee services supporting more than 50,000 Fire Pension Scheme members and manage relationships with 24 Fire & Rescue Authorities and three LGPS funds. You will also play a key role in shaping WYPF's governance framework and supporting the Local Pension Board and Advisory Panel.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing the Fire Pensions Administration and Governance teams.


• Ensuring full compliance with Fire Pension Scheme legislation, HMRC requirements and The Pensions Regulator's expectations.


• Driving organisational performance through robust KPI management and continuous improvement.


• Developing strong strategic relationships with Fire & Rescue Authorities, partner organisations and industry bodies.


• Overseeing governance arrangements, including Local Pension Board and Advisory Panel support.


• Leading regulatory change programmes and ensuring readiness for legislative developments.


• Managing responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) and Subject Access Requests (SARs).


• Promoting innovation, operational excellence and high-quality client service delivery.


• Deputising for the Assistant Director when required.

About You

We are looking for an inspirational and commercially aware leader with a strong track record of delivering high-quality pension services within a complex and highly regulated environment.

You will be able to demonstrate:

• At least 10 years' experience in pensions administration, including significant senior management experience.


• Leadership experience within a large, complex public or private sector organisation.


• Experience of delivering regulatory and organisational change programmes.


• Strong experience managing multi-disciplinary teams and developing high-performance cultures.


• Experience of partnership working with pension schemes, employers and external stakeholders.


• Proven ability to influence strategic decision-making and drive service improvement.


• Experience of working within a political, governance or public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Evidence of continuing professional development.

What You'll Bring

• Outstanding leadership and people management skills.


• Excellent communication and relationship-building abilities.


• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.


• Commercial awareness combined with a customer-focused mindset.


• A passion for governance, compliance and continuous improvement.


• The ability to inspire teams through change and transformation.

Why Join WYPF?

At WYPF, you'll have the opportunity to help shape pension administration services on a national scale while working with a highly experienced and collaborative leadership team.

We offer:

• A challenging and rewarding senior leadership role.


• Opportunities to influence pension administration and governance strategy.


• Professional development and career progression.


• A supportive and inclusive working environment.


• Flexible working arrangements.


• Local Government Pension Scheme membership and a comprehensive benefits package.

We do not discriminate against any applicant or employee directly or indirectly on the grounds of gender, marital status, gender re-assignment, pregnancy, sexual orientation, disability, race, colour, ethnic background, religion or belief, nationality or age. And, as an equal opportunities employer, the Council strives to employ the best qualified people from a diverse range of applicants.

The RESPECT Allyship Programme is available to all staff, which offers the opportunity to learn more about the diverse communities & groups and provides added benefits and resources to its members.

Join WYPF and help deliver outstanding services for our members, FRA's and shared service partners.