Pay and Reward Manager - DSIT - SEO

Manchester Digital; City Of London, Manchester, Bristol; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

A government organization is seeking a Pay and Reward Manager to lead the development and implementation of the Digital and Data Pay Framework across government departments. Candidates should possess strong analytical and communication skills, with proven experience in pay benchmarking and project management. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-profile projects that impact the government's digital workforce, fostering an inclusive and dynamic culture.

Qualifications

• Experience helping implement pay and reward projects or supporting similar programs of work.
• Experience with external pay benchmarking and data analysis.
• Experience communicating complex strategies effectively.

Responsibilities

• Develop and improve pay and reward for the digital and data professions.
• Conduct market pay analysis for business cases.
• Capture and analyze UK employment practices on bonuses and benefits.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Excel proficiency

Project management

Pay benchmarking

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Full-time (Permanent) National: £42,382 - £45,920; London: £46,169 - £50,062
Published on 7 November 2025 Deadline 18 November 2025

Location

Bristol, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre of government. We are responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital government.

Our priorities are to drive a modern digital government, by:

• joining up public sector services
• harnessing the power of AI for the public good
• strengthening and extending our digital and data public infrastructure
• elevating leadership and investing in talent
• funding for outcomes and procuring for growth and innovation
• committing to transparency and driving accountability

We are home to the Incubator for Artificial Intelligence (I.AI), the world-leading GOV.UK and at the forefront of coordinating the UK’s geospatial strategy and activity. We lead the Government Digital and Data function and champion the work of digital teams across government.

We’re part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and employ more than 1,000 people all over the UK, with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol.

The Government Digital Service is where talent translates into impact. From your first day, you’ll be working with some of the world’s most highly-skilled digital professionals, all contributing their knowledge to make change on a national scale.

Join us for rewarding work that makes a difference across the UK. You'll solve some of the nation’s highest-priority digital challenges, helping millions of people access services they need.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Who we are

We are the Government Digital Service (GDS) that leads the Government Digital and Data profession for government. We put the right conditions in place to achieve digital, data and technology transformation at scale by working with departments, and other government functions like commercial, project delivery and security professionals.

We are responsible for:

• Delivering the cross-government Blueprint for modern digital government.
• Digital, Data and Technology Strategy and Standards, like the Technology Code of Practice, the Service Standard and Open Standards
• Cross-government performance and assurance, including Spend Controls
• Government Digital and Data Capability Framework

Join the Strategic Workforce and Capability Division, where our mission is to ensure the government possesses the necessary talent to drive digital transformation and overcome the challenges ahead. We're dedicated to enhancing the government's capacity to attract, recruit, nurture, and retain top tier digital and data professionals. As part of the team, you will help shape the future of digital strategy and capabilities, providing vital insights that support cross departmental policies, standards, and strategies. We're entrusted with devising strategies and delivering results for a community of 30,000+ digital innovators, aspiring talent, and the broader civil service. Our commitment extends to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic culture where individuals thrive and excel.

Person specification

As the Pay and Reward Manager, you will help organisations across government to adopt and implement the Digital and Data Pay Framework. This is a delivery role, directly supporting government ambitions to broaden Government Digital and Data workforce. You will work closely with capability colleagues in the Government Digital Service, as well colleagues across government including but not exclusively HM Treasury and Cabinet Office. This role requires both forward thinking and numeracy, while operating at pace for multiple and complex stakeholders. You will be working across government on Ministerial priorities; this is high profile and exciting work.

What You’ll Do

• Help develop and improve pay and reward for the Government’s Digital and Dara and Cyber profession’s by making sure our pay is competitive, and our arrangements are widely understood and adopted.
• Market pay analysis to inform the drafting of new business cases onSenior Civil Service roles,Cyber roles (not cyber security roles)
• Capture and analysis of UK employment practice on bonuses and non-pay benefits to help build a profession-led reward approach for a future business case.
• Reviewing and analysing departments’ business cases to adopt, or extend, the pay framework focusing onSpreadsheet analysis of department’s data, and savings estimates,Template completion,Advising and supporting Depts Implementation preparation,Advising and supporting new adopting Depts on capability assessment.
• Building a GDS library of adopting departments documentation and agreements connected to framework implementation.
• Upkeep and own management information related to pay and reward across the GDD profession.
• Support the pay and reward delivery manager as necessary, e.g. deputise at meetings and across government as required.

Experience helping implement pay and reward projects or supporting similar programs of work (payroll, management information, or human resources migrations)

Experience helping others produce deliverable plans

Experience of working with external pay benchmarking and working with data to inform strategy or use of external tooling of similar nature

Experience of thinking critically, using analysis and challenging assumptions to negotiate and influence others and build trusted relationships

Experience of helping to upskill others with pay and reward best practice

Skilled in using workforce analytics, pay benchmarking and user research to shape, adapt and communicate delivery plans and outcomes.

Skilled in use of Microsoft packages, particularly Excel.

Able to communicate complex strategies and build community understanding.