Policy Advisor - Fire Pension Scheme

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities; Manchester; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in Manchester is seeking Senior Executive Officer Policy Advisors for the Fire Pensions Team. These roles involve high-impact policy development and delivery, stakeholder engagement, and governance support. Candidates should have experience in a policy environment, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively. An attractive salary and benefits package is included, reflecting the importance of the role in delivering major pension reforms.

Benefits

Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme

Flexible working

Childcare Voucher Scheme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in a policy environment is essential.
• Excellent communication skills required for varied audiences.
• Ability to manage tight deadlines with high standards.

Responsibilities

• Develop policies related to the firefighters' pension scheme.
• Engage with stakeholders across government and external bodies.
• Communicate updates through drafting guidance and materials.
• Represent the department at meetings and ensure credible engagement.
• Support governance by updating implementation trackers and risk registers.

Skills

Experience working in a policy environment

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills

Ability to manage competing priorities

Comfortable working autonomously

Job description

Overview

The pensions team is a growing, supportive team within Local Government Finance. We cover a broad remit including both the Local Government Pension Scheme and the Firefighters' Pension Scheme – supporting almost 7 million members across local government. It is an exciting time to work on pensions and the team has a key role in ensuring security and dignity to hardworking public servants through retirement. The schemes need to be fair and accessible, but also affordable, and we work hard to strike the right balance. We contribute to decisions that have tangible and long lasting impact on individuals and the wider economy.

We are recruiting for 2x Senior Executive Officer (SEO) Policy Advisors to join the Fire Pensions Team. These roles will come with a varied and high-impact portfolio across policy and delivery. As an SEO, you will be expected to uphold the highest standards in quality, delivery, and governance, and play a key role in cross-cutting work across the team.

You will have responsibility for specific projects and management of delivering them on time, as well as contributing to the team’s governance function. You will often work with HM Treasury and other government departments, especially Home Office. Stakeholder engagement is key to delivering on the team’s responsibilities, and you will work regularly with the Local Government Association, trade unions, and pension administrators.

These are high-impact roles that offer the opportunity to build deep policy knowledge, gain cross-cutting delivery experience, and brief seniors on politically sensitive and high-profile matters. You will be working at the heart of efforts to deliver major pension reforms across local government and the fire and rescue service.

Current projects include a review of compensation payments made to firefighters who are injured or die on operational duty, rectifying discrimination identified in the pension schemes, and improving governance of the pension schemes.

Responsibilities

• Policy development and delivery relating to the firefighters' pension scheme, including drafting submissions to ministers, instructing lawyers to update regulations, and drafting of guidance.
• Stakeholder engagement across government and with external bodies, including unions, administrators, and boards.
• Communication of pensions updates, including drafting guidance and communications materials.
• Representation of MHCLG at meetings and on boards, ensuring accurate, timely, and credible engagement with internal and external partners.
• Supporting governance across the team including ensuring that implementation trackers, risk registers, and delivery plans are up to date and useful.

Qualifications

• Experience working in a policy environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for varied audiences and contribute to briefings, ministerial submissions, and presentations.
• Willingness to develop expertise in public service pension policy and delivery.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities, meet tight deadlines, and maintain high standards under pressure.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing at a range of levels.
• Comfortable working autonomously and exercising sound judgment while seeking input when needed.
• Flexible, organised, and proactive in applying your skills across a wide range of responsibilities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,890, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £12,135 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Childcare Voucher and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.