Pensions Administrator Support ( 4701)

Job summary

Help our members navigate their pension journey with confidence.

The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) administers pensions for Scottish Teachers, Police, Firefighters' and National Health Service employees on behalf of the Scottish Government. We’re responsible for protecting the financial futures of over half a million people - that’s around 1 in 10 people in Scotland. If you’re looking for meaningful work, a supportive environment and a career with purpose, you’ll find it at the SPPA. Our office is based in Tweedbank in the Scottish Borders, the train station is a short two-minute walk away and offers regular services to and from Edinburgh Waverley, making it a convenient and well-connected location for commuters. The surrounding area offers access to green space, walking routes and a strong sense of local community, supporting wellbeing both in and outside of work. Our modern office building is designed to support flexible and collaborative working, with spaces for teamwork, quiet focus and hybrid working. Colleagues benefit from a comfortable, welcoming environment that reflects our commitment to wellbeing and inclusion.

An opportunity has arisen for 3 x Fixed Term Appointment (FTA) Pensions Administrator Supports running to 31 October 2028.

As a Pensions Administrator Support, you will work in a variety of roles across our Operational Delivery department. You will respond to member enquiries and provide administrative support to teams. This will include answering telephone calls and electronic or digital member contacts, distributing and indexing mail to the relevant teams, accurately updating members records and supporting specific teams daily by checking member details in advance of our pension calculation processes. This role therefore combines customer service, administration, data handling and operational support.

Are you passionate about making a difference? Are you a good communicator with experience in customer service? Do you have the confidence to advise and influence colleagues and stakeholders at all levels? If the answers to the above are yes, then this opportunity could be for you.

Why Join Us?

• Impact that matters: Your work directly supports those who keep Scotland running - teachers, healthcare professionals, emergency services.
• Professional growth: Develop your skills in customer service within a supportive team environment.
• Inclusive culture: Be part of a diverse, collaborative workplace committed to fairness and respect.
• Work-life balance: Enjoy flexible working options and excellent benefits as part of the Scottish Government.

Job description

Responsibilities

• Support our members by providing clear, accurate pension information through member portal, email and call enquiries - ensuring all queries are dealt with promptly, accurately and courteously. The majority of our communication is via telephone, so there will be an expectation to take phone calls.
• Handle data with care by collecting, analysing, maintaining and processing member information accurately and securely, ensuring all records comply with data protection regulations.
• Manage requests efficiently by prioritising queries from members and third parties, resolving issues promptly and in line with scheme rules, agreed procedures, and deadlines.
• Support your colleagues in line with our organisational priorities and needs, work as part of a flexible team to perform other tasks and provide support to Operational Delivery teams and individuals within SPPA as required.
• Provide administrative support to teams within Operational Delivery.

Please note: This role is being advertised across multiple teams within Operational Service Delivery. While the core responsibilities and person specification remain consistent, the specific duties, priorities, and areas of focus may vary slightly depending on the team to which the successful candidate is appointed.

A significant proportion of the role involves handling enquiries from pensions scheme members by telephone and email.

Person specification

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Technical / Professional Skills:

• (Lead Criteria) Connections and communication - Awareness

You can find out more about the skills required, here: ODP Professional Skills Framework - Operational Delivery Profession

Experience

• You must be confident using various computer applications including packages within the Microsoft Office suite, e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook etc.

Behaviours:

• Seeing the big picture - Level 1
• Working together - Level 1
• Managing a quality service - Level 1

Find out more about the behaviours here - Success Profiles

How To Apply

Apply online, providing a CV and Supporting Statement (of no more than 750 words) which provides evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.

Stage one (CV & Supporting Statement review):

An initial review will be conducted using the CV and Supporting Statement on the below Lead Criteria:

Technical 1 - Connections and communication - Awareness

Candidates who pass the initial review will have their applications fully assessed against all remaining criteria in the Success Profile, including the behaviours detailed above.

Stage two (interview and assessment):

If successful at application review, you will be invited for assessment, which will consist of an in-person interview and job simulation exercise at the SPPA office in Tweedbank, where we will test all criteria listed above.

Sifting will take place across w/c 14th September & w/c 21st September.

Assessments are scheduled for w/c 5th October, however this may be subject to change.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples 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, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• (Lead Criteria) Connections and communication - Awareness

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,164, Scottish Government contributes

£7,869 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

Apply using link provided.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the

Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window)

and the

Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available.

You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Joanne Skilling
• Email : joanne.skilling@gov.scot

Recruitment team

• Email : scottishgovernmentrecruitment@gov.scot

Apply at advertiser's site

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