Senior Policy Manager

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. The Agency also has an important policy function because Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for public service pensions (pensions policy in general is reserved to the UK Government). The Policy Team is responsible for providing policy advice to Ministers on public service pensions, including the schemes it administers and the Local Government Pension Scheme. The team also provides advice on occupational pensions more broadly and works closely with HM Treasury, UK Government departments and devolved administrations to shape pensions policy with a focus on ensuring the schemes remain robust, fair, affordable and sustainable. In addition to responsibility for the policy behind each scheme, the Policy Team is responsible for producing pension scheme regulations and guidance to support scheme administration to ensure full compliance with legislation. The team also determines appeals submitted by members under each public service pension scheme’s Internal Dispute Resolution Procedure (IDRP). An exciting opportunity has arisen for two Senior Pension Policy Managers to join our friendly and supportive team. These roles will focus on aspects of policy development across the Scottish devolved public service pension schemes, supporting the four Pension Policy Leads in the team. One of the posts will have a particular focus on the Local Government Pension Scheme, a funded multi-employer scheme administered locally by eleven administering authorities which maintain their own pension funds and invest member and employer contributions. The successful candidates will report directly to a Pension Policy Lead and may have line management responsibility for a Pension Policy Manager. Applications are welcome from staff working any pattern of hours. Responsibilities Support the Pension Policy Leads in providing advice to Scottish Ministers in relation to emerging issues and changes to public service pensions. Act as a central contact for cross-cutting policy matters where development and implementation of policy and legislation is required. For the SPPA-administered schemes, work closely and in collaboration with SPPA Operational Managers to ensure the technical / systems development and implementation accurately deliver the policy intent. For the Local Government Pension Scheme, the Scheme Advisory Board and the Local Government Association are key stakeholders. Work closely and in collaboration with individual scheme Policy Managers to support Scheme Advisory Board discussions on policy developments and issues. Conduct significant stakeholder engagement with Scottish Government workforce leads, Local Government,, UK Government department pension leads, HM Treasury pension leads and the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) to ensure a coherent approach on policy principles. Liaise with GAD actuarial advisers and SG colleagues on forecasting and fiscal implications of any proposed changes to public service pensions. Support instructions to SG legal directorate on amendments to scheme regulations. Provide policy input to SPPA internal project groups, including contributing technical input to calculation requirements and system developments (for the schemes SPPA administers) and the stakeholder communications strategy across all mediums of member, internal and external engagement channels (for all schemes). Success profile Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of skills, experience and behaviours candidates will be assessed on. Technical / Professional Skills: Participation and Engagement – Level 2: Practitioner Working with Ministers – Level 2: Practitioner Policy Delivery and Systems – Level 2: Practitioner You can find out more about the skills required, here Experience Previous experience of developing and delivering policy, working with a significant degree of autonomy. Behaviours: Seeing the bigger picture - Level 3 Making effective decisions - Level 3 Communicating and influencing - Level 3 Find out more about 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 skills, experience and behaviours listed in the Success Profile above. 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. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and presentation. Sifting will commence from w/c 8th August 2026. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 12th August 2026, however this may be subject to change. If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an in-person interview and assessment type at the SPPA office in Tweedbank. 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. About us At the SPPA, we are committed to The Fair Work Framework This means offering: Security and stability Flexible and hybrid working options Opportunities to learn and develop A respectful and inclusive working environment At SPPA we want our workforce to be representative of Scottish society and we strive to be a workplace where people are welcomed and valued for the contribution they make. We support flexible working and encourage applications from people from all backgrounds, including those starting their careers, changing careers, or returning to work. We are committed to removing any barriers to applying for our jobs and aim to offer support and make reasonable adjustments to allow full participation in the recruitment process. Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer . As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules . You can also find out more about careers at the SPPA here - SPPA Careers | SPPA (pensions.gov.scot ) Working Pattern Our standard hours are 35 hours per week. We offer a range of flexible and hybrid working options, with two days minimum working on site at SPPA. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us. Security Checks Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks – Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions). You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website , or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide . Sponsorship Skilled Worker sponsorship is not available for this role. As a result, we are unable to appoint candidates who require Skilled Worker sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must have an existing and ongoing right to work in the UK. Equality Statement We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation. Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them. Further Information Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website . Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes. We will hold a reserve list for this post for 12 months. Apply Before: 2nd August 2026 (23:59) - This role is open to internal candidates and Common Citizenship organisations only (external candidates and staff from UK Other Government Departments are not eligible to apply for this vacancy).