Pay & Reward Manager – AR

Job Details

Job Title: Pay & Reward Manager
Directorate: Corporate Resources / HR
Reports to: Head of HR
Direct Reports: 1 (with 5 indirect reports)
Grade: TBC

Job Purpose

Lead the Council’s pay, reward and payroll function, ensuring arrangements are fair, competitive, legally compliant and aligned to organisational priorities. Provide strategic and operational leadership across pay structures, reward frameworks and payroll delivery, supporting workforce sustainability and financial governance.

Key Responsibilities

Pay & Reward Strategy

  • Develop and maintain pay structures and reward frameworks aligned to NJC terms and Council policies.
  • Ensure pay arrangements are equitable, transparent and support recruitment and retention.
  • Advise senior leaders and Members on pay and reward matters.

Analysis & Benchmarking

  • Lead pay modelling, benchmarking and market analysis across comparable local authorities.
  • Assess affordability, equal pay risk and workforce impact.
  • Produce clear, evidence-based recommendations and business cases.

Allowances & Enhancements

  • Oversee frameworks for market supplements, shift pay, on-call and standby arrangements.
  • Ensure consistent application, governance and regular review.

Payroll & Continuous Improvement

  • Oversee payroll delivery, ensuring accuracy, compliance and resilience.
  • Drive process improvements, system optimisation (Unit4) and risk mitigation.
  • Strengthen controls, data quality and service performance.

Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Lead and develop the pay and payroll team, promoting a high-performance culture.
  • Act as lead advisor in engagement and negotiation with Trade Unions.
  • Prepare reports and briefings for senior leadership and committees.

Compliance & Risk

  • Ensure compliance with NJC terms, employment legislation and best practice.
  • Manage risks related to pay, reward and payroll, supporting audits and reviews.

Person Specification (Summary)

Essential:

  • Significant experience in a UK local authority pay, reward or payroll role
  • Strong knowledge of NJC terms and conditions
  • Experience of pay modelling, benchmarking and developing pay structures
  • Proven Trade Union engagement and negotiation experience
  • Payroll systems experience (ideally Unit4)
  • Team leadership and development experience

Desirable:

  • Experience of pay or payroll transformation
  • Knowledge of job evaluation schemes
  • Experience presenting to senior leaders or elected Members