Government Digital and Data Pay and Reward Lead - GDS - G7

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

Join the Workforce and Capability team, 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 Workforce and Transformation Directorate, you’ll 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.

Our priority within the Pay Team:

• A unified Digital and Data career and reward framework for government. Design and facilitate cross government adoption of a unified Digital and Data career and remuneration framework that partners standardised role profiles, skill requirements and skill assessments for Digital and Data professionals with a competitive pay framework that is applied across government.

Job description

You will develop the Digital and Data Pay Framework, designing strategic amendments to our current pay, and wider reward, arrangements for both SCS roles, and delegated grades, to support the changing needs of the profession across government.  Your role will shape the evolving roadmap for a digitally driven government, empowering civil servants to achieve more in house and reduce the reliance on contractors and consultancies.

You will promote, advise and support departments to adopt, or expand their use of, the Pay Framework and support their implementation programmes. 

This is an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of designing and delivering the whole reward framework for our future ambitions of growing up to 40,000 Digital and Data professionals across government. Your work is part of the Digital and Data Workforce and Capability Team.

This role may evolve to include line management responsibilities, as part of the future development and growth of the team.

As Reward Lead you will:

• Design and develop reward strategy for the profession to reflect changing business models for the delivery of digital and data services
• Design, develop and maintain the Digital and Data Pay Framework for both delegated grades and SCS; including reviewing and amending the pay group structure and membership as new roles join the profession 
• Encourage, support and help departments to adopt, or widen their use of, the Pay Framework 
• Work with government people group to review and approve department business cases (using templates you create) to adopt the framework, to develop, modify and update the framework, and to introduce changes if necessary
• Use market pay data, and your knowledge of wider reward best-practice in the UK, to keep pay and reward practice competitive
• Work with the wider Digital and Data Workforce Strategy and Transformation team to ensure that policy proposals are data driven, that the employee value proposition is competitive and that remuneration is factored in as a key consideration in the Digital and Data strategic workforce plan and sourcing strategy  
• Develop and lead communication and consultation with GPG, departments, senior leaders and the head of profession on digital and data reward matters; from helping to shape emerging thinking, through to effective implementation of agreed changes.

Person specification

We’re seeking a highly experienced pay and reward professional. You'll thrive on navigating ambiguity, developing and driving strategic thinking. You will need to be able to 

1. lead and inform strategic thinking on the role of reward to support the government's long term digital strategy.  
2. work with and analyse data; drafting and evaluating business cases whilst also drafting and reviewing other complex papers
3. Communicate complex matters effectively, in writing and in-person, at many levels

Essential Knowledge and Experience

We're interested in people who have:

• Proven success at solving complex pay and reward challenges.
• Advanced knowledge of reward frameworks, tools, and best practice, with demonstrable experience driving strategic implementation.
• External pay benchmarking experience and using data analytics to shape evidence-based strategy.
• A proven track record of leading high level projects in environments defined by ambiguity, competing priorities, and tight deadlines, ideally within digital and data or comparable sectors.
• Exceptional critical thinking skills, with the ability to analyse complex problems, challenge assumptions, and develop forward thinking strategies.
• Communication and influencing skills, with a history of engaging and building credibility with senior leaders and stakeholders at all levels.