Systems & Projects Manager

This is a rare opportunity to join the senior management team within the West Northamptonshire Council Pensions Service, responsible for the administration and management of the Cambridgeshire Pension Fund and Northamptonshire Pension Fund, worth in excess of a combined £8bn.

The role reports directly into the Head of Pensions and manages all systems and projects activity for the two Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Funds.

The LGPS landscape is evolving at pace, and this role is critical in helping the Funds navigate a pathway through this change, responsible for a diverse portfolio of activity.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

• Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and the ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
• Cycle to Work scheme.
• Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
• Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel, and eating out plus lots more.
• Car Lease scheme via Tusker.
• Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
• Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support, and medical information.
• Commsave - Free membership to Commsave Credit Union who provide a variety of savings accounts, loans, a monthly lottery draw, and more!
• Ongoing training and development opportunities.
• A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part-time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
• Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off-site, depending on the role.
• Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that is genuinely invested in making a difference, committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends, and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

You will be responsible for the Funds’ systems and projects teams, managing 5 direct reports and over 20 staff.

The systems team is responsible for maintenance of the Funds’ pensions administration system, systems support, reporting, data assurance, and cyclical activities such as applying pensions uplift and producing annual benefit statements.

The projects team manages projects of all sizes, including the implementation of Pension Dashboards, the McCloud age discrimination remedy, and data improvement projects.

You will be a driven individual that is looking for a diverse, rewarding but challenging role.

You will have a good understanding and experience of relevant aspects of the management and administration of LGPS funds, as well as skills and knowledge related to project management.

You will have excellent planning and organisational skills as this role is responsible for a wide range of activities that have competing timelines and resource pressures. You will need to be able to develop solutions to problems in order to deliver positive outcomes.

In order to be successful you will be an excellent communicator and will be able to work with others and partner at a senior level.

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate, and Empower; they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council here.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.