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.
 

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).