Pay and Reward Specialist

Overview

Pay and Reward Specialist

Fixed Term / Secondment (18 months), Full Time

£36,647 to £43,113 per annum

Location:

Chelmsford*

Working Style:

Closing Date: 1st February 2026

* This is a hybrid-working role contractually based in Chelmsford. You will work from the Chelmsford office 2-3 days per week, depending on business need.

Please note this opportunity will be offered as an 18 month fixed-term contract or secondment.

The Pay and Reward Specialist supports the delivery of Essex County Council’s People strategy by contributing to the development and implementation of effective pay, reward, and employee benefits processes. Guided by senior reward professionals, the role helps ensure that the Council’s reward offerings align with broader people and business objectives, promote employee engagement, and support the attraction and retention of talent.

This role provides critical support to Reward initiatives, including project delivery, benchmarking, and data analysis, while actively promoting organisational understanding and application of Reward principles.

Working collaboratively with HR colleagues and stakeholders across the Council, the Pay and Reward Specialist helps deliver consistent, impactful reward solutions that benefit employees, support organisational goals, and positively influence service outcomes for residents.

Support the development and delivery of reward strategies that contribute meaningfully to ECC’s workforce and organisational goals. This includes working collaboratively with senior colleagues to ensure reward initiatives are aligned with broader strategic priorities, such as the Workforce Strategy and financial sustainability. The role involves translating strategic objectives into practical reward solutions that are inclusive, equitable, and responsive to evolving business needs.

Conduct research and analysis of external reward trends, benchmarking data, and internal workforce metrics to inform the design and refinement of ECC’s reward offerings. This includes partnering with the HR analytics team to interpret data and generate insights that support evidence-based decision-making. The postholder will play a key role in identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation in pay and benefits, ensuring ECC remains competitive and compliant.

Maintain and continuously improve the Social Care Capability Framework (SCCF) by overseeing evaluation processes, coordinating the annual review cycle, and ensuring timely delivery of associated outputs. This includes managing data modelling and impact analysis to assess the implications of changes to roles, pay structures, or grading. The role requires a strong understanding of SCCF principles and the ability to apply them effectively across the organisation.

Provide expert advice and guidance on SCCF performance data, working closely with stakeholders such as Payroll, Finance, and People Tech to resolve complex queries and support strategic planning. This includes interpreting data trends, identifying risks or inconsistencies, and ensuring that insights are communicated clearly to inform operational and policy decisions.

Contribute to the design, maintenance, and communication of ECC’s pay and reward structures, including job evaluation frameworks, grading systems, and executive pay arrangements. The role involves acting as a knowledgeable point of contact for reward-related queries and ensuring that policies and practices are transparent, consistent, and aligned with organisational values.

Coordinate and deliver training, guidance, and drop-in sessions for the Social Care workforce and other internal stakeholders to build understanding of reward processes and SCCF-related changes. This includes developing accessible materials, responding to queries, and fostering a culture of openness and engagement around pay and performance.

Manage and update reward-related content across ECC’s internal platforms, including the Social Care Pay intranet pages, policy documents, guidance notes, and FAQs. The postholder will ensure that all materials are accurate, up-to-date, and user-friendly, supporting staff and managers in navigating…