WORK WITH US

Chief Operating Officer

We are currently seeking to hire an experienced and accomplished Chief Operating Officer who will own, develop and deliver the internal operational capabilities of the LPFA in accordance with the objectives and goals established by the Chief Executive Officer and the LPFA Board (the Board).

Supported by a small team, you will own and deliver the Target Operating Model for the organisation, effectively optimising the operations, corporate and data functions, ensuring a resilient and secure framework within which the organisation can operate, whilst simultaneously being accountable for the provision of fit-for-purpose operating platforms and processes which will enable delivery of the business strategy, specifically in IT, investment/pension management operations and data.

The Chief Operating Officer will be responsible for driving the creation of a business-centric programme management function that provides a change management framework to oversee key initiatives and additionally tracks progress against the business strategy. You will also oversee the identification and delivery of a robust IT strategy and framework aligned to the corporate objectives of the LPFA, initially managing an outsourced IT provider.

Operating in a Local Government and LGPS compliant environment, the Chief Operating Officer will also have oversight responsibility for the delivery of the Finance function in terms of its effectiveness, quality and accuracy of reporting and will work in partnership with the Head of Compliance, Risk and Pensions and the Director of Funding and Investment as part of the Senior Leadership Team.

This role will also act as the LPFA’s Section 151 Officer, a role providing financial and technical advice to the Board and CEO whilst ensuring the advice is in the public interest and provides value for money. The Section 151 Officer supports the effective governance of LPFA through being a key part of the collective responsibility (with the Chief Executive and other strategic Officers).

Skills & Experience 

• Proven experience in Chief Operations Officer role within a complex organisation or similar, ideally within the pensions, Investment or LGPS sectors.
• A Financial qualification is essential and/or experience of managing a finance function.
• Demonstrable senior management experience and ability to work with and influence CEO and Board-level stakeholders, shareholders, customers and external partners.
• Demonstrably strong written and verbal communication skills
• Experience in contracting for, managing, and providing oversight of complex outsourced services.
• Strong knowledge of operations, business continuity resilience, data governance, ICT managed services and information security oversight, outsourced service providers and adviser/suppliers.
• Experience of providing oversight, management and reporting on significant and complex change programmes.
• Demonstrable track record of designing, implementing and evidencing robust operational control processes.
• Ability to effectively lead, manage and develop direct reports as well as the wider organisational functions.
• Ability to work constructively as part of a comparatively small and diverse team, a willingness to “get one’s hands dirty" when necessary.
• Ability to create a culture of managing to deadlines while ensuring quality of outputs.
• Awareness and understanding of the wider business, economic, market, legislative and regulatory environment in which the organisation operates.

Our Behaviours & Culture

We are committed to having an accountable and professional working culture that puts the interests of our members and employers first. We seek to:

Perform at our best – Deliver results – Look after our people – Collaborate – Act with integrity.

View the detailed job description.

Please reach out to Braidie Cole for a confidential discussion on the role: Braidie.Cole@sandersonplc.com

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People and Culture (HR) Administrator

We are growing fast and are looking for a People and Culture (HR) Administrator to assist with various ad-hoc administrative tasks as required by the People and Culture function, while also effectively managing the HR system, Cezanne.

We offer a friendly, professional and supportive working environment and a range of attractive employee benefits including flexible working, generous holiday entitlements, 24-hour accident cover, an LGPS pension, support for professional development, Employee Assistance Programme and an office gym.

Qualifications and experience

• Educated to degree level or equivalent (Human Resources or a similar relevant subject).
• Ideally three years of HR administration experience.
• Must be fully conversant in Advanced Microsoft Office applications including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and able to learn new systems quickly.
• Experience with HR software, ideally with Cezanne.

Hours and Salary

This is intended to be a full-time role with the successful applicant working a minimum of two days per week in the office.

The salary is in the range of £25,000 - £35,000 dependent on experience.

For full details, see the Job Description.

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter (maximum two pages) setting out your suitability for the role to recruitment@lpfa.org.uk.

Please complete and submit an Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form with your CV and covering letter.

For more information on how we collect and use candidate data, please read this document.

We are committed to being an employer of choice. We aim to provide a stimulating and rewarding work environment that encourages our employees to work together, provides opportunities for them to reach their full potential and achieve a healthy work/life balance. We offer all our employees a range of great benefits which we constantly refresh as we grow. Some benefits are subject to a successful probationary period, and some from the day you join the LPFA.

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YOUR WORK LIFE BALANCE 

In recognition of the importance of a positive work life balance, we aim to provide a flexible and agile working environment and a range of other benefits. These include:

Hybrid working 

• We are committed to hybrid working and believe that flexible working can increase employee motivation, promote work/life balance, enrich employee well-being, and improve performance and productivity. We ask that our employees are in the office for a minimum of two to three days a week, however some colleagues do work more flexibly with the agreement of their line manager.

Annual leave

• As well as UK bank holidays, employees receive a minimum of 25 days holiday each year. There is also an opportunity to buy or sell up to five days leave per year (pro rata if part time) and up to a further two discretionary concessionary days may be awarded against specific dates.
• Employees that reach five years of service are eligible for an additional day added to their annual leave entitlement in recognition of their long-standing commitment and service to the LPFA and its members.

Maternity, Paternity, Parental, Fostering and Adoption Leave (subject to qualifying conditions)

• We are committed to supporting our staff during and after pregnancy, adoption or shared parental leave, so we offer a flexible approach for expecting, fostering and adopting parents. This includes enhanced discretionary maternity and parental pay and certain provisions for those adopting, fostering or undergoing IVF treatment.

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YOUR FINANCES

We want to help employees save for the future and manage the costs of the present.

Pension

• If you work for us, you will be enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). This is one of the largest public sector pension schemes in the UK with over 6 million members.
• It is a defined benefit pension scheme (also known as DB pension scheme) which means your pension is based on your salary and how long you pay into the Scheme. In contrast to a defined contribution pension scheme, your DB pension is not affected by how well investments perform. 
• The LGPS provides you with a secure and guaranteed income every year when you stop working. 
• Employee contributions vary depending on salary and you can find more details about benefits and contribution rates at the official LGPS website.

Interest free season ticket or bicycle loan (upon completion of probationary period)

• We know that travel is expensive, so our employees can apply for an interest-free season train ticket loan or bicycle loan.

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YOUR CAREER

We value continuous improvement, and, as well as mandatory training, we offer certain other benefits to support employees in their professional and personal development.

Professional development (upon completion of probationary period)

• Subject to an employee’s performance and personal development plans, we will support their professional development and vocational training. We’ll also cover the cost of one professional subscription and provide a personal learning budget of £100 per year. This covers books that are outside business needs but help the employee’s own personal and professional development.

Microsoft Workplace Discount Programme 

• This programme allows employees to shop for selected Microsoft products at discounted prices.

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YOUR WELLBEING 

In our commitment to support our employees’ health and wellbeing, we offer a range of benefits to support mental and physical health.

Eye care (upon completion of probationary period)

• We regular contribute towards the cost of an eye test and up to £50 for lenses or glasses.

Personal accident cover

• We offer personal accident cover with 24-hour coverage.

Employee Assistance Programme

• We offer free and confidential access to an Employee Assistance Programme to support employees.

Fruit

• Free tea, coffee, snacks, and fresh fruits are available to all employees in the office.

Gym

• As a tenant of the London Fire Brigade’s Union Street office, all our employees can make use of the free onsite gym.

Our offices are at 169 Union Street in Southwark, London. 

We share the building with several other organisations and our office has recently been refurbished.

Did you know that we have a living wall in the office? It reminds us of the importance of being a responsible investor. 

The Equality Act 2010 replaced existing anti-discrimination laws with a single act which was designed to simplify the law, remove inconsistencies and facilitate compliance. Under the Equality Act 2010, LPFA is obliged to publish information that demonstrates our compliance with the general duty across our functions. This includes our duties to members of the Fund, as well as to our employees (and prospective employees).

Visit policies and procedures to find our Equal Opportunities, Diversity and Dignity at Work Policy.

As part of our recruitment process, we collect and process the personal data of job applicants. We are committed to being transparent about how we collect and use that data and in meeting our data protection obligations. You can read full details in our Privacy Notice.