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.
Accountabilities
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 reward systems with confidence.
Support the administration and review of employee benefits schemes. This includes assisting in procurement and contract renewals, ensuring high-quality delivery, and aligning benefits with ECC’s total reward strategy and financial objectives.
Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of pay and reward associated projects, managing scope, timelines, and ensuring alignment with strategic objectives. Maintain clear communication with stakeholders, proactively identify and mitigate risks, and drive project outcomes that meet quality standards and business goals.
The Experience You Will Bring
Educated to RQF Level 5 or equivalent by experience.
Professional membership of the CIPD, CIPP or other related professional body at Chartered level.
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
Deep understanding and demonstrable experience of reward management, compensation analysis and of a range of reward and performance functions, practice and procedure in a modern HR environment.
Strong analytical and report writing skills with the ability to interpret, apply and present data to inform decision-making.
Demonstrable experience of devising and implementing reward in a large matrix organisation, delivering policy and solutions aligned to organisational strategy to deliver successful outcomes through professional application of the consultancy model to drive results.
Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate messages to a range of audiences, influencing outcomes and successfully developing strong, mutually beneficial relations with external and internal networks and stakeholders.
Strong working knowledge of current business technology.
Why Essex? Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England’s oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest – Basildon and Harlow – are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. Read more about us
Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.
We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.
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