Role Summary
At the Royal Devon, we know that delivering excellent care starts with supporting our people. To achieve this, we are introducing the pivotal role of Associate Director of Pay and Pension Services – a senior leadership position that will bring together and oversee Payroll, Pensions and Benefits across the whole of Devon into one consolidated, system-wide function.
This role will lead the design and establishment of the new service, ensuring its successful transition into a fully operational, sustainable model. Beyond implementation, you will provide ongoing strategic and operational leadership, ensuring pay and pensions services are consistently accurate, compliant and future-focused. With experience of delivering organisational change, you will understand how to balance the sensitivities of transformation with the need to maintain service excellence, ensuring colleagues across the system benefit from a high-quality, modern and consistent service that enables them to focus on patient care.
About the Role
For more information on the Job Description and Responsibilities please click the link below.
More detail about the role
This role is central to the delivery of the One Devon vision. You will be the system’s subject matter expert for Pay, Pensions and Benefits, responsible for creating and embedding a single function that delivers both strategic impact and operational excellence. Working closely with Finance, Operations, HR colleagues, and national partners, you will lead the transition to a streamlined, digitised service model, making use of automation and innovative digital solutions to improve experience and efficiency.
In this role you will:
1. Provide strategic leadership to design, implement and oversee a fully integrated Pay and Pensions service for the Devon system.
2. Ensure compliance with all national, statutory and local requirements, managing processes that cover over in pay, tax and pension contributions annually.
3. Shape and deliver consistent policies, procedures and service standards across multiple NHS organisations, ensuring high quality outcomes for staff and stakeholders.
4. Lead on the introduction of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and digital transformation, ensuring our systems are future-ready and aligned to the national NHS Future Workforce Solutions programme.
5. Act as the system’s expert advisor on pay, pensions and benefits, including support for senior remuneration and governance through Remuneration Committees.
6. Manage and develop a high-performing team, building capability, resilience and knowledge across the service.
7. Represent Devon regionally and nationally, providing assurance, expertise and innovation to the NHS Scaling People Services agenda.
8. Drive complex organisational change and transformation, with the sensitivity and strategic insight required to bring multiple organisations together behind a single shared vision. This will mean not only managing the mechanics of service redesign, but also leading cultural change, influencing senior leaders, and supporting colleagues through uncertainty and transition.
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a highly experienced and credible pay and reward leader who brings more than technical expertise. You will have:
9. A proven track record of leading organisational change and transformation at scale, ideally within a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
10. The ability to balance operational delivery with strategic vision, ensuring new services are embedded successfully and sustainably.
11. Exceptional relationship management and influencing skills, with the confidence to engage with senior stakeholders across finance, operations, HR and national bodies.
12. A collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the resilience to navigate challenge and the empathy to support colleagues through periods of significant change.
This is a rare opportunity to take on a role of significant scale and influence, with the chance to pioneer new ways of working, drive digital transformation, and play a key part in shaping how the NHS supports its people for the future.
Please note that the Job Description is currently undergoing evaluation, and the banding is subject to the outcome of the formal matching process.
Working Pattern: hours per week
Interview Date: To be confirmed
For further information please contact: Emily Simpson, Executive and Specialist Recruitment Lead on As an inclusive employer, the Royal Devon values diversity and is committed to creating a culture of inclusivity where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and actively encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and abilities. We recognise the advantages of having a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.
Preference will be given to staff with ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust reserves the right to close vacancy when sufficient applications have been received.
The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was established in April 2, bringing together the expertise of both the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.
About Us
Stretching across Northern, Eastern and Mid Devon, we have a workforce of over, staff, making us the largest employer in Devon. Our core services, which we provide to more than, people, cover more than 2, square miles across Devon, while some of our specialist services cover the whole of the peninsula, extending our reach as far as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
We deliver a wide range of emergency, specialist and general medical services through North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford). Alongside our two acute hospitals, we provide integrated health and social care services across a variety of settings, including community inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, and within people’s own homes. We also offer primary care services, a range of specialist community services, and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC).
Our state-of-the-art equipment, leading technologies and strong links to local universities put us at the forefront of research and innovations, enabling us to provide world-class care to our local communities.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do, click here to find out more
It has never been a more exciting time to join the Royal Devon, as you will help to shape our services as we continue along our integration journey.
Benefits
Looking after you is important to us.
We strive to help our staff create a healthy work-life balance through flexible working schemes and our family friendly policies.
If you are starting out in the NHS, you’ll start with days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to days plus bank holidays.
You will benefit from access to our own comprehensive occupational health services, including counselling, onsite wellbeing activities and groups.
We will work together to maintain a culture that develops and supports you and your team.
This might include funding for a care certificate, a degree or leadership qualifications. Or it might include days off to study, engage in CPD or rotational placements to help you hone your skills. Wherever you are heading in the NHS, we will help you get there.
Salary is not the only financial benefit
You will have access to an extensive range of staff discounts on shopping, fitness and leisure options and you can spread the cost of technology and home appliance purchases from major retailers. You will also have access to other benefits including:
13. National discount services such as the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts.
14. Salary sacrifice options including our OFSTED rated outstanding nursery onsite at Exeter
15. Car lease schemes.
16. The NHS Pension scheme (one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK).
17. Cycle to work scheme
These are just a few of the benefits available – if the role is something you are interested in, we would love to hear from you.