Scottish Government
Pensions Officer
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Job Description
Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your pensions expert with a background in technical management?
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.
About the Role
As a Pensions Officer within our Technical Services team, you will support with the design, build, test and maintenance of complex Excel-based calculation tools that underpin critical Police, Fire, NHS and Teachers public sector pensions, data and payroll processes.
Working in a highly regulated environment, you will help ensure calculators are accurate, compliant, auditable, and version controlled. You will also contribute to an improvement roadmap, identifying innovative, automation-aligned solutions that will strengthen operational resilience. You will work with various technical experts and operational stakeholders to gather requirements, translate them into clear specifications, and deliver compliant, auditable and user-friendly calculators.
Responsibilities
- Build and enhance complex Excel-based calculation tools using robust spreadsheet engineering practices (clear inputs/outputs, validation, error handling, and maintainable formula structures).
- Work closely with the specialist calculation lead, providing operational pensions expertise to support the ongoing development, refinement and compliance/assurance of excel-based user-friendly calculation tools.
- Identify opportunities to streamline and automate administrative processes through calculator development.
- Develop, execute and document appropriate testing, maintaining clear evidence of logic, assumptions, changes and outcomes to support quality assurance and audit readiness.
- Investigate issues raised by users, diagnose root causes, implement controlled fixes, and communicate impacts and mitigations clearly.
- Support structured release management so only approved, accurate versions of calculators are deployed and used.
- Work closely with operational colleagues and Technical Services peers to translate requirements into usable calculation tools and to explain technical decisions in plain language.
- Contributes to an improvement roadmap, recommending standardisation and control enhancements to strengthen reliability and user experience.
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Success Profile
Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.
Technical / Professional Skills:
- Data and Insight – Awareness
- Delivery and decision making at speed – Awareness
You can find out more about the skills required, here.
Experience
- Experience of working with colleagues to review, develop and maintain complex Excel-based calculation tools within a pension’s environment.
Behaviours:
- Managing a quality service – Level 2
- Working Together – Level 2
Find out more about Success Profiles.
How to Apply
Apply online, providing a CV and supporting statement (of no more than 750 words) providing evidence of how you meet the behaviours, experience and technical skills listed in the Success Profile above. Both the CV and the supporting statement provided will be assessed against the criteria for the role.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be used to support your application, but all statements and examples provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, and presented as your own) applications will be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in recruitment.
If invited for further assessment, this will consist of an interview and job simulation exercise.
Sifting will commence from 2 November 2026. Assessments are scheduled for w/c 16 November 2026 however this may be subject to change.
Recruitment Principles
As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.
About Us
At the SPPA, we are committed to The Fair Work Framework [https://fairworkconvention.scot/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 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-code/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.
Get help with your application
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We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/what-we-offer].
As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/nationality-requirements/].
You can also find out more about careers at the SPPA here - SPPA Careers | SPPA (pensions.gov.scot [https://pensions.gov.scot/about-us/sppa-careers])
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 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard], and read about the Government Vetting Charter [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vetting-explained-and-our-vetting-charter/the-vetting-charter], or about all the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/pre-employment-checks/]. Internal candidates may need to gain higher security clearance than they currently hold if successful in their application.
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.
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 [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/an-inclusive-organisation] and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments [https://www.jobs.gov.scot/requesting-adjustments-2] 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 [https://www.jobs.gov.scot]. Read our Candidate Guide [https://www.gov.scot/publications/recruitment-candidate-guide/pages/introduction/] for further information on our recruitment and application processes.
We will hold a reserve list for this post for 12 months.
Apply Before: 1 November 2026 (23:59) - This role is open to internal candidates, OGD and Common Citizenship organisations only
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