SOUTH YORKSHIRE PENSIONS AUTHORITY - DIRECTOR
£131,132 - £135,146 plus benefits, relocation support and 25/26 pay award pending
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in becoming South Yorkshire Pensions Authority’s next Director.
We are proud of the track record that South Yorkshire Pensions Authority (SYPA) has built up over a long period. As we progress, we are seeking to build on this, whilst preserving the long-term stability of our pension fund. That is where you come in……
We are looking forward to recruiting a new Director who will further develop our thinking and help us realise our ambitions.
You will have big shoes to fill as your predecessor who is retiring at the end of December has seen the Authority through the introduction of pooling and comprehensively modernised all aspects of the operation since he joined us in 2018, including moving into our own office.
Like all Local Government Pension funds, we have a big agenda over the next few years. This includes:
- Completion of the pooling process in line with the Government’s requirements working with our partners within the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership.
- Driving our Net Zero ambitions in a way which delivers real world impact.
- Taking forward the delivery of our Place Based Impact strategy with its focus on South Yorkshire.
- Ensuring that we properly implement the McCloud remedy and other forthcoming changes to the scheme in line with the required timescales.
- Driving improvements in the quality of the administration service to ensure that our scheme members receive the best possible service.
This is a pivotal role leading the Authority’s operations and working with elected members to set the overall strategic direction for what is a unique organisation within the Local Government Pension Scheme. We are incredibly proud of our team who rise to every challenge they have been presented with. You will also be working with extremely talented and supportive independent advisers who provide a priceless source of knowledge and advice and an incredibly supportive Pensions Authority who have clear views on the quality of service they want to provide to scheme members and employers and have been prepared where necessary to back this commitment with investment in strengthening the organisation.
We are looking for a strategic leader with experience in setting, directing and implementing successful strategy to lead the organisation. Our people are crucial to our success, and it goes without saying that you must have good people management skills and be able to work with a variety of stakeholders, tailoring your communication style to different audiences so that the information can be fully understood. Building good working relationships both within and beyond the organisation, particularly with our Border to Coast partners is crucial for this role. You will also need to lead and inspire your Senior Management Team to take the organisation to the next level.
The strength of our organisation has in recent years been recognised with various awards:
- LAPF Investment Awards – Investment Innovation Award 2024
- LAPF Investment Awards – LGPS Promotional Initiative Award 2024 Highly Commended
- Pensions for Purpose – Place Based Impact Investment 2023
- LAPF Investment Awards - LGPS Fund of the Year (Assets over £2.5bn) 2022
- Pensions for Purpose – Impact Investing Adopters Award 2021
It really is an exciting time to be joining us as we look to build on the strong foundation, we have built over the last few years and adapt ourselves to the new world that will emerge following the implementation of the Pensions Review.
Our Barnsley office provides a state-of-the-art working environment, we have free on-site parking and are located within 10 minutes’ walk of both the train and bus stations, which makes us easily accessible. At SYPA we are big on your professional development, you’ll have a learning and development plan, and we’ll support you to keep your CPD updated. Perhaps most importantly you will be welcomed by talented teams.
If you are interested in joining our team and are inspired to contribute to the next phase of our journey, we look forward to your application. In the meantime, following an initial conversation with our recruitment partners at The Resourcing Solution our current Director, George Graham would be delighted to discuss this opportunity with those who might wish to learn a little more.
Take a look at our LinkedIn page to find out more about us and see what we’ve been up to recently!
Cllr Donna Sutton - Incoming Chair of SYPA 2025/26
WELCOME LETTER FROM GEORGE GRAHAM, DIRECTOR
Welcome from George Graham, current Director of the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority (SYPA).
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in becoming SYPA’s next Director. After more than 7 years in the role myself, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here and am very proud to be leaving the organisation in such a stable position with a bright future ahead.
SYPA is a special organisation – it is both a local authority and a pension fund and is unique within the Local Government Pension Scheme as the only democratically accountable single purpose pension organisation in the UK. As a local government body, we have a public sector ethos and place a great deal of importance on our organisational Values and Behaviours – which are all about being honest and accountable, professional, progressive, and empowering. We pride ourselves on not only being a team who can roll our sleeves up and get things done, but by doing so within a truly supportive and collegiate culture which I believe makes SYPA a fantastic place to work.
The service SYPA provides to more than 180,000 scheme members is important, as is the service it provides to the nearly 600 employers – managing a total fund of £11 billion. I am proud of the track record that SYPA has achieved over a long period going from strength to strength and it is rewarding to see their efforts recognised by having won a number of accolades and awards – to find out more please see here.
These awards are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovative spirit of the team who are completely committed to doing the best for the scheme members. Whether that be in dealing with one of the nearly 50,000 phone calls they receive each year, or in identifying the right places to invest the pension savings of the scheme members, I know that their diligence is constant. While the team faces challenges like everywhere else, the levels of customer satisfaction reported in our rolling survey show satisfaction levels of well over 80%, which fairly reflects their hard work and means that there is a very strong foundation in place. But the team is not complacent – there are plans for improvement and of course this is where the role of the new Director will be so important.
Like all Local Government Pension funds, SYPA has a big agenda over the next few years, including implementing the McCloud remedy, the Pensions Dashboard, and the need to make significant improvements to the way in which technology is used. At the same time, it will be important to maintain a business-as-usual approach to keep activity on track. While the future agenda might be testing, SYPA has an incredibly supportive Pensions Authority who have consistently been prepared to invest in developing the organisation and I am will sure continue to do so.
Finally, I have already mentioned the SYPA Values and Behaviours, so it is important to point out that the organisation prides itself on being an employer of choice, offering a range of training and development opportunities and career progression, and positively encourages work-life balance to ensure productive, flexible working. Perhaps most importantly of all, you will be welcomed by a talented workforce who rise to every challenge put in front of them.
If you are an outward looking strategic leader with the skills to lead with vision and diplomacy and feel inspired to contribute to the next phase of the SYPA journey, then following an initial conversation with our recruitment partners at The Resourcing Solution I would be delighted to discuss this opportunity with those who might wish to learn a little more.
George Graham, Director of the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority
ABOUT THE ROLE
Job title: Director
Location: Barnsley / Hybrid
Contract: Full-time / Permanent
Salary: £131,132 - £135,146 plus benefits, relocation support and 25/26 pay award pending
The Director is the Authority’s Head of Paid Service for the purpose of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and fulfils the role of Clerk under the terms of the Local Government Act 1985.
The role is responsible for the development and setting of strategy working closely with elected members, senior management colleagues, independent advisers and external partners, providing leadership and direction to the wider management team and the whole organisation and acting as the face and voice of the organisation in key partnerships, and on occasion to the wider local government sector and/or pension industry. Responsible for the setting of priorities and allocating resources between projects and programmes of activity - time horizon is several years ahead, requiring the need to maintain an awareness of the external environment and its impact on the organisation to ensure that forward planning addresses the right issues.
The Director leads the Senior Management Team and coordinates its activities and is responsible for the direct line management of three Assistant Directors including appraisal, performance review and personal development in line with the Authority’s policies.
Find out more and see our ‘meet the team’ videos on our website at: Work For Us
In particular the role will provide:
- Leadership and direction to all the Authority’s functions
- Strategic advice to the Authority as its principal policy adviser
- The “tone from the top” reflecting the culture and values of the organisation
- Coordination of the activities of the Authority’s various functions
- Input on behalf of the Authority to develop the strategic direction of the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership
- Impetus to the delivery of the Corporate Strategy and continuous improvement in the quality of the Authority’s services
The role will be accountable for:
- Delivery of the Corporate Strategy
- The performance of the organisation
- The maintenance of the control environment in line with the expectations set out in the Pensions Regulator’s General Code
- The compliance of the organisation with the both the Local Government Pension Scheme regulations and the Pensions Regulator’s General Code
In carrying out this role the Director will demonstrate the following values:
Honest and accountable: Telling it like it is and taking responsibility for our actions even when we have made a mistake.
Professional: Being highly skilled and competent and managerially applying rationality to decision making processes.
Progressive: Welcoming of change, while taking sensible risks and learning from our mistakes and from others.
Empowering: Providing the freedom for individuals to identify and implement solutions to problems.
Political Restrictions
This post is politically restricted and further details of the implications of this can be provided on request.
For more information on the role please see the Job Description here.
Annual Leave
The annual leave entitlement for this role is set at 36 days.
The Authority directs its staff to use part of this leave entitlement to facilitate a closure of the offices over the Christmas period.
In addition to the above are the 8 usual statutory public holidays.
Carry forward of up to 5 days unused leave is allowed in any year.
Flexible Working
The Authority’s normal working week is 35 hours (7 hours per day) with effect from 1st April 2024.
The Authority operates a scheme of flexible working which allows staff to mix working from home with attendance in the office. For full time members of staff, the policy requires office attendance on a minimum of two days per week. Senior Managers are expected to be flexible in their attendance in the office to facilitate the effective functioning of the organisation.
Ability to access this policy is subject to having a suitable workspace at home which will be remotely assessed from a health and safety point of view. The Authority provides equipment such as lap top stands and additional screens to ensure that working at home is as easy as working in the office.
Certain key meetings are required to be in person such as appraisals and the regular Senior Management and Leadership Team meetings, as well as all formal meetings of the Authority.
This postholder will be expected to manage their time to achieve an appropriate work life balance and facilitate the achievement of the organisation’s objectives.
Pension
All staff are automatically enrolled in the Local Government Pension Scheme, for which employee contribution rates are graded according to salary. More details can be found on our website here.
Travel and Subsistence
The postholder will be reimbursed for reasonable travel and subsistence costs in line with the Authority’s policies which promote travel by public transport wherever possible, and limit reimbursement of car mileage to the relevant HRMC rate.
Relocation
A relocation package of up to £8,000 is available and details will be provided to the successful candidate.
Professional Subscriptions
The Authority will pay one relevant professional subscription for the postholder; however, it should be noted that this does count as a taxable benefit.
Learning and Development
The Authority provides all staff with access to LinkedIn Learning which gives access to a wide range of content to support individual learning and development. In addition, the Authority supports a wide range of professional qualification training and attendance at relevant courses and conferences to support continuing professional development.
Staff Discounts
All staff have access to the Wider Wallet scheme which gives access to discounts at a range of local shops and leisure venues.
Salary Sacrifice Schemes
All staff have access to salary sacrifice schemes covering:
- Additional Voluntary Contributions
- Cycle to Work
- Cars (with CO2 emissions of 75g/km or less).
Further details will be provided to the successful candidate on request
ABOUT THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE PENSIONS AUTHORITY
We are a growing public sector organisation with a team of around 130 staff who run the workplace pension scheme, managing a Fund of more than £11 billion on behalf of nearly 600 employing organisations, including Local Authorities and other public / not-for-profit sector bodies.
South Yorkshire Pensions Authority is responsible for administering the Local Government Pension Scheme in South Yorkshire. The Authority was created in 1988 as part of the arrangements put in place following the abolition of South Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council. The Authority itself is made up of 12 Councillors drawn from the 4 districts in the County.
The Pensions Authority's workforce is headed by the Director and is organised around three streams of activity, each led by an Assistant Director, reflecting the focus of its work in relation to:
- Scheme members
- Investment of the Pension Fund's assets, and
- The running of the organisation
The diagram below shows the management structure of the Authority.
More detail about the structure of the organisation is available on our website.
2024/25 has been another busy year for the Authority with a number of key events:
- Ongoing implementation of a revised investment strategy including changes designed to enable us to accelerate the rate of progress towards our investment portfolios becoming Net Zero.
- The continued growth of our Place Based Impact Investment portfolio focussed on investment in South Yorkshire.
- Improving the quality of our communication with scheme members using more modern approaches through social media and also more traditional means such as our regular newsletters.
- The appointment of our new Custodian Northern Trust Asset Servicing, providing us with an opportunity to enhance the security of the £11bn assets we hold in the Fund, whilst improving the efficiency and effectiveness of how we manage our assets.
- Our new external auditors KPMG were on-boarded during the 2023/24 accounts closedown process; the accounts were published with an unqualified audit opinion on 22/11/2024.
Alongside all these important developments we are also paying attention to the corporate infrastructure with an emphasis on delivering a range of improvements to our governance and ensuring we have the resources and tools needed to deliver on the corporate strategy.
Corporate Objectives
SYPA operates to deliver a number of corporate objectives the achievement of which will allow us to deliver on our mission which is:
"To deliver a sustainable and cost-effective pension scheme for members and employers in South Yorkshire delivering high levels of customer service and strong investment returns which facilitate stable contributions"
Making sure we deliver against the objectives below will allow us to achieve this:
How we achieve our objectives is as important to us as what we achieve, and we operate with a framework of values and behaviours which signify the type of organisation we want to be:
Values |
Behaviours |
| Honest and Accountable | Telling it like it is, and taking responsibility for our actions even when we have made a mistake |
| Progressive | Welcoming of change while taking sensible risks and learning from our mistakes and from others |
| Professional | Being highly skilled and competent and managerially applying rationally |
| Empowering | Providing the freedom for individuals to identify and implement solutions to problems |
In addition, if we are to live those values then our managers must demonstrate specific management behaviours as shown below:
Management Behaviours |
Demonstrated by: |
| We model positive behaviours to each other and to all staff |
|
| We take responsibility for improvement - within a clear framework |
|
| We all get behind a common goal |
|
| We involve and engage people in decisions that will affect them |
|
ABOUT BARNSLEY SOUTH YORKSHIRE
South Yorkshire is full of pleasant surprises. Once an industrial heartland, the region has been transformed into a 21st Century playground with a passion for music, sport, and culture.
So, alongside some of the UK’s best shopping, family attractions and nightlife, you’ll find some of UK’s finest Gothic architecture, museums, and Victorian monuments. As with all of Yorkshire, you’re only ever a stone’s throw from magnificent scenery, making it a great place to live.
Throughout Yorkshire, tourism generates more than £9 billion per annum supporting 225,000 jobs.
Barnsley is a large market town within South Yorkshire, originally mentioned in the Domesday Book, Barnsley’s historic roots are easily spotted with castles and heritage centres cataloguing the South Yorkshire town’s place in history.
Surrounded by ancient villages and historic parkland, Barnsley has grown into a lively shopping and social hub with a range of independent shops a new museum based in the iconic town hall, and of course the famous markets now in their new home in the Glassworks development which is transforming the town centre.
The area is surrounded by ancient villages, historic parkland and borders the Peak District National Park which is ideal for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle.
The town’s museums, theatres, ruins, and stately homes allow the chance to learn more about the town and enjoy some of its cultural offering too.
In addition to this, the town has a rich industrial heritage of coalmining and glassmaking; with its local culture remaining rooted here.
KEY DOCUMENTS
CONTACT US AND APPLY NOW
Contact us:
For an informal confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contact: Leanne Auton by emailing Leanne.Auton@northyorks.gov.uk or calling 07815 028 548 or Penny Keatings Penny.Keatings@northyorks.gov.uk or by calling 07811 411 462 – our recruitment partners from The Resourcing Solution.
Key dates:
Closing date: Midnight Tuesday 1 July
Longlisting: Friday 4 July
Stage one – Longlist Technical Interview: Monday 14 July – virtually via MS Teams
Please note, candidates shortlisted from the Technical Interview will be invited to complete an Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) & an Executive Scenarios assessment.
Final stages:
Stakeholder Assessment: Wednesday 23 July (in-person, Oakwell House, Barnsley)
Appointments and Appeals Committee: Thursday 24 July (in-person, Oakwell House, Barnsley)
Apply:
To apply please provide us with your CV including a supporting statement in one Microsoft Word document. Your supporting statement should outline your motivation for applying and how you meet the criteria for the role.
Applications should be emailed to Executive.ResourcingSolutions@northyorks.gov.uk. Please do not send PDFs.
It is important that your CV includes: your full contact details (telephone, email, address), full employment history (name of employer, job titles, dates of employment and salary), full education history (qualification, grade, dates and place of study), explanation of any gaps in employment and the contact details of at least two referees including your current / most recent employer indicating whether you consent to us contacting each referee prior to interview. Please also provide details of your current salary and notice period.
South Yorkshire Pensions Authority is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff. We welcome applications from individuals regardless of age, any disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion, or belief.
We will not accept applications from agencies.
Your Privacy: South Yorkshire Pensions Authority is committed to protecting your privacy when you use our services. Please refer to the Privacy Statement which explains how we use information about you and how we protect your privacy.