Appointment details

Senior Salaries Review Body Generalist and Reward Specialist Member (2 roles)

Summary

• Organisation: Senior Salaries Review Body
• Sponsor department: Cabinet Office
• Location: Various
• Sectors: Public Administration
• Skills: Human Resources, Transformation
• Number of vacancies: 2
• Time commitment: Adhoc
• Remuneration: £450 per day
• Length of term: 3 years (renewable)
• Application deadline: 4pm on 20 April 2026

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Timeline for this appointment

1. Opening date

   18 March 2026

2. Application deadline

   4pm on 20 April 2026

3. Sifting date

   1 May 2026

4. Interviews expected to end on

   22 May 2026

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in these vacancies for a Generalist Member and a Reward Specialist Member of the Senior Salaries Reward Body (SSRB). You may already have some idea about the important work of the SSRB; the following pages will tell you more about the SSRB, its purpose, the nature of the Board and this Generalist Member role and Reward Specialist role, as well as the application process. Please do also view the SSRB website to understand their work: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/review-body-on-senior-salaries

If, after reading the material, you have further questions about any aspect of the post you are considering, you are welcome to speak to Cabinet Office Partnerships and Appointments Team.  If you have questions about the appointment process, you can contact the Cabinet Office Partnerships and Appointments Team via copa.partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.

If you believe you have the experience and qualities we are seeking, we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Simon Claydon- Director of Civil Service Pay, Policy & Pensions 

Appointment description

This is both a challenging and exciting time to join the Senior Salaries Review Body. We are looking to appoint individuals with commitment and expertise to the Board.  

As a member of the SSRB, you will have the opportunity to work on a challenging agenda and gain unique insights into a cross-section of public service professions at senior levels. You will also have the chance to play a key role in the future direction of the SSRB helping to shape its thinking and recommendations. The SSRB has members from a range of backgrounds, who pool their collective expertise to inform discussions. 

Whilst the Board’s Chair has overall responsibility for the performance of the Board, all members of the Board have an important individual and collective role in working with the Chair, to evolve the strategic direction of the body, to ensure effective delivery of recommendations and report and to ensure that it fulfils the governance, financial management, and efficiency standards required of it as a public body.

We are looking for one Generalist Member who can contribute to leading work on one or more of the SSRB’s remit groups, and one Reward Specialist to lead work on remuneration and reward.

The role of SSRB members involves (with the support of a dedicated secretariat):

• Producing well-researched and evidence-based recommendations for all the remit groups• Producing a clear report setting out the SSRB’s reasoning for its recommendations• Undertaking additional projects of work as set out in the SSRB’s terms of reference • Preparing for and attending the meetings of SSRB throughout the year, which are usually in person in central London, or online• Taking part in a small number of visits to members of remit groups in their workplaces around the UK• Making an active contribution to discussions drawing upon your skills, expertise and subject knowledge with an emphasis on providing constructive challenge to complex proposals • Building and maintaining strong professional relationships with key stakeholders• Adhering to the seven principles of Public Life • Complying at all times with the ‘Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies’ and with the rules relating to the use of public funds and to conflicts of interest set out in Managing Public Money

Organisation description

The Review Body on Senior Salaries (SSRB) provides independent advice to the Prime Minister, the Lord Chancellor, the Secretary of State for Health and the Home Secretary on the pay of Senior Civil Servants, the judiciary, senior managers in the NHS in England and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) arm’s length bodies and chief police officers.

SSRB is an advisory non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Cabinet Office.

Board composition

● Lea Paterson CBE (Chair)

● Pippa Greenslade

● Ian McCafferty CBE

● Mark Polin OBE QPM

● The Hon Zoë Billingham CBE

● Mark Emerton

Person specification

Essential criteria

Core criteria

• Knowledge: a clear understanding of the work, priorities and challenges of the Senior Salaries Review Body and the context within which it operates.
• Experience: a strong track record of experience of executive level management, with a substantial track record of working with committees and boards of directors or equivalent.
• Relationship building: the ability to build strong stakeholder relationships, including with senior government officials and external stakeholders.
• Communication: strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to listen, accept challenges and constructively challenge others in discussions with clarity and respect.
• Judgement: effective decision-making skills with the ability to critically analyse a wide range of information and research to make clear and objective evidence-based recommendations.

Reward Specialist role

• Demonstrable experience within the HR/remuneration/reward fields and working knowledge of pay and reward systems

Desirable criteria

• Board-Level Senior Experience and Programme Delivery: Experience at board level in leading a large and complex organisation, with a proven track record of successfully delivering major programmes, including large-scale organisational transformation initiatives.

Application and selection process

About this appointment

Some public appointments are made by the Prime Minister, or the Crown on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Others are made by Secretaries of State or other ministers and are of interest to the Prime Minister.

Public appointments made by or of interest to the Prime Minister

How to apply

In order to apply you will need to create an account or sign in.

Once you are logged into your account, click on 'apply for this role' and follow the on-screen instructions. To apply, all candidates are required to provide:

• equality information
• information relating to any outside interests or reputational issues
• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• a supporting statement
• a short professional biography (150 words)

We will ask you to check and confirm your personal details to ensure your application is accurate.

You will also have the opportunity to make a reasonable adjustment request or apply under the disability confident scheme before you submit your application.

Overview of the application process

Public appointments are made on merit following a fair and open competition process which is conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. We will deal with your application as quickly as possible and will keep you informed at key stages. We aim to conclude the appointment process within three months of the deadline for applications – this is in accordance with the Governance Code.

The assessment process

1. Ministers are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.

2. An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Ministers to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.

3. At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates have best met the criteria, who should be recommended for interview. Ministers will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.

4. Once the shortlist has been agreed by Ministers, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.

5. The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The Panel may invite you to make a brief presentation at the start of the interview and will go on to question you about your skills and experience, including asking specific questions to assess whether you meet the criteria set out for the post. The Panel will also explore with you any potential conflicts of interest or any other issues arising from your personal and professional history which may impact on an appointment decision.

6. Details of the panel’s assessment of interviewed candidates are provided to Ministers, including whether they have judged a candidate to be appointable to the role. It is then for Ministers to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, Ministers may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.

7. Ministers may choose to meet with candidates before deciding the outcome. Candidates should therefore be prepared for a short time gap between interview and a final appointment decision being made. Candidates who have been interviewed will be kept informed of progress.

8. Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application, including whom they may approach for feedback. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms & Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Further information about appointments, including tips on applying, can be found on our guidance pages on gov.uk.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Chair: Simon Claydon, Director of Civil Service Pay, Policy & Pensions

ALB Representative: Lea Paterson- Chair of the SSRB

Independent Panel Member: Pavita Cooper 

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by ministers to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned.

AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with ministers, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to ministers which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the minister to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. 

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

• you are disqualified from acting as a company director  (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);

• have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;

• your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

• you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this. 

• you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points. 

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact copa.partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. However, where this applies, candidates will be notified during the appointment process. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve.

We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

When you submit your application, your responses are collected by the Cabinet Office and the government department(s) managing your application. The data is used to produce management information about the diversity of applicants. You can select “prefer not to say” to any question you do not wish to answer. The information you provide will not be seen by the Advisory Assessment Panel who review applications against the advertised criteria and conduct interviews.

Disability confident

Disability Confident is a voluntary scheme which replaced the Guaranteed Interview Scheme or Two Ticks Scheme that was widely used in Britain. Disability Confident supports the Government’s commitment to halve the employment gap between candidates who have disabilities and those who do not by encouraging employers to think about disability and to take positive action to improve how they attract, recruit and retain workers with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to ensuring that candidates with disabilities are provided with the adjustments that they require as part of the recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please contact the Cabinet Office Partnerships and Appointments Team to discuss your requirements.

We will also offer an interview to a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for the job - by minimum criteria you must be able to provide sufficient evidence to demonstrate relevant skills and experience for each of the selection criterion set out in the Person Specification section. This does not mean that all candidates who have a disability are entitled to an interview.

The aim of this commitment is to encourage positive action for candidates with disabilities, encouraging them to apply for positions in public life by offering them the assurance that, should they meet the minimum criteria as advertised for the position, they will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities at the interview stage. 

It is important to note that if we receive a higher volume of applications that far exceeds the number of those expected then we may need to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered. This will include the number of interviews offered to Disability Confident candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the role.

Reasonable adjustments

We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

• ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
• making adaptations to interview locations;
• allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
• giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
• allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
• making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully: 

• any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government; 
• any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made; 
• and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported; 

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies. 

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of Ministers.  Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. There is no automatic presumption of reappointment; each case should be considered on its own merits, taking into account a number of factors including, but not restricted to, the diversity of the current board and its balance of skills and experience. In most cases, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or ten years in any one post. 

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. 

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy.

Please contact the Cabinet Office Partnerships and Appointments team in the first instance if you would like to make a complaint regarding your application at copa.partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. They will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and respond within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

Attachments

• SSRB Generalist and Reward Specialist Candidate Pack

Contact details

Cabinet Office Partnerships and Appointments: copa.partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk