Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

PTO&L stands for Professional, Technical, Operational, and Learning job families. These job families group roles based on their functions, responsibilities, and required skills. Here’s what each letter represents:

• Professional (P): Roles providing professional and administrative support, such as policy development, project management, or student services.
• Technical (T): Roles offering technical or scientific support for teaching and research, often involving collaboration with external suppliers or customers.
• Operational (O): Roles maintaining the university’s facilities and services, such as security, catering, cleaning, and sports activities.
• Learning (L): Roles focused on delivering and supporting education, including teaching leadership, educational transformation, and innovation.

The PTO&L framework was introduced in 2004, based on market conditions at the time. Since then, job roles, responsibilities, and the labour market have evolved. This Review aims to:

• Ensure the framework aligns with current market conditions.
• Support career progression with clear job descriptions and pay structures.
• Help Imperial attract and retain top talent.

These updates also align with the ambitions outlined in Imperial’s Strategy and Enabling Roadmap.

In 2024, Imperial and the Joint Trade Unions (JTU) concluded pay negotiations for 2024/25. The final agreement included a commitment to reform the PTO&L grading and salary structure. This work will ensure Imperial’s pay framework remains competitive and fair for staff across these job families.

Initially, the goal was to complete the Working Group’s review before the 2025/26 pay negotiations. However, as the scope of work is significant and involves approximately half of Imperial’s workforce, this deadline will not be met. Instead, a carefully planned approach will be taken to ensure quality outcomes. A tentative timeline of the milestones the PTO&L Group will be working towards can be found on the main webpage.

The review process will include:

1. Conducting research and benchmarking against other sectors to identify best practices.
2. Developing proposals for updated frameworks, job descriptions, pay structures, and cost models.
3. Gathering feedback from a diverse Working Group representing staff across Imperial.

The aim is to complete this phase by mid-2026, after which negotiations with the JTU will begin.

This dedicated webpage has been created to share updates, milestones, and decisions throughout this Review. You can visit this page regularly to stay informed.

The reformed framework will:

• Define clearer career pathways.
• Outline expectations for skills and responsibilities at each job level.
• Align pay structures with market standards and internal governance.

While it’s too early to confirm the final pay structure, these changes aim to create a fair and transparent system for all staff.

The Hay method is a tool used to evaluate jobs and determine their appropriate grade. It considers factors such as:

• Knowledge and expertise required for the role.
• Problem-solving responsibilities.
• Decision-making authority.
• Accountability within established policies.

This methodology ensures consistency in job evaluation and fair placement within the pay structure.

The Learning job family is part of an ongoing review of Teaching, Research, and specialist Technology roles. This work supports the Academic Strategy and focuses on delivering world-leading teaching and research. For the PTO&L Review, only the pay approach for the Learning job family will be updated.