Payroll Project Specialist

Payroll Project Specialist Rate: £148.88 PAYE Contract Type:
Fixed Term up to 6 months (with potential extension)

Location:

Essex (Hybrid Working)

Start Date:

Mid-January 2026 Minerva Recruitment is recruiting on behalf of Essex County Council for two Payroll Project Specialists to support a key payroll transformation project on a fixed-term basis. This is an excellent opportunity for experienced payroll professionals who enjoy detailed, project-based work and have a strong understanding of statutory payroll, pensions, and systems testing.

The Role You will play a critical role in delivering enhancements to payroll processes, with a particular focus on absence and pension configurations, Teachers Pension MCR reporting, and LGPS reporting within the payroll system. The role requires a high level of accuracy, investigative capability, and confidence working with complex payroll data.

Key Responsibilities Review, update, and test payroll elements in collaboration with the software provider Carry out detailed testing of payroll entry and employee self-service functionality Configure and test statutory and occupational absence payments to ensure accuracy and HMRC compliance Support improvements to Teachers Pension reporting, including service, salary, and contribution data Assist with the transition to automated LGPS reporting by reviewing, configuring, and testing monthly processes Participate in User Acceptance Testing (UAT), providing clear, structured, and detailed feedback

What Were Looking For Extensive experience in payroll with strong attention to detail Proven ability to manually calculate PAYE and National Insurance Solid knowledge of UK payroll legislation, including statutory absence and payments Experience working with Local Government and/or Teachers Pensions (including assumed pensionable pay and deduction tiers) highly desirable Confidence working in UAT environments and supporting system enhancements Experience using Oracle Fusion payroll systems A proactive, analytical approach with strong problem-solving skills Why Apply?

Competitive daily rates Hybrid working arrangement Opportunity to work on a high-impact payroll improvement project Potential contract extension

To apply or for further information, please contact Minerva Recruitment . We welcome applications from experienced payroll professionals seeking a challenging and rewarding project role.