OR– Payroll Officer – Financial

Work pattern: Approximately two / three days per week in the office.
PAYE Pay Rate: £23.51 per hour

To support the delivery of an accurate and efficient payroll service, ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time in line with HMRC legislation, employment regulations and Council policies. You will administer payroll for council and school employees, handle payroll queries and provide specialist advice to employees, managers and external organisations.

• Processing monthly payroll, including starters, leavers, salary changes and manual payments.
• Calculating statutory and contractual sick pay, maternity pay, increments, pay awards and deductions.
• Processing PAYE, National Insurance, pensions and tax-related payments.
• Handling payroll queries from employees, schools, managers and external organisations.
• Resolving complex payroll enquiries and responding to service desk requests within deadlines.
• Checking payroll data for accuracy and identifying errors or potential over payments.
• Processing pension contributions, auto-enrolment and relevant pension administration.
• Preparing payslips, P45s, P60s and statutory payroll documentation.
• Liaising with HR, Finance, HMRC, pension providers and external bodies.
• Maintaining accurate payroll records and producing reports for management and auditors.

• Previous experience working within a payroll administration or payroll officer role.
• Knowledge of PAYE, HMRC regulations, National Insurance and pension contributions.
• Experience processing payroll calculations and statutory payments.
• Experience using payroll IT systems, ideally within a local authority or public-sector environment.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and Word.
• Excellent communication, customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage high volumes of payroll queries and meet strict deadlines.
• Relevant payroll qualifications or significant practical payroll experience.