Payroll Technical Officer

Our client is looking for a Payroll Technical Officer who will play a key role in supporting the Payroll Manager and ensure the delivery of high-quality, compliant, and efficient payroll services. This role sits within the Technical Hub of the Payroll Service, which supports internal and external clients. The position involves a range of responsibilities, from system administration and reporting to process improvement and user testing, all aimed at ensuring the smooth operation of the payroll system.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Payroll Delivery:

• Assist the Payroll Manager in delivering payroll services to ensure full compliance with legislative and statutory requirements
• Ensure payroll services meet continuously improving service standards, effectively managing a monthly payroll of 15,000 employees

• Data Management and Compliance:
  • Maintain data integrity within SAP and supporting systems, ensuring adherence to GDPR legislation and perform regular checks to ensure payroll data consistency and accuracy across all systems

• Process Improvement and Support:
  • Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives in payroll processes to enhance service delivery
  • Actively participate in process improvement discussions, providing feedback and recommendations to increase efficiency
• User Acceptance Testing:
  • Conduct extensive user acceptance testing of payroll systems after software upgrades and legislative updates
  • Work with the systems development team to request and test configuration changes, translating contractual policies into technical specifications
• Payroll Reporting:
  • Perform monthly and annual payroll-related reporting, reconciliation, and payment generation, including payslips, P45s, P60s, P11ds, BACS files, finance postings, RTI, auto-enrolment, and pension scheme service returns and ensure compliance with deadlines for internal and external parties

• Team Support and Deputisation:
  • Provide support to the admin team and handle day-to-day queries when required.
  • Deputise for the Payroll Manager in their absence, ensuring continued operation of payroll services.

• Government Gateway Reconciliation:
  • Regularly reconcile the Government Gateway Dashboard to mitigate risks that could result in financial penalties or reputational damage to the employer

• Knowledge and Expertise Maintenance:
  • Keep up to date with the latest payroll statutory legislation, best practices, and system updates to provide expert support and advice to colleagues and customers
  • Maintain a comprehensive understanding of the payroll function to provide guidance across various departments

• Onboarding:
  • Manage the end-to-end onboarding of new payroll business into the council’s payroll system, ensuring a seamless transition and service delivery

• Procedure and Guidance Documentation:
  • Create and maintain clear, up-to-date departmental procedures, guidance notes, and relevant websites to support ongoing payroll operations

Essential Qualifications and Skills:

• 5 QCF Level 2 qualifications, including Maths and English Language
• Willingness to work towards or hold a CIPP qualification (or equivalent payroll qualification)
• Demonstrable experience in payroll administration, ideally within a large and complex organisation
• Experience with SAP or similar payroll systems
• Strong knowledge of payroll statutory legislation and regulations
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (including use of Macros/VBA)
• Excellent communication and report writing skills, with the ability to explain complex data in an understandable manner
• Ability to prioritise and organise tasks effectively to meet deadlines
• Attention to detail and a commitment to high standards of accuracy in all tasks
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to devise and implement practical solutions
• A team player with a positive, cooperative approach to working with others
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Desirable Qualifications and Skills:

• Negotiation skills.
• Recognised accountancy or payroll qualification (e.g., Accounting Technician, CIPP Certificate)
• Up-to-date knowledge of national and local financial and legislative changes affecting payroll
• Experience in delivering presentations and training to colleagues and clients
• Previous involvement in projects and change initiatives within payroll services

Additional Information:

• The role may involve occasional travel to different locations across the county as required
• The Payroll Technical Officer will be expected to always maintain confidentiality and integrity of payroll data
• Flexibility is required in terms of working hours during peak payroll processing periods

How to Apply:

Interested applicants should submit their CV, along with a cover letter detailing their qualifications, skills, and experience relevant to the role.