We are recruiting for a Payroll Officer to join a high-profile public-sector organisation on an interim contract. This role is to provide operational support to deliver a professional HR service for Payroll and employee benefits. Acting as the first line support for Payroll queries and processing payrolls for a specific work area.

Key Details

• Location: Town Hall, Maidenhead, Berkshire (Hybrid)
• Contract: ASAP start – contract ends 02/02/2027
• Rate: £15.99 - £17.73 per hour (depending on experience)
• Hours: 35 hours per week, Monday - Friday
• Start Date: ASAP

About the Role

• Provide expert payroll advice and guidance to managers, employees, and external customers, ensuring compliance with current legislation, policies, and procedures.
• Deliver a high-quality, customer-focused payroll service, maintaining consistent standards across all interaction channels (telephone, email, face-to-face, and written correspondence).
• Investigate and resolve payroll queries and routine complaints at first point of contact, escalating complex or non-operational issues to Payroll Specialists where appropriate.
• Process and reconcile payroll activities accurately and within deadlines, including monthly payroll runs, payroll-to-finance reconciliation, LGPS reporting, and Teachers’ Pensions submissions.
• Ensure all payroll transactions and data entry are completed with a high degree of accuracy, maintaining robust audit trails and compliance with internal controls.
• Manage individual workload effectively, prioritising tasks to meet service deadlines, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and operational requirements.
• Collaborate with internal teams, service areas, and external partners to resolve payroll-related issues and ensure a seamless end-to-end service.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and data security standards, ensuring compliance with the Data Protection Act and organisational policies at all times.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance payroll processes, systems, and customer experience, and contributing to the development of new ways of working.
• Develop and maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll, HR processes, and systems, actively participating in training and applying learning to improve service delivery.

Experience:

• Experience of using iTrent HR and payroll system (Essential)
• Knowledge of LG terms and conditions of employment (Essential)
• Knowledge of Teachers terms and conditions of employment (Essential)
• Knowledge of Local Government and Teachers pension schemes regulations (Essential)

Skills, Abilities and Competencies

• Strong working knowledge of payroll processes, legislation, and operational procedures. (Essential)
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail when processing payroll data and reconciliations. (Essential)
• Ability to investigate and resolve payroll queries effectively, using sound judgement. (Essential)
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain payroll matters clearly. (Essential)
• Competent IT skills, including HR/Payroll systems (e.g. iTrent) and Microsoft Office applications. (Essential)
• Understanding of data protection and confidentiality requirements. (Essential)

Qualifications/Education/Training

• NVQ level 2, GCSE maths and English or equivalent by experience (Essential)
• National Payroll Certificate or CIPP Practitioner Certificate (Desirable)

If you are interested in this vacancy, APPLY NOW!