Payroll Specialist - Working for Essex

About the role

Payroll Specialist

Permanent, Part Time, 35 Hours Per Week

£31,944 to £37,582 Per Annum Full Time Equivalent

Location: Chelmsford

Closing Date: 3rd February 2025

Please note this role is part time, 35 hours per week with a pro-rata salary of £30,217 to £35,550 per annum. This role requires office attendance 2-3 days per month.

The Role

The Payroll service sits within the People & Transformation function, to influence both the customer and employee experience in a key area of employee engagement. Providing a comprehensive service, investing in new technology to better support our users and enable an empowered self-service and support function.

The Payroll Specialist will contribute to the on-going development and delivery of the Payroll service operating model. Providing specialist advice and guidance in respect of all statutory requirements, across the Council and externally.

The role operates under tight financial constraints, ensuring excellence of service across the department by contributing to change management and ensuring the function is configured for continuous improvement.

To read more about our business area, please visit: People and Transformation

The Opportunity

A payroll specialist role in local government has several unique aspects due to the variety of contract types and roles. An understanding of specific regulations and policies is essential, particularly in relation to pension responsibilities and external legislative reporting. This role will support the payroll team with complex queries and assist senior managers with investigations and complaint resolution. Additionally, you will manage the mandatory reporting requirements to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

You will have experience supporting and managing more junior colleagues, as this role will have managerial responsibilities from the outset. Proven experience as a payroll supervisor or in a similar role is required.

This opportunity is suited to an experienced payroller with a clear understanding of payroll laws, confident in handling the entire payroll process, including payroll administrative duties, statutory leave and pay, query resolution, payroll year-end, benefits in kind, and testing. Certified payroll qualifications are desirable,

Payroll regulations in the UK change frequently, so you are required to proactively stay up to date on any changes, as well as any contractual or employment amendments that affect ECC’s employees.

As a payroll specialist, you will provide support for the ongoing development of the payroll system to ensure statutory compliance and contribute to service improvements.

Accountabilities

Supports the delivery of the Payroll service, providing advice and liaising with HMRC on tax matters, pension bodies and major statutory changes, taking account of compliance and risk.
Maintains an up to date knowledge of future statutory and legislative changes that will impact the service delivery to incorporate into local policies and procedures.
Responsible for promoting innovative approaches and delivering change in Payroll processes, to meet the business and organisational needs of customers.
Line management responsibilities and educating and support staff at all levels to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the payroll control environment, enabling accurate payroll data and compliance with statutory obligations including Pensions.
Responsible for delivering statutory changes, including requirements for system changes and delivery of developments.
Responsible for overseeing and delivery of projects and some annual or regular events such as monthly pension reports. In addition act as an escalation point for complex queries or complaints.
Responsible for meeting customer service standards to enable consistent adherence to both designed outcomes and agreed service levels, ensuring compliance with all external and internal regulation.
Deliver specialist technical Payroll advice and guidance across the Council to ensure compliance with legislation, policies and procedures.
Contribute to internal and external audits to monitor compliance with all ECC Payroll policies to enable the effective delivery of ECC’s goals and first-class service.
Contribute to system and business requirement documents to enable efficient and effective solutions to be built as part of the Payroll function.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Evidence of continuing professional development and good knowledge in relevant professional area, with membership or working towards CIPP or demonstrable equivalent ability.
Significant experience in HMRC compliance and good working knowledge of Local Government Pension Scheme and Teachers Pension Scheme.
Good working knowledge of the complex, interdependent and wide-ranging business requirements of delivering a quality, best in class, Payroll Service.
Knowledge and understanding of complex pay and condition queries, including pensions, HMRC and other statutory requirements.
Proven experience in supporting innovative approaches to improving service delivery and value for money.
Ability to challenge, confidently advising across an organisation, based on professional knowledge.
Good experience of managing payroll systems including requirements gathering, development and testing

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process.

We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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