Payroll, Pensions and Expenses Officer

Ready to take the next step in your payroll career?

We're looking to recruit an experienced, detail-oriented Payroll, Pensions and Expenses Officer on a 12-month fixed term contract. If you're passionate about payroll and want to bring your expertise to a team that values you, then we'd love to hear from you.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has experience of delivering payroll and financial services with a good knowledge of HMRC and payroll legislation.
• Is numerate, organised and detail-oriented.
• Has great communication skills.

You'll be a vital and well-supported member of our team. Apply today and play a key role in delivering our payroll, pensions and expenses service at the NHSBSA.

What do we offer:

• 27 days leave (increasing with length of service) plus bank holidays.
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours).
• Hybrid working model (we are currently working largely remotely).
• Active wellbeing and inclusion networks.
• NHS Car lease scheme.
• Access to a wide range of benefits and high street discounts.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will assist in the provision of a complete payroll, expenses and pension administration service to all employees, by means of a computerised payroll and expenses system. This will involve complex calculations in ensuring that all staff members and customers are paid accurately and in accordance with both strict timescales and NHS rules and procedures.

Job responsibilities

In this role you're accountable for:

1. Responsible for a section of monthly payrolls as assigned by senior payroll staff. This involves planning and organising workload to ensure staff members are paid accurately and on time.
2. Maintain and update permanent and temporary records of payroll adjustments, making complex calculations as necessary for the purpose.
3. Ensure that each alteration is covered by an authority signed by a duly authorised officer.
4. Using expert knowledge of payroll practices and related legislation ensure the correct treatment of such matters as Income Tax, National Insurance and Pension deductions, Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay etc.
5. Comply with established procedures concerning the recording of staff absence.
6. Undertake established procedures in relation to advances and write-backs, and for amendment of errors.
7. Check and reconcile such work performed by other officers as deemed necessary by senior payroll staff.
8. Answer queries from staff in relation to payroll matters, which may be highly complex (e.g. tax queries) or relate to sensitive information.
9. Provide cover for the duties of other staff on the section in their absence.
10. Calculate pension entitlements via the Pensions On-line system and update pensions records on Pensions On-line.
11. Assist in the training and induction of new staff in the section.
12. Responsible for confidential information and for determining whether or not this information should be shared, escalating when necessary.
13. Compose and prepare complex reports using various systems/formats.
14. Undertake complex manual calculations of interim payments.
15. Provide information, both verbal and written, as requested from outside bodies, whilst complying with the Data Protection Act/GDPR.
16. Prepare starters and leavers documentation, e.g. payslips, P.45s, pensions information etc.
17. Calculate entitlements and payments in respect of maternity/paternity and adoption leave.
18. Translate the requirements of the pension and redundancy schemes and related statutory regulations, in order to provide specialist advice, in a simple and readily understood manner for management and staff at all levels in the NHS BSA and Hosted/Managed Services.
19. Maintain an understanding of NHS pay, conditions and local agreements, as they relate to payroll and pension scheme administration.
20. Maintain a working knowledge of the combined requirements of statutory regulations in relation to pay.
21. The calculation and monitoring of Temporary Injury Benefit payments under the NHS Injury Benefits Scheme, ensuring that all statutory requirements are met.
22. The calculation of widow/ers initial and limited pensions for payment, appropriate reclaim of expenditure from and reporting to the Pensions Division, following death in service cases.
23. Undertake the analysis of complex pay and pensions records and calculation of financial information for use in ongoing payment of pensions scheme benefits.
24. The review and validation of complex information received from employees and managers in respect of compliance with pension scheme regulations.
25. Deal with non-routine correspondence in relations to pension benefit, accidents, industrial injury and other general payroll correspondence, writing individual ad-hoc letters as necessary, ensuring the regulations are followed and the requirements of the Data Protection Act/GDPR are met.
26. Maintain an awareness of planned changes to pension and other regulations, interpreting changes in order to give management of NHSBSA and Hosted/Managed Services advice, and plan and organise work required to meet changes.
27. Respond to individual employee questions in relation to pensions and to provide responses to requests for forecasted benefits.
28. Co-ordinate payments due in respect of the redundancy or early retirement of staff in NHSBSA and Hosted/Managed Services.
29. Participate in payroll system and payroll/pension administration process developments and reviews.
30. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement by ensuring that procedures are maintained and adhered to. In addition, ensure that suggestions for improvement are submitted in accordance with the Division's quality management system.
31. Ensure that expense payments are made within agreed service levels.
32. Preparation of payment productions, remittances, cheques slips and provision of relevant payment information to managed service customers and cash management.
33. Run appropriate ledger reports, analyse data and take appropriate actions.
34. Ensure only correctly completed and fully authorised expense claims are paid and identify potential irregularities as appropriate.
35. Be aware of personal development requirements and actively seek development opportunities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE standard or equivalent in 5 subjects including English and maths.
• Holding/willing to study for a payroll or finance qualification.

Personal Qualities Knowledge and Skills

• Numerate with analytical skills with a high degree of attention to detail.
• Organised / Prioritising workload.
• Excellent communication skills with people at all levels (telephone, correspondence).
• Able to work on own initiative.
• Team player.
• Able to work under pressure and to deadlines.
• Flexible / able to work overtime if and when required.
• IT literate with accurate keyboard skills /use of Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Calculating payroll payments from gross to net.
• HMRC legislation / NHS Terms and Conditions of Service.
• Calculating pension and redundancy entitlement.
• Working to strict guidelines.
• Preparing and analysing data.
• Demonstrable experience of computerised payroll.
• Ability to think through implications of actions.
• Knowledge of McKessons payroll software.
• Knowledge of NHS terms and conditions of pay.
• Knowledge of NHS Pension Scheme regulations.
• Knowledge of Integra Finance software.

Experience

• Experience in a busy payroll/pension office.
• Working to strict guidelines, deadlines and prioritising workload.
• Handling customer calls and correspondence.
• Demonstrable experience of computerised payroll.
• Previous Civil Service payroll and pension experience.