Payroll Officer - 6 month contract£34,500-£39000East London or Thurrock - hybridJoin a growing Multi-Academy Trust and help shape a modern, efficient payroll service across 6 schools. We're working on behalf of a well-established education leader who is looking for an organised, solutions-driven Interim Payroll Officer, ready to hit the ground running. You'll play a key role in delivering a smooth, accurate, and reliable payroll experience for all staff-while supporting exciting projects such as the implementation of a new payroll system and the harmonisation of processes across the Federation.
What You'll Do* Prepare, organise, and process monthly payroll accurately and on time.* Work closely with HR to ensure contractual sick pay, maternity pay, and shared parental pay are calculated and processed correctly.* Process deductions including court orders and staff benefit schemes.* Set up new starters, calculate salaries for mid-year joiners, and ensure leavers are processed accurately, including final pay and outstanding balances.* Produce and process statutory documents including P45s, P46s, and P60s.* Liaise with our third-party payroll provider to ensure accurate TPS and LGPS contributions, reporting, and tax deductions.* Manage monthly pension returns, upload data to portals, process opt-outs and joiners, and rectify errors.* Co-ordinate and submit TPS and LGPS end-of-year returns and audits.* Submit all HMRC returns within deadlines.* Monitor the payroll inbox and respond promptly to staff queries.* Provide payroll data and management information to the Finance team.* Support the implementation of a new payroll system and ongoing improvements to payroll and HR processes.
What You'll Bring* Experience managing a payroll function (school experience helpful but not essential).* Strong technical capability and confidence using new and existing systems.* Advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel (pivot tables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, etc.).* Clear communication skills-able to explain payroll calculations to non-experts.* Excellent organisation, time management, and the ability to prioritise effectively.* A collaborative mindset and a commitment to delivering first-class service.Salary is dependent on experience.
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