HR & Payroll Officer

James Andrews Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Farnham; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Teachers’ pensions/local gov

Up to 30 days AL

Professional development sponsorship

Job summary

James Andrews Recruitment Solutions Ltd is partnering with a leading Multi Academy Trust based in Surrey to recruit a HR & Payroll Officer to join their central team on a permanent basis. This is a full-time role supporting 11 schools and 700+ employees.

Salary £31,000 to £34,500 (experience dependant) with a 3.3% uplift from September 2026. Start date ASAP. CIPD Level 3 training funded; 36 hours/week, 9:00-5:00 with some flexibility.

Qualifications

• CIPD Level 3 qualification (training to commence on appointment; cost covered).
• Experience in HR, payroll or people administration roles.
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and employee record management.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate full recruitment lifecycle from vacancy admin to onboarding and pre-employment checks.
• Administer employment contracts and maintain employee records accurately.
• Liaise with payroll providers to resolve queries and ensure service delivery.
• Prepare, check and reconcile monthly payroll data for accuracy and compliance.
• Support employee relations activities across absence, disciplinary, grievance and capability matters.
• Maintain HR systems and generate accurate reports for Trust-wide decision making.

Skills

Microsoft Office

HR/payroll systems

Communication

Stakeholder management

Organisational skills

Education

CIPD Level 3

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

HR/payroll systems

Job description

We are currently partnering with a leading Multi Academy Trust based in Surrey, who are recruiting for a HR & Payroll Officer to join their central team on a permanent basis.

Our client is a high-performing and growing educational Trust, supporting 11 schools and over 700 employees across primary and secondary education. This is an exciting opportunity for an HR professional to support the delivery of high-quality HR and payroll service across the Trust.

This is a full-time, all-year-round position with a salary of £31,000 to £34,500 (subject to experience), with a 3.3% salary increase applying from September 2026. The start date is as soon as possible.

Duties will include (but are not limited to):

• Coordinating the full recruitment lifecycle, from vacancy administration through onboarding and pre-employment screening
• Administering employment contracts, contractual amendments and accurate maintenance of employee documentation
• Liaising with external payroll and pension providers, including EPM, to resolve queries and ensure effective service delivery
• Preparing, checking and reconciling monthly payroll data to maintain accuracy and compliance
• Supporting employee relations activity across absence, disciplinary, grievance and capability matters
• Maintaining HR systems, workforce records and compliance documentation, while producing accurate reports to inform Trust-wide decision-making

Experience required:

• CIPD Level 3 qualification – non-essential but must begin CIPD training upon appointment (the cost of which will be covered for you)
• Experience working within an HR, payroll or people administration role
• Experience supporting recruitment, onboarding and employee record management

Skills, knowledge and expertise required:

• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence using Microsoft Office and HR/payroll systems
• Ability to prioritise a busy workload and meet deadlines
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Rewards and Benefits:

• Teachers’ pensions/local gov
• Up to 30 days AL
• Professional development sponsorship opportunities

Working hours:

• Full time, 36 hours per week. 9:00-5:00 with some flexibility
• Permanent

Please note that you require recent experience to apply for this role