OR122126 – Payroll Officer (SO2) – Financial

Carrington Blake Recruitment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Carrington Blake Recruitment is seeking a Payroll Administrator to support payroll for council and school employees in Greater London. The role involves processing monthly payroll, handling starts/leavers, sick pay, pensions and statutory payments, and solving complex payroll queries while ensuring accuracy and timely delivery.

You will liaise with HR, Finance, HMRC and external bodies, maintain records, produce reports and ensure compliance with PAYE regulations and pension contributions.

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll administration.
• Knowledge of PAYE, HMRC regulations, National Insurance and pension contributions.
• Experience using payroll IT systems, Excel and Word. Oracle payroll experience is desirable.
• Ability to handle payroll queries and build relationships with stakeholders.
• Strong numerical skills and accuracy in payroll data.
• Ability to manage deadlines and high volumes of queries.

Responsibilities

• Processing monthly payroll, including starters, leavers, salary changes and manual payments.
• Calculating statutory and contractual sick pay, maternity pay, increments, pay awards and deductions.
• Processing PAYE, National Insurance, pensions and tax-related payments.
• Handling payroll queries from employees, schools, managers and external organisations.
• Resolving complex payroll enquiries and responding to service desk requests within deadlines.
• Checking payroll data for accuracy and identifying errors or potential overpayments.
• Processing pension contributions, auto-enrolment and relevant pension administration.
• Preparing payslips, P45s, P60s and statutory payroll documentation.
• Liaising with HR, Finance, HMRC, pension providers and external bodies.
• Maintaining accurate payroll records and producing reports for management and auditors.

Skills

Payroll Administration

HMRC Legislation

Payroll Systems

Customer Service

Payroll Calculations

Time Management

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Oracle payroll

Job description

Work pattern: Approximately two / three days per week in the office. PAYE Pay Rate: £23.51 per hour

Job Purpose

To support the delivery of an accurate and efficient payroll service, ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time in line with HMRC legislation, employment regulations and Council policies. You will administer payroll for council and school employees, handle payroll queries and provide specialist advice to employees, managers and external organisations.

Typical Day-to-Day Duties

• Processing monthly payroll, including starters, leavers, salary changes and manual payments.
• Calculating statutory and contractual sick pay, maternity pay, increments, pay awards and deductions.
• Processing PAYE, National Insurance, pensions and tax-related payments.
• Handling payroll queries from employees, schools, managers and external organisations.
• Resolving complex payroll enquiries and responding to service desk requests within deadlines.
• Checking payroll data for accuracy and identifying errors or potential overpayments.
• Processing pension contributions, auto-enrolment and relevant pension administration.
• Preparing payslips, P45s, P60s and statutory payroll documentation.
• Liaising with HR, Finance, HMRC, pension providers and external bodies.
• Maintaining accurate payroll records and producing reports for management and auditors.

Key Skills and Experience

1. Payroll Administration – Experience processing payroll, starters, leavers, salary adjustments and statutory payments.
2. HMRC and Payroll Legislation – Knowledge of PAYE, Income Tax, National Insurance, pensions and statutory payments.
3. Payroll Systems and IT – Experience using payroll systems, Microsoft Excel and Word. Oracle payroll experience is desirable.
4. Customer Service and Query Resolution – Ability to handle complex payroll enquiries and build relationships with employees and stakeholders.
5. Payroll Calculations and Accuracy – Strong numerical skills, checking payroll data and identifying discrepancies.
6. Time Management – Ability to manage competing deadlines and maintain payroll accuracy under pressure.

Essential Requirements

• Previous experience working within a payroll administration or payroll officer role.
• Knowledge of PAYE, HMRC regulations, National Insurance and pension contributions.
• Experience processing payroll calculations and statutory payments.
• Experience using payroll IT systems, ideally within a local authority or public-sector environment.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel and Word.
• Excellent communication, customer service and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage high volumes of payroll queries and meet strict deadlines.
• Relevant payroll qualifications or significant practical payroll experience.