Payroll Advisor

Sirius-Search; Canterbury; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

Sirius Search is seeking an Interim Payroll Advisor in Canterbury for a 6-month fixed-term contract. The role covers end-to-end monthly payroll, including term-time work, with complex calculations and RTI, P60, P11D tasks. 32 hours per week with flexible arrangements.

You will support a smooth transition as the payroll function centralises and modernises processes. The ideal candidate holds CIPP Level 3 or equivalent, has strong Teachers Pension Scheme knowledge, and excels in advanced Excel.

Qualifications

• CIPP Level 3 qualification or equivalent.
• Extensive UK in-house payroll experience, including Teachers Pension Scheme knowledge.
• Advanced Excel skills with PivotTables, XLOOKUP and data auditing tools.
• Able to onboard quickly and work independently from day one.
• Experience in Education is advantageous.
• Experience with Payroll centralisation or system migration is a bonus.

Responsibilities

• Take full end-to-end responsibility for monthly payroll, including various contractual frameworks.
• Handle complex manual calculations such as holiday pay, SSP, SMP, SPP.
• Serve as first point of contact for staff on tax, payroll or benefits queries.
• Complete month-end and year-end close procedures including RTI submissions and P60s.

Skills

Payroll expertise

Advanced Excel

Independent worker

Education

CIPP Level 3

AAT

Tools

PASS

Every platform

Job description

Job: Interim Payroll Advisor

Location: Canterbury, Kent

Employment type: Fixed-Term Contract (6 months)

Salary: £35,000 – £40,000 FTE, dependent on experience

Hours: 32 hours per week (flexible arrangements over days/hours)

Are you an experienced Payroll professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can hit the ground running from day one? Do you have a strong technical payroll background and the confidence to manage end-to-end payroll operations independently, whilst delivering an outstanding service to staff?

Our client is looking to recruit an Interim Payroll Advisor on a 6-month fixed-term basis. This is a critical stabilising role as the organisation prepares for a future transition of its payroll function, and the successful candidate will play a key part in ensuring operations run smoothly, processes are streamlined, and everything is structured and ready for the road ahead.

The role will include:

• Taking full end-to-end operational responsibility for monthly payroll, including standard, variable, term-time and term-time-plus contractual frameworks
• Handling complex manual calculations including holiday pay, SSP, SMP, SPP.
• Acting as the first point of contact for staff with tax, payroll or benefits queries, delivering a high-quality and reassuring service
• Completing month-end and year-end close procedures including RTI submissions, P60 generation and P11D data compilation
• Collaborating closely with the Finance team on monthly payroll journals, ledger reconciliations and control account management
• Critically reviewing existing workflows and legacy spreadsheets to streamline processes and improve data integrity
• Creating and maintaining a comprehensive library of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to support future payroll centralisation
• Managing end-to-end administration of Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and Support Staff Pension Scheme (TPT DC), including audit readiness

About you:

• CIPP Level 3 qualified or equivalent, AAT or accounting qualification advantageous
• Extensive UK in-house payroll experience with proven Teachers pension scheme knowledge, this is essential
• Advanced Excel skills including PivotTables, XLOOKUP and data auditing tools
• Highly adaptable, able to onboard quickly, master new systems and work independently from the outset
• Experience within Education would be a distinct advantage
• Familiarity with PASS and the Every platform is desirable but not essential
• Experience preparing a payroll function for centralisation or system migration would be a real bonus

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to respond to every applicant individually. Please know that we carefully review each application and will reach out if your qualifications align with the vacancy. Salary banding - To achieve the top end of the salary range, candidates must meet the minimum experience/qualification level required for the role as set out in the job description.

To evaluate your suitability for the position, we'll process your CV and personal data. Should we find potential matches for other roles, we will seek your consent before registering your details in our database. For more information on how we handle personal data, please refer to our privacy policy at: Sirius Search Privacy Policy