Payroll Assistant

Think Accountancy and Finance; England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in accountancy and finance seeks a Payroll / Pensions Administrator to deliver an efficient pensions-focused payroll service. The role demands detailed knowledge of pension operations and significant experience in administering workplace pension schemes. Responsibilities include managing pension schemes, payroll support, and compliance with legislation. Ideal candidates will have a strong attention to detail and effective communication skills.

Qualifications

• Experience with workplace pension schemes, particularly LGPS or SHPS.
• Understanding Auto Enrolment legislation.
• Background in public sector or housing-related organisations is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Administer pension schemes and ensure accurate employee records.
• Provide end-to-end support for pension-related administration.
• Support payroll processing related to pension deductions.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Analytical skills

Tools

Cascade

Excel

Job description

Are you an experiecned Payroll / Pensions Administrator with expereicne in Social Housing Pension Schemes OR Local Government Pension Schemes

Job Purpose

To support and assist in delivering an efficient and effective pensions-focused payroll service across the organisation. This role has a strong emphasis on the accurate administration of pension schemes and requires detailed knowledge of pensions operations. The postholder will maintain and input HR and payroll information with precision and ensure compliance with relevant pension legislation and processes.

Contract Type

Fixed-Term Contract 6 months

Key Responsibilities

• Administer the organisation s pension schemes, ensuring employee records are accurate and up to date.

• Provide end-to-end support for all pension-related administration, including enrolment, contribution changes, and leaver processing.

• Manage auto enrolment and re-enrolment duties in line with current pension legislation.

• Perform pension scheme reconciliations in accordance with scheme rules.

• Administer Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs).

• Liaise with pension providers and scheme administrators as required.

• Maintain an expert understanding of relevant pension schemes, including LGPS (Local Government Pension Scheme) and SHPS (Social Housing Pension Scheme).

• Process starters, leavers, secondments, transfers, and salary changes, ensuring pension implications are accurately captured.

• Support accurate and timely payroll processing, particularly regarding pension deductions.

• Manage third-party pension payments and reporting deadlines.

• Use Cascade HR/payroll system and Excel to run and analyse pension and payroll reports.

• Act as a key point of contact for staff and managers on pension and payroll queries.

• Support compliance with statutory requirements, including National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage.

• Assist the Payroll Manager with general system housekeeping and data management.

• Ensure all work complies with organisational policies (Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity, Safeguarding, etc.).

• Perform any other duties relevant to the role as reasonably requested.

Person Specification

Essential Experience & Knowledge:

• Strong pensions bias with significant experience in administering workplace pension schemes.

• Knowledge and experience of LGPS and/or SHPS, or similar public sector pensions.

• Understanding of Auto Enrolment legislation and pension regulations.

• Experience of payroll processing in a large or complex environment.

• Background in the public sector or a housing-related organisation is highly desirable.

• Experience using Cascade or similar HR/payroll systems.

• Knowledge of payroll rules including tax, NI, and statutory deductions.

• Comfortable producing and working with payroll and pension reports in Excel.

Skills & Abilities:

• High level of accuracy and attention to detail in handling sensitive data.

• Strong communication skills able to clearly explain complex pension issues.

• Ability to work independently, prioritise tasks, and meet tight deadlines.

• Proficient in Excel and reporting tools.

• Professional, discreet, and committed to confidentiality and data protection.

• Analytical and solution-focused approach.