Payroll Assistant (Frontline Services)

NHS National Services Scotland; Scotland; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A national NHS organization is seeking a Payroll Assistant to join their team. This role involves providing customer service to staff and managing payroll queries. Candidates should ideally have experience in customer service and a willingness to learn about payroll processes. The position offers hybrid working arrangements and a range of benefits. Applications close on December 2, 2025.

Benefits

Pension scheme

Work-life balance policies

Occupational health services

Learning resource centres

Discounted leisure and shopping benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in a payroll or finance environment is desirable but not essential.
• Understanding of the General Data Protection Act is required.
• A willingness and ability to learn payroll processes is key.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact for queries related to payroll.
• Ensure compliance with income tax and national insurance requirements.
• Manage payroll delivery for a large number of employees.

Skills

Customer service experience

Team working skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Job description

Customer Service Opportunity

Payroll Assistant (Frontline Services) – Permanent

Join Our Team – Be Part of our NHS Shared Payroll Service!

Are you ready to make a real impact across the country? Our payroll team provides a shared service supporting 9 boards throughout Scotland. We’re looking for dedicated professionals to help us deliver efficient, accurate, and people‑focused payroll solutions at scale.

If you're passionate about service excellence and want to be part of a collaborative, forward‑thinking environment, we’d love to hear from you!

About the Organisation:

National Services Scotland (NSS) is a national NHS Board operating right at the heart of NHSScotland providing invaluable support and advice at a strategic and operational level. NSS supports customers to deliver their services more efficiently and effectively and we offer shared services on a national scale using best‑in‑class systems and standards. Our priority is always the same – to improve the health and well‑being of the people of Scotland. We do this by working in partnership with colleagues across Health and Social Care to deliver fit for purpose solutions and systems, delivering high quality services that help our stakeholders to free up resources so they can be re‑invested into essential services.

The Post:

NSS Payroll Services has been granted the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals Payroll Assurance Scheme accreditation.

NSS Payroll Services provides a fully managed payroll service to NHS Lothian, NHS Forth Valley and Strathcarron Hospice, NHS Fife, NHS National Services Scotland, NHS Public Health Scotland, NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland, NHS National Education Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, and NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Payroll services are responsible for a total pay bill of in excess £2.8 Billion for ~90,000 Employees and manages the delivery of payroll services to 9 health boards on a shared service basis. There are ~100 staff in NSS Payroll Services.

The role of the Department is to ensure that, from recruitment to retirement, all employees are paid both timeously and accurately in conjunction with their contracts of employment and Terms and Conditions of Service. The department must also ensure that all boards are compliant with all aspects of Statutory legislation relating to Income Tax, National Insurance, Statutory absence payments (SSP, SMP, etc), NHS Scotland Pension Scheme etc.

Payroll Assistants (Frontline Services) are the first point of contact for staff, managers and external organisations with the Payroll department and will be responsible for the triaging and responding to queries.

The Candidate:

We are looking for a candidate who has great customer service experience ideally in a payroll or finance environment. Whilst this is desirable a combination of great customer service experience and a willingness and ability to learn payroll is key to this role. You must have a good understanding of the General Data Protection Act as well as being able to evidence strong team working, communication and organisational skills.

Please see the Person Specification for further details.

Location and Working Pattern:

NSS Payroll Services has office locations in Edinburgh, Kirkcaldy, Denny and Dumfries. We offer the opportunity for hybrid working. Hours are 37 per week on a Monday to Friday office hours basis with flexitime available.

It is a condition of this employment that you must live and remain a resident within the UK for the post in which you will be employed with NSS.

Benefits:

Our benefits package includes pension scheme, comprehensive range of work life balance policies, occupational health services, learning resource centres and discounted leisure, financial and shopping benefits - HR Benefits Brochure.

Inclusion:

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) is a national board and, as an anchor institution, it is our ambition to be a diverse and inclusive organisation where everyone feels welcome. We recognise that flexible working creates an inclusive workplace where employees can thrive and feel confident about their ability to balance their personal and professional responsibilities. This is supported through Once for Scotland flexible working policies. NSS has made a long‑term commitment to staff health and well‑being and offers many learning and development opportunities to support and improve our approaches to diversity, inclusion and mental health in the workplace. There are a number of equality staff networks in place which all staff are welcome to join. We are also an equal opportunities employer and as such guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies. As an accredited Disability Confident Leader, it is the aim of NSS to offer a fully accessible and inclusive recruitment service that supports applicants on their candidate journey. If you are interested in any reasonable adjustments, please contact the Recruitment Team on [e-mail]

Further information:

For an informal discussion on the post, please contact Paul Govan, Head of Payroll Services at [e-mail]

Closing date for completed applications is Tuesday 2nd December 2025

Further information on NSS is available from: https://www.nss.nhs.scot/

Please note that the majority of correspondence is sent by e‑mail only, so please check your e‑mail regularly (including junk folders).

NHS National Services Scotland is an equal opportunities employer and as committed participant in the disability confident scheme, guarantees to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our vacancies