Payroll & Finance Assistant

National Union of Students

Hatfield

On-site

GBP 29,000 - 35,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Job summary

Hertfordshire Students' Union is seeking a Payroll & Finance Assistant to deliver accurate payroll and financial administration across UHSU and UHSU Enterprises. You will process monthly and 4-weekly payrolls, manage ledgers, and support month-end activities.

Working with the Finance team, you will use Xero, Brightpay and other systems, ensure GDPR compliance, and provide timely, helpful service to colleagues and suppliers while maintaining confidentiality and high professional standards.

Qualifications

Payroll and transactional finance experience with Xero and payroll systems.
Experience with bank payments, ledger processing, and year-end activities.
Excellent Excel and data management; ability to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

Process monthly and 4-weekly payrolls and submit reports.
Manage purchase and sales ledger and credit control.
Reconcile bank accounts and prepare month-end processes.
Maintain confidentiality and GDPR compliance.

Skills

Payroll processing

Bank reconciliations

Credit control

Xero

P11D processing

GDPR compliance

Excel

NEST pension

Education

AAT qualification

Tools

Xero

Brightpay

Approval Max

Breathe HR

MSL

Job description

Job Description

Job Title

Payroll & Finance Assistant

Responsible to

Finance Manager

Salary

Up to £32,000

Location

Hatfield

Responsible to

The post holder reports to the Finance Manager as well as working closely with the Director of People and Resources and other staff and Students' Union Managers

Contacts

The post holder will come into contact with students, Students' Union Managers, staff, elected officers and University staff.

Purpose

The Students' Union operates as a Charity and must adhere to SORP regulations. The Students' Union is UHSU and the trading subsidiary is UHSU Enterprises.

This main purpose of this role is to provide accurate, efficient and timely payroll and financial administration across UHSU and UHSU Enterprises Ltd, supporting the effective day-to-day management of financial transactions, payroll processing, reconciliations and payments.

The role will help ensure that financial and payroll processes are compliant, well controlled and delivered to a high standard, providing a helpful and responsive service to colleagues, suppliers, societies and other stakeholders.

Vision

Our vision at Hertfordshire Students' Union is to help students love Herts. Our Finance team is a core part of our vision and the role of Finance and Payroll Assistant is essential in ensuring we can continue to put students at the heart of every service we run on behalf of students at the University of Hertfordshire.

Values

We are a truly values-led organisation. As such, we're looking for someone who lives our everyday values of innovation, collaboration and friendliness whilst ensuring our students' union is truly representative of Herts students. We encourage our team to have fun at work while never losing sight of our vision.

Service Excellence: We go above and beyond for our students and each other - we're committed to providing excellent service across the board and we support each other to prioritise this every day.

Equality and Diversity Commitment

We encourage applications from students with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to reflect the current student population. We welcome all applications regardless of a persons' race, sex, disability, religion/beliefs, sexual orientation or age.

Key role requirements

The Payroll & Finance Assistant provides hands-on support across the Students' Union's payroll and transactional finance functions. The role is responsible for processing monthly and 4-weekly payrolls, maintaining accurate payroll records, supporting statutory and pension reporting, and ensuring compliance with relevant payroll legislation and requirements.
Alongside payroll responsibilities, the role undertakes a broad range of day-to-day financial activities, including purchase and sales ledger processing, credit control, bank reconciliations, expenses and petty cash, credit card processing, income and payment postings, supplier and Society payment runs, and maintaining accurate financial records in Xero. The postholder will also support financial compliance and control processes and contribute to the preparation of month-end and year-end accounts.
Working collaboratively as part of the Finance team, the role will help ensure that financial and payroll processes are accurate, transparent, well organised and delivered in a timely and professional manner.
The post holder will be responsible for confidential financial matters and will be expected to adhere to GDPR regulations.

Main duties and responsibilities

Ability to proficiently use different software such as Xero, Approval Max, Brightpay, Breathe HR, MSL and in-house HR systems.
Be responsible for processing the monthly and 4-weekly payroll using Brightpay, submit reports to HMRC and NEST pension scheme as required.
To be responsible for setting up weekly payments on the bank and to work with the Director of People and Resources for approval of payments.
Setting up new starters on payroll and processing leavers within deadlines.
Process of year end payroll including P11D's.
Keeping up to date with payroll legislation ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies.
To be responsible for the workplace pension scheme NEST, auto enrolment requirements and Gender Pay Gap Reporting if required
Input purchase invoices onto Approval Max for UHSU & UHSU Enterprises Ltd, matching to purchase requisitions as necessary.
Reconcile purchase ledger to supplier statements including NUS Central Billing on Xero.
Assist with reconciling expenditure Barclaycard
Input sales invoice requests on Xero and undertake credit control for UHSU & UHSU Enterprises Ltd.
Posting nominal receipts and payments for UHSU & UHSU Enterprises Ltd.
Payment and processing of petty cash & expenses for UHSU & UHSU Enterprises Ltd via Breathe HR.
Preparation of credit card expenses using DEXT and posting to Xero.
Bank reconciliations for 3 bank accounts on Xero, to be shared within the team.
MSL Income postings on a weekly basis on to Xero
Updating Society balances, processing reimbursement claims and posting Society transactions to Xero.
Compliance and float checks for The Forum and all areas holding petty cash.
Weekly Society and supplier payment runs to be shared within the team.
To undertake a range of other duties to assist with the preparation of month and year end accounts.
To prepare salaries forecasts and share with the Finance Manager.
To assist in the preparation of the budget by costing salaries and expenditure for the staff team.
To work with the Director of People and Resources on confidential salary reviews.
To provide cover in the Finance team for the Finance Manager and Accounts Assistant.

General

Assistance with coordination of the departments fresher's/refreshers events as needed
Supporting the wider Unions activities and events during the fresher's period including supporting the set-up/down of events and facilitating stalls and promotional stands.
To develop and maintain contacts with colleagues within other Students' Unions and relevant organisations, including site visits to other Students' Unions.
Being friendly and respectful of others in order to maintain a safe and considerate workplace in line with our values of being Helpful, Empowering, Representative, Transparent and Student-focused.
To keep abreast of relevant national and local developments, changes in legislation, and good practice and attend conferences, training events and meetings as necessary.
To have a flexible approach to work and to undertake any other reasonable duties which may be required.
To aspire to the highest standards of customer care at all times and, in conjunction with other relevant Union staff, to identify and respond to customer needs.
To respect the democratic structure of the Students' Union at all times.
To abide by Hertfordshire Students' Union Memorandum and Articles of Association, and Union Policies and Procedures at all times.
To work flexibly and efficiently and to promote a positive image of Hertfordshire Students' Union at all times.
To set high standards of integrity, punctuality, accuracy, politeness and professionalism by personal example.
To be aware of the department's impact on the environment and to work within the environmental policies of the Union and the University (where applicable).

This document outlines the general duties required for the time being for the post of Finance and Payroll Assistant. This is neither a comprehensive or exhaustive list and the duties may be varied from time to time and may be changed and be added to or deducted from. Any changes will not alter the general character of the job and/or level of seniority or responsibility, unless following on from discussion and agreement.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL

Good general education, to A level or equivalent

Experience of being responsible for bank payments

A, I

Experience using payroll systems, preferably Brightpay

A, T, I

Experience of accountancy package, preferably Xero

A, T, I

Experience of purchase and sales ledger and credit control

A, T, I

Excellent Excel, Word and data base skills