payroll leader

Royal Berkshire Nhs Foundation Trust; Reading; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Reading seeks an experienced payroll leader to manage their payroll and pension function. This role involves ensuring accurate payroll services, strategic planning, and working closely with finance teams. The ideal candidate has extensive payroll management experience and strong analytical skills, with an emphasis on maintaining high standards in service delivery and compliance. Offering competitive benefits and a commitment to staff well-being.

Benefits

Flexible working opportunities

Annual leave increasing with service

NHS pension scheme

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in payroll management and leadership.
• Ability to interpret statutory legislation.
• Strong analytical capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead payroll functions for the Trust.
• Ensure accurate payroll submission to the Inland Revenue.
• Provide payroll and pension advice to employees.

Job description

Overview

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is "Working together to provide outstanding care for our community."

Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated 'Good' with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust's overall rating has also improved to 'good'.

We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions.

We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate.

We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live.

We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice.

At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI‑generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidate's chances of success.

Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don't you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees, may you be clinical or non‑clinical.

Position

An exciting opportunity has arisen to lead the payroll and pension function for the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, reporting to the Director of Finance. Due to the upcoming retirement of our long‑standing Head of Payroll Services we are presented with a unique opportunity to recruit his successor.

The department provides payroll and pension services to both the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust and Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and experienced payroll leader to join the team and lead it in both the transition period and with a view to longer‑term service development and delivery.

For further information, potential applicants are invited to contact Mike Clements, Director of Finance, for an informal conversation.

Responsibilities

• To create and to lead a set of functions which provide proactive payroll services to all areas of the Trust.
• To ensure the Trust makes informed decisions about employee remuneration and benefits by working closely with the Directors of Finance and HR of clients, by interpretation of organisation strategies in relation to the development of employee remuneration and benefits and facilitation of the implementation of these strategies.
• To be responsible for leading the function of Payroll services providing all Trust Care Groups and Departments with information, advice and recommendations to assist personnel with decision‑making.
• To be responsible for the accurate & timely submission of all RTI & P11D returns to the Inland Revenue for all Trusts.
• To ensure the department is proactive in future developments of Trust Payroll services.
• To provide necessary and relevant advice for employees on payroll and pension matters.
• To develop the provision of the payroll service within the Berkshire West Place to satisfy the National and Local Shared Services Initiatives.
• To lead the payroll function of the Trust with minimal guidelines and the ability to act entirely on their own initiative, interpreting statutory legislation and providing authoritative advice to all staff across two Trusts on specialist payroll and pension matters.
• To ensure that the Payroll department resources are aligned with the Trust business strategy.
• To ensure services are provided in accordance with agreed levels of service and the required standards of probity and in an efficient manner and provide value for money.
• Liaise with directors to ensure the services being provided are aligned with the operational requirements of the Trust.
• Formulate long‑term strategic payroll plans for the Trust and for the component parts, allowing for variations in internal and external circumstances.
• Present senior managers throughout the Trust with expert interpretation and analysis of their Payroll and Pension information.
• Carry corporate responsibility for the development and implementation of payroll and pension advice to all Trust personnel.
• Understand the business fully, enabling the Payroll function to drive change such that the Trust fulfils its strategic objectives utilising "lean" methodologies and planning.

Management

• Prepare and maintain a rigorous standards‑based approach to all core activities to ensure that work throughout the Department is quantified and that outputs are measured to inform continuous improvement.
• Ensure that all staff within the Department are engaged in measuring the quality of their work, that core processes are coherent and are well understood and that the input of department staff and stakeholders is routinely sought in pursuit of enhancement to service levels.
• Prepare a detailed schedule of all key dates for Payroll reporting and ensure that the data input streams are organised to feed in to those and that staff are organised and capable of making the necessary contributions.
• Hold the budget for both pay and non‑pay for the Payroll department servicing two Trusts.
• Responsible for the management of several independent payroll departments, including training, continuing development, performance reviews and disciplinaries.

Performance

• Develop, monitor and report against a robust Service Level Agreement with key performance indicators between all organisations serviced by the post holder.
• Interpret and communicate complex payroll, pension and statutory information to Directors of Finance and HR across several organisations.
• Design, maintain and develop pay scale, allowances and deductions databases for all client organisations.
• Analyse complex pension and redundancy situations and provide options for comparison.
• Ensure that all information held is of the highest possible accuracy and secured according to Caldicott Principles.
• Direct the provision of payroll information to fulfil each organisation's accounting requirements.
• Ensure accurate accounting treatment of payroll information.
• Interpret overall Trust strategy to develop goals and standards for the department.
• Manage the Payroll services of all client organisations ensuring employees are paid accurately and on time.
• Maintain the Trust authorised signatory listing relating to Payroll.
• Collect and payment of monies due to third parties including legal bodies e.g. CSA, Courts.
• Communicate at all levels to a wide variety of organisations, providing highly complex and sensitive information in an understandable format.
• Monthly audit of all payroll transactions to provide executive information and recommendations.
• Deal with frequent exposure to distressed employees when faced with redundancy or long‑term sickness situations.

Planning

• Lead the development of payroll systems and processes on behalf of all client organisations.
• Ensure the Payroll and Pension service is at the forefront of developments and is in line with the National Payroll Strategy.
• Implement development of new corporate policies and procedures within the department to meet changing needs.
• Communicate efficiently and effectively all financial implications of pension and early retirement scenarios.
• Manage the provision of pension services including calculation and reporting of early retirement, redundancy and ill‑health implications and provide recommendations to employees and employers.

Professional / Technical

• Lead the development and implementation of new financial processes required for best‑practice Payroll services.
• Continue professional development via technical system training and statutory regulation updates.
• Introduce modifications to existing computer systems and/or new systems to enhance availability and operability of Trust‑wide Payroll services.
• Responsible for the implementation of new information systems, such as online expenses, including processing, generating, updating and storing information.

Contract Negotiation

• Manage relationships with external organisations serviced by the post holder.
• Seek additional relationships with other external organisations to provide Payroll services.

Staff Management and Development

• Lead functional teams in delivering the Directorate objectives and ensuring appropriate support and development for staff.

Other

• Promote diversity, including race diversity, in delivery of services and recruitment, management and development of staff.
• Ensure the management of resources within the allocated budget(s).
• Role requires prolonged periods of intense concentration to undertake detailed financial analysis.

Key Success Factors

• Generate new business‑management ethic throughout the Trust.
• Set programme of long‑term strategic service and planning decisions, forging partnerships for the whole organisation.
• Contribute to overall efficiency and effectiveness of department performances and management systems.
• Demonstrate continuous improvement.

Application Process

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred third‑party recruitment system (TRAC). All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs. You will not be able to track the progress of your application or receive messages through the NHS Jobs website.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If appointed to a post, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Appointment to any position is conditional on the satisfactory completion of the core NHS Employment Checks Standards. Information disclosed will be checked and any offer may be withdrawn if you knowingly withhold information or provide false or misleading information. All new appointments to the Trust, with the exception of executive positions, are subject to a 6‑month probationary period.

The Trust may close any vacancy prior to the advertised closing date due to the high level of responses we receive for some of our vacancies.

Staff Benefits

• Flexible working opportunities and a strong emphasis on your work, life balance.
• Annual leave – 27 days for new starters, plus bank holidays. Increasing to 29 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years NHS service. Pro rata for part‑time staff.
• NHS pension scheme.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Money Advice Service.
• Generous maternity, paternity and adoption leave for eligible staff.
• On‑site nursery (based at RBH).
• Full educational library services.
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme, lockable storage for cycles.
• Bus to work scheme.
• Excellent rail and bus links.
• A huge range of Health Service Discounts at hundreds of big brands from holidays to gadgets and restaurants to retail.

Commitments

The Trust is committed to improving the health of its staff, patients and the wider community by providing a smoke‑free environment. Smoking is not permitted on any of the Trust's sites.

The Trust is also committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We follow safe recruitment practices to protect children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications. Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship. You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.