Payroll Operations Manager

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust; Preston; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust seeks an experienced Payroll Account Manager to lead the Payroll Team within the Employee Services Department. You will manage workloads, ensure compliance with NHS payroll legislation, and act as the senior point of contact for clients, delivering accurate payroll services.

The role requires strong ESR skills, pension knowledge, and the ability to interpret complex reports. Prior managerial experience and a level 5 Payroll qualification are desirable.

Qualifications

• Specialised knowledge of NHS payroll, pensions and related legislation.
• Experience managing payroll staff within NHS or similar environment.
• Proficient in ESR system and data extraction/analysis.

Responsibilities

• Manage Payroll Team within Employee Services Department.
• Plan and prioritise workloads of payroll staff to meet deadlines.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of current payroll legislation (Agenda for Change, NHS pension).
• Investigate and resolve ESR system issues and data discrepancies.
• Lead as main contact for Trust or client organisations; provide senior support.
• Assist in audit requirements.

Skills

Payroll management

NHS payroll knowledge

ESR system proficiency

Excel

Data analysis

Education

IPPM Diploma in Payroll Management

NVQ Level 6 or NHS equivalent

Tools

ESR software

Microsoft Office

Job description

To support the ongoing development of an integrated Employee Service Department that embraces technology to provide an high quality, efficient and effective customer focused service. To support the development of a team based culture focused on professionalism, meeting the needs of the customer and an environment which strives for continuous improvement and improved efficiency. You will be responsible for management of the team including payroll processing, contribute to systems and staff development, provide information working in conjunction with the Employee Services Team Manager Payroll & ESR and provide senior level assistance across the whole department. You will be expected to have specialised knowledge of NHS payroll, pension and statutory legislation and be able to extract, analysis and interpret complex information from reports.Working for our organisation Our Partnership brings together the five NHS provider Trusts with the Integrated Care Board (ICB) in Lancashire and South Cumbria to improve health and healthcare. The organisations across Lancashire and South Cumbria involved in the collaboration are Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. This is about working together as equal partners to make sure patients, their families and communities benefit across the whole of the area. The aim is to reduce health inequalities and improve services, outcomes and people’s experiences of accessing healthcare. Our partnership also aims to ensure that Lancashire and South Cumbria is a great place to work. We want to further improve quality by sharing skills and best practice, pooling our resources and standardising the way we work where possible to reduce unnecessary duplication. To achieve this we have created One LSC, which will oversee all corporate services for Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Responsible for the management and performance of a Payroll Team within the Employee Services Department.
• Responsible for overseeing the planning and prioritising of the workloads of payroll staff, ensuring that effective prioritising of tasks is achieved.
• Maintain and apply an up-to-date knowledge of, and ability to apply all current legislation in relation to all payroll, associated expenses, pension matters, terms and conditions of employment, both national and local e.g. Agenda for Change, Medical and Dental and VSM.
• Investigate and resolve complex queries and errors relating to the ESR system software, and the data produced by the system – ensuring that all issues are resolved by reporting to IBM or by changes made locally.
• Be responsible for all aspects in the delivery of services to the Trust or Client organisations, being the lead manager for that customer and the main point of contact.
• Assist in any audit requirements.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, dedicated, and talented Payroll Account Manager which will lead our well established Payroll Team. You will be required to work in a challenging but equally rewarding NHS payroll environment. You should have comprehensive knowledge and experience, be working towards or hold a level 5 Payroll Qualification. Have an understanding of Payroll, Pensions, Statutory Legislation and NHS Terms and Conditions. You will be able to use ESR proficiently and you will be responsible for leading a team who deliver our client payroll services ensuring that deadlines are met in accordance with agreed schedules. You should have excellent communication skills both written and verbal and be able to work to a high degree of autonomy. You are expected to have a high level of understanding and experience with the Microsoft Office Suite, in particular Excel, and the skills to manipulate data into the required format. You will be expected to work independently and proactively, using their own initiative. This is an exciting opportunity to work at a senior level and to play a key role in contributing to the development of the service.

Qualifications

• Hold or be studying towards IPPM Diploma in Payroll Management or NVQ level six or demonstrate knowledge and experience to an equivalent standard within NHS payroll.
• Previous experience in managerial role, Demonstrate an expert knowledge of NHS Payroll Conditions and Procedures, the NHS Pension Scheme and current Statutory Legislation
• Demonstrate an advanced level of ability to effectively use Microsoft Office software
• Demonstrate an extensive knowledge of the workings of all pay related computer systems
• Understanding of security and Health and Safety issues
  One LSC is a new collaborative partnership shared service formed by the five NHS Trusts serving the Lancashire and South Cumbria population of 1.8 million people. We are a shared service run by the NHS, for the NHS and are hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust on behalf of the partner Trusts of the Lancashire and South Cumbria system.

One LSC

One LSC stands for 'One Lancashire and South Cumbria' and reflects the Lancashire and South Cumbria System ambition to have one team serving Lancashire and South Cumbria in a joined-up way. It is jointly run by the five Trusts as a collaborative partnership. The Trusts that make up One LSC are: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

One LSC brings together the Digital, Data and Technology, Estates and Facilities, Finance, People Services and Procurement and Logistics services from each of the provider Trusts to create one central community of professionals. Under one leadership team, they will provide services for and on behalf of all Trusts. The aim is to bring services more closely together so that we can deliver the best service possible to each of our partner organisations. At the core of One LSC delivery is eliminating duplication, removing unwarranted variation, realisation of the benefits of sharing common systems and processes and ensuring we deliver value for money for our partners, our system and, ultimately, for the communities we serve.

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. In addition, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service to the recruitment of people into positions of trust. We aim to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that ELHT has an under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit.

The Trust is an equal opportunities employer, is committed to improving the working lives of its colleagues and operates a 'Zero Tolerance' policy on aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. As a recruitment service, our aim is to help protect children and vulnerable adults by providing a first-class service in recruiting people into positions of trust. It is important to us that we employ a workforce that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone - irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background. We especially welcome applications from members of our black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, as we have identified that as an employer we are under-representation of BAME employees. Appointments will be made on merit. We recognise that the recruitment process may present barriers for some and you may need personal adjustments to enable you to participate in our recruitment process. Please make contact with the recruitment team at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable you to apply for this post.

It is important you are made aware of the following as regards your application to East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

• Please note that the salary advertised is for full time hours. If this post is less than 37.5 hours per week, the salary will be pro‑ratio. For posts on Agenda for Change pay‑scales, new entrants to the NHS will normally commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.
• This vacancy may close before the closing date if the recruiting manager deems sufficient applications have been received. Therefore it is advised to complete your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
• Please ensure you check the email account from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.
• Please note that shortlisting is completed anonymously with candidates being assessed against the essential criteria for the post. Therefore only applicants, who can clearly demonstrate how they meet our person specification criteria in their application, will be short‑listed.
• Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) If the role you are applying for is identified as either controlled or regulated activity as defined in in the Safeguarding vulnerable Groups Act (2006) any offer of employment is provisional upon a satisfactory DBS check being obtained. The healthcare sector is exempted from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. In line with other NHS organisations in the North West Region, the Trust is now passing the charge for undertaking a DBS check on to candidates in the event they are successfully appointed into the post for which they have applied. Candidates can choose whether to pay this over 1-3 months as a deduction from the monthly salary. However, if you are applying for a post as a BANK worker, the payment must be made in full at the time of employment checks. By applying for this vacancy you are agreeing to this undertaking in the event you are successfully appointed. The cost for an Enhanced DBS, is £45.90 and for a Basic & Standard, this is £24.90 this cost includes a £4.90 admin fee. Please note: a young person must be in part-time education or training until they're 18. If you are under 18 we are unable to employ you on a full time basis, unless it is in an apprenticeship role. Disclosure and Barring Service checks If the role you've applied for requires a Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check we will administer this on your behalf and the cost will be recovered from your salary, either as a one-off payment, or over 3 months. The level of check required depends on the role that you have been offered. Currently the charges are - Basic DBS check £26.40, Standard DBS check £26.40, Enhanced DBS check £54.40 and Enhanced DBS check with Barred List(s) £54.40. You should be aware that if you are successful in obtaining a position that requires a DBS check but later withdraw your application, you may be required to reimburse the cost of the DBS check. DBS checks remain free of charge for volunteer positions. The DBS Code of Practice can be accessed here. In line with guidance from United Kingdom Health Security Agency, all staff and volunteers are required to comply with Trust Infection Prevention and Control processes in relation to safe working.