People, Payroll & Compliance Officer

Pond Meadow; Guildford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Pond Meadow School in Guildford is seeking a highly organised People, Payroll & Compliance Officer to provide administrative support across HR, payroll and workforce compliance. Working under the HR Manager, you will manage the employee lifecycle tasks and maintain records.

You will coordinate payroll data, assist with recruitment and onboarding, absence and leaver processes, and ensure accurate documentation and reporting.

Qualifications

• Excellent administrative and organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Confident handling payroll, HR or other sensitive information.
• Ability to learn new systems and processes quickly.
• Experience in HR or payroll is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Support recruitment and onboarding processes.
• Administer payroll information and changes; maintain records.
• Manage employee lifecycle tasks and leavers/absence processes.
• Maintain HR systems, staff benefits and reporting.
• Ensure compliance and documentation accuracy across workforce.

Skills

Administrative skills

Payroll experience

Confidentiality

Data protection

IT proficiency

Communication

Job description

# People, Payroll & Compliance OfficerEmployer: Pond Meadow SchoolLocation: Guildford, SurreyContract Type: PermanentHours: Full TimeContract Length: Full timeSalary: PS6 Pt 2Posted: 1st October 2026Expires: 1st November 2026 11:59 PMStart Date: 1st January 2027Job ID: 1577132Job Reference: PM/PPCO/09/26* Share :* PrintPeople, Payroll & Compliance OfficerLocation: Pond Meadow Academy Trust, including all current and future Trust sitesContract: Permanent 36 Hours Term Time plus 2 weeks, Part time will be consideredGrade: PS6 Pt2-6 £31,659 - £33,952 FTE (£28,628 - £30,702 Actual)Closing date and time - 1st November 2026 - 11.59pm - closing date and timeShortlisting Date - 2nd NovemberInterviews - 9th NovemberPond Meadow School is looking to appoint a highly organised and detail-focused People, Payroll & Compliance Officer to provide effective administrative support across our HR, payroll and workforce compliance functions.Working under the direction of the HR Manager, this is a varied role requiring excellent organisation, accuracy and the ability to manage a number of processes and deadlines simultaneously.The successful candidate will support the administration of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, contractual changes, absence and leaver processes. They will coordinate payroll information and changes, maintain employee records and HR systems, administer agreed staff benefits and absence systems, manage the HR inbox and support workforce reporting and census requirements.The role will also have responsibility for maintaining the agency staffing compliance tracker and ensuring that relevant employment and workforce documentation is complete, accurate and appropriately recorded.We are looking for someone who:• Has excellent administrative and organisational skills with exceptional attention to detail.• Is confident handling payroll, HR or other sensitive and confidential information.• Can accurately maintain systems, trackers and employee records.• Is comfortable working to fixed deadlines and coordinating information from different sources.• Has strong IT skills and is confident learning and using different systems.• Communicates clearly and professionally with colleagues and external providers.• Understands the importance of compliance, confidentiality, data protection and safeguarding.• Is proactive, dependable and able to take ownership of administrative processes.Previous HR or payroll experience would be advantageous, although candidates with strong administrative experience and the ability to learn new systems and processes are encouraged to apply.Pond Meadow is a specialist school supporting children and young people aged 3–19 with a wide range of complex learning needs. This role provides an excellent opportunity to become an important part of our Business & Operations Team and contribute to the effective support of our growing workforce.We will be reviewing applications and interviewing suitable candidates as applications are received and therefore reserve the right to close the vacancy early. Early application is encouraged.