Trainee Payroll Officer

The Methodist Church in Britain; Preston; Hybrid; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is offering a trainee payroll assistant in Employee Business Services. The role focuses on entering pay-affecting data into the National ESR payroll system and calculating PAYE, National Insurance, and statutory payments to strict deadlines.

You will develop knowledge of ESR, Agenda for Change, and the NHS Pension scheme, with a strong emphasis on accuracy, confidentiality under GDPR, and delivering a high-quality employee experience.

Qualifications

• Four GCSEs at grade C or above, including mathematics.
• Knowledge of ESR, Agenda for Change and NHS Pension scheme.
• Attention to detail and ability to work under pressure to deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills.
• Understanding of handling sensitive information under GDPR and confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Input pay-affecting data into the National ESR Payroll system.
• Calculate PAYE, National Insurance, Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay.
• Complete payroll work to strict deadlines with a strong focus on accuracy.
• Take recovery action based on individual circumstances.
• Advise employees in line with departmental procedures.
• Make corrective entries in ESR to ensure accurate deductions and records.

Skills

MS Office

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Education

GCSEs including Maths

Tools

ESR system

Job description

This trainee post sits in Employee Business Services, the payroll and pensions team at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, serving six clients and around 20,000 employees. The work centres on entering pay-affecting data into the National ESR payroll system and calculating PAYE, National Insurance, statutory maternity pay and statutory sick pay to strict deadlines. The role is fully office based and requires a payroll qualification to be undertaken. Applicants need knowledge of ESR, Agenda for Change and the NHS Pension scheme.

What the job involves

• Input pay-affecting data into the National ESR Payroll system
• Calculate PAYE, National Insurance, Statutory Maternity Pay and Statutory Sick Pay
• Complete payroll work to strict deadlines with a strong focus on accuracy
• Take recovery action based on individual circumstances
• Advise employees in line with departmental procedures
• Make corrective entries in ESR to ensure accurate statutory deductions and correct records

What’s required

Qualifications

• Four GCSEs at grade C or above, including mathematics

Skills & knowledge

• Experience and knowledge of Microsoft Windows and Office packages
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Knowledge of ESR, Agenda for Change and NHS Pension scheme
• Attention to detail
• Working under pressure to strict deadlines

Other

• Understanding of handling sensitive and confidential issues under GDPR, work policies and procedures
• Excellent telephone manner and passion for a high-quality customer experience
• Commitment and enthusiasm for contributing to service improvement

Nice to have

• Experience of working with PCs and technology
• Experience of the ESR system
• Knowledge of NHS Terms and Conditions, including Agenda for Change and Medical and Dental