Payroll Officer

Morgan hunt are recruiting for a permanent Payroll Officer for an Academy Trust based in Bury. This is a flexible role paying £26,000 - £28,770 per annum, reporting into the Head of Payroll. This is an exciting opportunity to join the trust at the beginning of a journey of transition to develop and grow the Trust from 10 schools to 68 schools by 2030.

As the Trust Payroll Officer, you will deliver a responsive, accurate and efficient Payroll service, undertaking a range of payroll activities including processing the monthly payroll for the Trust, administering all pension related processes and you will support the ongoing development of the Payroll Service offering to our Schools across the Trust. There will be opportunities for career progression as the Trust expands and the team grows.

Key Responsibilities for the Payroll Officer:

As a Trust Payroll Officer, you will play a crucial role in our journey of transition and growth. Your primary responsibilities will include:

• Processing the monthly payroll for the Trust, ensuring accuracy and integrity of data.
• Resolving employee pay queries and escalating issues when necessary.
• Managing the payroll function in the absence of the Payroll Manager.
• Collating and entering input from schools and head office records onto the system, verifying validity and authorisation.
• Administering pension-related processes, including notifications to TPS and LGPS, year-end returns, and auto-enrolment.
• Monitoring HMRC Gateway notices for NI Numbers, tax code changes, and student loans, ensuring payroll accuracy.
• Issuing P45s for leavers and running various reports to ensure data integrity.
• Managing statutory and company absence payments such as SSP, SMP, and contractual holiday or sickness schemes.
• Distributing payments and breakdown reports to third-party organisations.
• Preparing FPS and EPS submissions to HMRC and performing pre-written test scripts on system updates.

Essential Experience for the Payroll Officer:

The successful candidate should:

• Be CIPP qualified at level 3 or possess equivalent experience.
• Have a minimum of two years' experience using iTrent or similar payroll systems.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and work efficiently under pressure.
• Exhibit accuracy, attention to detail, and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Confidently provide payroll support and advice to schools within the Trust.
• Understand the purpose and mission of the Trust, appreciating the impact of education on pupils' lives.

Person Specification for the Payroll Officer:

• CIPP qualified at level 3 or above or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of 2 years' experience processing payroll.
• Experience in the education sector's payroll.
• Experience with iTrent.
• Knowledge of HMRC regulations and statutory payments.
• Knowledge of Teachers' Pension Scheme and Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Meticulous attention to detail and excellent accuracy skills.
• Ability to work independently and use own initiative.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Experience working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.
• Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft Office packages.

If you are interested in an exciting Payroll Officer role that you will be able to shape for yourself, for a developing Trust then please apply ASAP for more information!

Morgan Hunt is a multi-award-winning recruitment business for interim, contract and temporary recruitment and acts as an Employment Agency in relation to permanent vacancies. Morgan Hunt is an equal opportunities employer. Job suitability is assessed on merit in accordance with the individual's skills, qualifications and abilities to perform the relevant duties required in a particular role.