Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Head of Payroll (XN10)

The closing date is 22 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting and unique opportunity has arisen to lead the Payroll and Pensions function at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Due to the retirement of the current post holder we are looking to appoint a Head of Payroll to lead this vital service and build on the successes and excellent reputation it has already achieved.

The successful candidate will provide leadership to a 60 strong, highly motivated, experienced team who are dedicated to the principle of getting it right first time. Payroll sits within the Finance Directorate and the Head of Payroll reports to the Associate Director of Finance.

The Payroll Service operates within the Trusts Leeds Way value set and is looking to fully embed the continuous improvement ethos defined by our Leeds Improvement Method. The latter seeks to enhance efficiency by minimising waste and the Payroll team have demonstrated their willingness to embrace its principles. It is imperative that this enthusiasm is harnessed and channelled by leadership and professionalism of the highest order.

The successful candidate will fully understand all the complexities of NHS terms and conditions, HMRC reporting and interfacing with the requirements of pension providers; particularly the NHS Pension Scheme and NEST. They will be able to build effective working relationships and have a vision for future growth.

Main duties of the job

To provide strategic leadership and direction for Payroll and Pension services and be responsible for the overall Management & Performance of the Payroll Department, which provides a Payroll, Expenses and Pensions Administration Service to LTHT and various client trusts and other associated NHS and non NHS organisations.

To focus on growing the service with a view to becoming a regional / national centre of excellence for the provision of payroll services and to develop strategic plans to meet on-going service provision

To ensure efficient and effective procedures and policies within Payroll

To provide Expert Specialist Advice to Client Trusts on matters relating to Payroll Systems, Payroll Procedures, Expenses, and NHS Pensions.

To ensure compliance for each Client, with Statutory Requirements and Statutory timescales, and to give advice on complex issues relating to Payroll & Employment Law. Also:

a) Responsibility for understanding, appraising relevant legislation and guidelines; developing and implementing associated policies and procedures within the Payroll Department.

b) Responsible for the long term strategic plans for the service by creating an operational framework that will enable growth, taking into account the needs of all current and future client organisations needs, as well as managing uncertainty within the clients current workforce.

c) Budget and line management responsibility. Current budget £2.8m.

About us

The Payroll team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust provides Payroll, Expenses and Pension Administration services to employees across:

4 Trusts, 1 ICB, 1 Wholly Owned Subsidiary, 1 Charity, 1 Hospice, 1 Regional Medical Payroll, 1 GP confederation and Pension service to charity

All clients are served by the national ESR system. Due to the retirement of the current post holder we are looking to appoint a Deputy Head of Payroll to help lead this vital service and build on the successes it has already achieved.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Expected Shortlisting Date : 03/10/2025

Planned Interview Date: 16/10/2025

Date posted

01 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8c

Salary

£76,965 to £88,682 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time, Flexible working

Reference number

C9298-FIN-0150

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Job description

Job responsibilities

Staff Management of 6 Payroll and Pension Teams incorporating 3 Team Leaders (Band 6) and over 59 staff (in a range of Bands from 2 to 5)

Responsible for processing payments to over 55,000 assignments

Within 11 Trusts/Organisations - with payroll values averaging over £853,000,000.00 per annum (increasing with growth).

Policy and Service Development

Responsibility for developing and implementing Policy and Procedures within the Payroll Department, many of which impact upon all departments in all client organisations, and affect working practices and procedures in client Trusts

Responsible for proposing policies and procedures to Client Trusts and assisting in the implementation of such proposals

Responsible for implementing National Policies and practices within payroll department, and give advice and assistance when necessary to client Trusts to assist in their implementation of such policies

Responsible for service development which impacts across multiple NHS and non NHS organisations

Financial and Physical Resources

Responsible for the long term strategic plans for the service by creating an operational framework that will enable growth, taking into account the needs of all current and future client organisations needs, as well as managing uncertainty within the clients current workforce.

Responsible for budget for Payroll Department £ 1.34m per annum (increasing with growth) and for authorising spend against the budget.

Responsible for authorising and signing off payrolls to a value of £883m per annum (increasing with growth) which affects the budgets of multiple client Trusts and other bodies.

Responsible for ensuring legitimacy of authorised payment of Inland Revenue payments averaging £218m per annum.

Responsible for ensuring legitimacy of authorised payment of NHS Pension scheme contributions averaging £114m per annum

Authorised signatory for payments to Inland Revenue, NHS Pension Scheme and third party agencies totalling several million pounds per month.

Responsible for ensuring sufficient staffing levels to enable service provision and future growth

Responsible for ensuring all office equipment and furniture within payroll department is available and up to required standard

Planning

Responsible for the long term growth and expansion of the service to become a regional / national provider of payroll services

Negotiate new business contracts with prospective clients at Board level and set out terms of engagement by providing a written Service level Agreement which may vary with different clients needs.

Develop long term strategic plans (3 - 5 years) to ensure current and future service provision can be sustained and grown to meet increase in demand / client base

Human Resources

Responsible for full management of the Payroll Department

Responsible for full management of the Pensions Department

Responsible for full management of the Employee Expenses and Transactional Processing Department

Overall responsibility for training and professional development of payroll/pensions/expenses staff

Responsible for staff recruitment and retention

Responsible for staff grievances and disciplinary issues for all staff in department

Responsible for monitoring and managing sickness absence levels across the whole department in accordance with agreed policy

Responsible for staff appraisals across the department

Responsible for allocation and re-allocation of blocks of work within department ensuring the right balance is achieved and sustainable, taking into account the strategic impact of future growth

Participates in training on a Regional basis for all staff employed in Payroll and HR across the North of England

Deals with staff problems/ issues.

Information Resources

Specialist on Computerised Payroll System.

Responsible for proper operation and management of computerised payroll, payroll input, historical pay data and local payscale and allowances systems, which ensures information (extracted for complex reports, by Section Managers and Pensions Manager), for Department of Health, National Fraud Office, Finance and HR Departments and Managers is accurate and up to date.

Responsible for ensuring Trust specific information is accurately represented in such systems for each individual client.

Responsible for developing IT systems within payroll department which impact across all clients.

Regularly produce complex reports for use in client Trusts.

Regularly review and design systems, procedures and policies within Payroll, and within client trusts to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

Produce statements of Redundancy Payments and costs thereof to enable Client Trusts to assess viability of organisational change.

Ensure that the Trust policies, procedures and standards for records management are implemented, maintained, monitored and reviewed.

Ensure that all staff in department are aware of the above policies, procedures and standards and their responsibilities

Process the gathering of information within Payroll in order to comply with an Information Request under Freedom of Information Act requirements

Ensure that the standards for Information Security Management System (BS7799) are implemented, maintained, monitored and reviewed and that this process is reflected in the IM&T Security Manuals

Ensure that all staff in Payroll are aware of the standards, policies, procedures relating to Information Security Management Systems

Ensure that processes and procedures relating to confidentiality are developed, maintained, monitored and reviewed in line with NHS Guidance and legislation:

Data Protection Act 1998

Caldicott Principles

NHS Code of Confidentiality

Human Rights

Ensure that all staff in Payroll are aware of the policies and procedures relating to confidentiality.

Research and Development

Regularly undertakes set up and testing of new items in the payroll system to ensure statutory compliance and to meet the needs of multiple clients

Responsible for the setup and testing of the expenses system to ensure accurate payment of staff claims and compliance with Duty of Care

Responsible for the testing of all interfaces to ESR (e.g. ERostering systems) to ensure correct payments are generated

Regularly undertakes research relating to all Payroll and Pensions related matters to ensure all statutory changes are interpreted and applied correctly

Responsible for ensuring the completion of statutory returns for Dept of Health, National Fraud office, National Statistics office.

Responsible for audit of payroll department processing to prevent fraud.

Respond and act upon audit reports

Review and revise departmental procedures.

Freedom to Act

Work autonomously, guided by National Policy and regulation, but responsible for the interpretation of these.

Responsible for developing procedures and policies to be used by staff in payroll and in Client Trusts.

Direct and guide staff in payroll department.

Responsible for advising Client Trusts on interpretations and necessary procedures.

Acts as lead specialist in Payroll & Pensions Matters.

Communication

Regularly advise Directors of HR, Directors of Finance and other Senior Managers on highly complex issues relating to Payroll and Pensions, Statutory Requirements, Terms & Conditions of Service.

Meet at regular intervals with client organisation senior staff to review service quality and delivery

Deal with individual employees both collectively and individually where potential TUPE transfers create uncertainty and anxiety

Give Instruction, Guidance and Advice to Payroll staff on all matters relating to Payroll department activities.

Propose new procedures and policies to Client Trusts which have an impact on working practices within the Trusts, using negotiating and persuasion skills to achieve the desired outcome.

Participate in Regional and National Groups relating to Computerised Payroll System, NHS Pension Scheme, Payroll Management and Payroll Training.

Organise, plan and deliver presentations to multi discipline employees on Payroll and Pensions Matters.

Organise plan and deliver presentations to Trust Managers on more complex Payroll and Pensions Matters.

Organise plan and deliver presentations to payroll staff on major changes to conditions of service, statutory legislation, or payroll procedures.

Consult and negotiate with Payroll staff regarding organisational change and changes to working practices.

Consult and negotiate with employee groups regarding changes to working practices and terms and conditions of service.

Answer complex queries, written, verbal, and electronic, from Managers, employees, outside agencies, bereaved relatives.

Respond to complaints from employees, outside agencies and Managers.

Regularly speak to irate, distressed employees regarding pay issues.

Handle escalated queries from employees or managers which payroll staff have been unable to resolve.

Negotiate repayment of salary overpayments with angry and distressed employees.

Discuss with terminally ill employees available options for Benefits/pension.

Meet with relatives of deceased employees to discuss NHS Pensions benefits payable

Regularly discuss complex payroll issues with employees for whom English is not the first language.

Please see the attached job description for further information.