Payroll, Pensions, and Expenses Officer

Job responsibilities

In this role, you are accountable for:

1. Responsible for a section of monthly payrolls as assigned by senior payroll staff. This involves planning and organising workload to ensure staff members are paid accurately and on time.

2. Maintain and update permanent and temporary records of payroll adjustments, making complex calculations as necessary for the purpose.

3. Ensure that each alteration is covered by an authority signed by a duly authorised officer.

4. Using expert knowledge of payroll practices and related legislation ensure the correct treatment of such matters as Income Tax, National Insurance and Pension deductions, Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay etc.

5. Comply with established procedures concerning the recording of staff absence.

6. Undertake established procedures in relation to advances and write-backs, and for amendment of errors.

7. Check and reconcile such work performed by other officers as deemed necessary by senior payroll staff.

8. Answer queries from staff in relation to payroll matters, which may be highly complex (e.g. tax queries) or relate to sensitive information.

9. Provide cover for the duties of other staff on the section in their absence.

10. Calculate pension entitlements via the Pensions On-line system and update pensions records on Pensions On-line.

11. Assist in the training and induction of new staff in the section.

12. Responsible for confidential information and for determining whether or not this information should be shared, escalating when necessary.

13. Compose and prepare complex reports using various systems/formats.

14. Undertake complex manual calculations of interim payments.

15. Provide information, both verbal and written, as requested from outside bodies, whilst complying with the Data Protection Act/GDPR.

16. Prepare starters and leavers documentation, e.g. payslips, P.45s, pensions information etc.

17. Calculate entitlements and payments in respect of maternity/paternity and adoption leave.

18. To translate the requirements of the pension and redundancy schemes and related statutory regulations, in order to provide specialist advice, in a simple and readily understood manner for management and staff at all levels in the NHS BSA and Hosted/Managed Services.

19. To maintain an understanding of NHS pay, conditions and local agreements, as they relate to payroll and pension scheme administration.

20. To maintain a working knowledge of the combined requirements of statutory regulations in relation to pay.

21. The calculation and monitoring of Temporary Injury Benefit payments under the NHS Injury Benefits Scheme, ensuring that all statutory requirements are met.

22. The calculation of widow/ers initial and limited pensions for payment, appropriate reclaim of expenditure from and reporting to the Pensions Division, following death in service cases.

23. To undertake the analysis of complex pay and pensions records and calculation of financial information for use in ongoing payment of pensions scheme benefits.

24. The review and validation of complex information received from employees and managers in respect of compliance with pension scheme regulations.

25. To deal with non-routine correspondence in relations to pension benefit, accidents, industrial injury and other general payroll correspondence, writing individual ad-hoc letters as necessary, ensuring the regulations are followed and the requirements of the Data Protection Act/GDPR are met.

26. To maintain an awareness of planned changes to pension and other regulations, interpreting changes in order to give management of NHSBSA and Hosted/Managed Services advice, and plan and organise work required to meet changes.

27. To respond to individual employee questions in relation to pensions and to provide responses to requests for forecasted benefits.

28. To co-ordinate payments due in respect of the redundancy or early retirement of staff in NHSBSA and Hosted/Managed Services.

29. Participate in payroll system and payroll/pension administration process developments and reviews.

30. Responsible for encouraging a culture of continuous improvement by ensuring that procedures are maintained and adhered to. In addition, ensuring that suggestions for improvement are submitted in accordance with the Divisions quality management system.

31. Ensure that expense payments are made within agrees service levels.

32. Preparation of payment productions, remittances, cheques slips and provision of relevant payment information to managed service customers and cash management.

33. Run appropriate ledger reports, analyse data and take appropriate actions.

34. To ensure only correctly completed and fully authorised expense claims are paid and identify potential irregularities as appropriate.

35. To be aware of personal development requirements and actively seek development opportunities.

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE standard (or equivalent) in a minimum of 5 subjects including English and maths.

Desirable

• Have or willing to study for a payroll/pension qualification to AAT technician level or equivalent

Personal Qualities, Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Numerate
• Analytical skills with high degree of attention to detail, preparing and analysing data
• Organised
• Excellent communication skills at all levels
• Confident/pleasant telephone manner/handling customer calls and correspondence
• Team player and able to work on own initiative
• Able to work under pressure
• Flexible
• Travel to other locations
• Able to work overtime if and when required
• IT literate, accurate keyboard skills, Word and Excel
• Calculate payroll payments gross to net, experience of computerised payroll
• HMRC legislation, NHS terms and conditions
• 2 years experience in busy payroll office
• Calculating pension and redundancy entitlement
• Working to strict guidelines
• Working to deadlines and prioritising workload

Desirable

• Able to think through implications of actions
• Knowledge of McKessons payroll software
• NHS Pension scheme regulations
• Integra knowledge
• Attention to detail
• Good communication skills
• Motivation skills
• Knowledge of NHS Pension Scheme regulations

Experience

Essential

• A minimum of two years' experience in a busy payroll/pension office
• Working to strict guidelines
• Working to deadlines and prioritising workload
• Handling customer telephone calls and correspondence
• Preparing and analysing data
• Demonstrable experience of computerised payroll

Desirable

• Previous NHS payroll experience
• Previous experience of Civil Service pay and pension scheme
• Experience of NHS pensions / NHS Injury benefits scheme
• Interpreting changes to regulations

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).