Job Description and Further Particulars

Job Title: Payroll Officer

Accountable to:College Accountant

Hours:25 to 30 hours per week

Grade:Grade 5

Overview of the role

Working as part of a small accounts team, the Payroll Officer is responsible for managing the College’s monthly payroll of around 100 staff. This is a varied payroll role, covering all aspects of the payroll function for salaried and casual hourly paid employees.

About the College

  1. Introduction

StAntony'sCollegeisthe mostcosmopolitan of theseven graduatecolleges of theUniversity of Oxford,specialising in international relations, economics,politicsand historyof particular parts of theworld.

ThecurrentWarden, Professor Margaret MacMillan,wasa studentattheCollege. Beforebecoming Warden shewas Provost of TrinityCollege,Toronto. Shehaspublished extensively. Herrecent publicationsincludePeacemakers:the ParisConferenceof 1919and ItsAttemptto Make Peace (2002);When Nixon met Mao (2006);TheUsesand Abusesof History (2009); The War that Ended Peace (2013)and History’s People (2016).

Like otherOxford colleges,theCollegeisan independentself-governing institution. ItsGoverning Bodyconsists of between 40and 45Fellowsand is chaired bytheWarden. TheFellowsare distinguished scholarsin their chosen fieldsand most of themhold senior academicpostsin the University. Each conductshis or her own research programme. Almostall of themsupervise postgraduatestudentsfromStAntony’sand other collegesand someteach undergraduatesaswell. Theyalsotakepartin Universityand Collegeadministration.

  1. AcademicLife: Centres,Studentsand Visitors

TheCollegehasseven regional centreswhich cover Africa,Asia (exceptJapan),Europe,Japan, Latin America,the MiddleEast,and Russia and therest of theformer SovietUnion. Most of theCentres arehoused on theCollege’scampusin converted Victorian houses. Each Centreis run bya Centre Director whois normallya Governing BodyFellow of theCollege.

StAntony’shasbetween 450and 550postgraduatestudentsworking on taught master’scourses and research-based doctorates. Membership of theCollegeis itself an important educational experiencefor thestudents. Coming frommorethan 70countries,theylearn fromeach other’s experienceand broaden their understanding of theworld. Theyalsobenefitfromthe experience and scholarship of thehundred or moresenior visitorswhomStAntony’swelcomes each year. In addition toworld-renowned scholars,theseincludebusinesspeople,politiciansand government officials. World leaders often cometospeakattheCollege.

  1. College Administration

ThePayroll Officer reportstothe College Accountant whoisa Senior AdministrativeOfficer (SAO) of theCollege.

The Bursar, who is a Governing Body Fellow, leads the College’s administration under the direction of the Governing Body and the Management Executive Team. The latter consists of six Governing Body Fellows and the GCR President and has delegated authority from the Governing Body. Seven Senior Administrative Officers (SAOs)assisttheBursar in theadministration of the College:

  • TheCollegeAccountant
  • The DomesticBursar
  • The Development Director
  • TheCollegeRegistrar
  • TheHR Manager
  • The Librarian
  • TheSenior IT Officer

Job Description

Payroll:

  • Administering all aspects of the College payroll;
  • Ensuring timely processing of monthly payroll and preparation of bank payment files and supporting information;
  • Monthly HMRC RTI report submission including full payment and employer payment summaries;
  • Preparation of monthly payments to HMRC, and pension providers;
  • Preparation of monthly returns to pension scheme providers;
  • Reconciliation of all payroll and pension accounts on a monthly basis;
  • Completion of necessary processes for starters and leavers;
  • Retention and administration of documents relating to the right to work in the UK;
  • Ensuring all annual returns to HMRC, pension providers and government agencies are completed accurately and to time
  • Completion of P11ds and other legally required payroll documentation;
  • Calculating pay uplifts and increments including any backdated pension calculations and preparing increment and cost of living uplift letters;
  • Dealing with queries from staff, HMRC and pension providers as necessary;
  • Keeping up to date with the relevant payroll related legislation;
  • Developing new systems and procedures in liaison with the College Accountant.

Petty Cash:

  • Managing the petty cash floats held in the Accounts Office and College Centres
  • Accounting for petty cash on a weekly basis and reconciling to cash counted;
  • Ensuring that the petty cash balance on the accounting system is correct and agrees to cash counted at the end of the month;
  • Working with Centre Administrators to ensure that all College petty cash floats are counted, reconciled and signed for at the year end.

Other:

  • Providing cover for other members of the accounts team as necessary;
  • Other accounting and administrative tasks that may be required from time to time by the Accountant or Bursar.

Person Specification

Essential

Substantial experience of operating payroll systems and procedures

Experience of administering pension schemes

Up-to-date knowledge of taxation and payroll legislation

A high level of accuracy and attention to detail particularly in relation to data entry

Substantial experience of using at least one computerised accounting package

Strong MS Office skills

Good written communication skills

Ability to work independently

Good interpersonal skills and an ability to interact well with a wide variety of people

Willingness to work in a dynamic environment and be involved in the development of new systems and approaches

An enthusiastic and optimistic approach to work and to colleagues

Desirable

AAT or Payroll Institute qualification or equivalent

Experience of using Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains & Cintra payroll

The remuneration package

The Payroll Officer willbepaidontheUniversitygrade5: £24,983 - £29,799 p.a.

Thepostcarrieswith itgenerousbenefitswhich include:

•41 days’ annual holiday FTE (this figure includes Bank Holiday entitlements; it should be noted that holiday cannot normally be taken during term and that the College staff work on Bank Holidays that occur during term);

•Membership of the University of Oxford Staff Pension Scheme, OSPS;

•Free lunches in College when the Hall is open;

•Access to a car parking space in the College’s grounds if one is available;

•A Childcare Voucher Scheme;

•A Bicycle Purchase Salary Sacrifice Scheme.

There is a probationary period of 3 months.

Howto apply

Theclosing datefor applicationsis noon on Wednesday 13th September 2017.

Applicantsareasked tosubmit a completed application formincluding details of tworeferees. Candidateswill beshortlisted solely on theextenttowhich theymeettheessential and desirable criteria of theperson specification.

Applicationsshould besentby email to: and/or incompleteapplicationswill notbe considered.

Interviews will be held on 21st September 2017

TheCollegeis an equal opportunities employer and applicantsarethereforeasked tocompletethe confidential and anonymous online monitoring survey. Candidateswill be emailed thelinktothe survey.

Thesuccessful candidatewillbeasked tocompletea confidential health questionnaire.Any offer of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and the right to work in the UK.

September 2017