Payroll and Benefits Assistant
Job Title: / Payroll and Benefits Assistant
Reference No: / NPE083
Reports to: / Payroll and Benefits Adviser
Responsible For: / N/A
Grade: / Grade C
WorkingHours: / 37 hours a week
Faculty/Service: / Human Resources
Location: / Edinburgh Building
Main Purpose of Role: /
  • To work as part of a team to deliver the monthly payroll. To provide high quality, timely and accurate work to agreed standards, and to deliver excellent customer service, efficiency and value for money.
  • To support the Payroll and Benefits Adviser, Payroll team and wider HR function to continually improve and develop payroll processes and efficiency, assure delivery of the payroll and meet external compliance.
  • To support HR contracts processes and administration.

KeyResponsibilities
andAccountabilities: /
  • Work as part of a team to deliver the monthly payroll, including:
  • Lead on the input and calculation of all aspects of the payroll in nominated areas.
  • Prepare management information as required. Reconcile payroll-related input ensuring that anomalies are investigated, rectified and appropriate changes are implemented to improve service delivery.
  • Ensure that anomalies are investigated, rectified and appropriate changes are implemented to improve service delivery.
  • Interpret and implement statutory payroll and pension regulations and University policies and procedures.
  • Maintain accurate payroll and pensions information. Conduct audit checks on data accuracy and comply with business assurance and audit processes.
  • Perform pension administration and liaise with external pension providers, including the provision of pension estimates.
  • Work proactively with HR colleagues to deliver an effective end-to-end contracts and payment process. Assist in the management and amendment of contractual changes using the HR/Payroll system e.g. extension, terminations, regradings, responsibility payments etc. Coordinate and reconcile claims including support for Academic Tutor processes.
  • Be the first point of contact and take responsibility for Payroll and Benefits enquiries, providingconsistent and accurate information and advice. Work in partnership with faculties and services.
  • Identify matters requiring the input of the Payroll and Benefits Adviser, providing requisite background information, briefing them and providing appropriate information to assist.Recommend suitable courses of action and or draft response for their approval as appropriate, in order to assist and enable timely processing of the matter in hand.
  • Take ownership of continuous process improvement for the HR process and systems.
  • Engage incontinuous development to ensure up-to-date payroll and pensions knowledge relevant to the needs of the University. Understand the wider implications of payroll processes. Develop and implement new approaches, guidance, procedures and processes to accommodate changes in both internal requirements and payroll related legislation.
  • Participate in and support HR projects as required.
  • Support the Payroll and Benefits Adviser and Payroll and Benefits Coordinator in testing, developing and maintaining the HR-Payroll System.
  • Develop and maintain effective professional working relationships within the HR team, the wider University and external agencies. Act as a role model within Human Resources, supporting effective communication and cross-skilling as appropriate. Support the provision of effective office cover and cover for departmental activities.
  • General administration and other duties as and when required.

Special Circumstances: /
  • Payroll processing dates will need to be taken into account when annual leave is being considered and approved.

Part 2A: Essential and DesirableCriteria
Essential
QualificationsandProfessionalMemberships:
  • Maths and English GCSE or equivalent

Knowledge andExperience:
  • Experience of end-to-end payroll input and reconciliation in a large organisation (circa 1,000+) using a complex HR/Payroll database.
  • Customer focused attitude and ability to deliver service improvements.
  • Effective problem solving.
  • Good working knowledge of payroll activities.
  • Detailed knowledge of complex pay methods.
  • Demonstrable working knowledge of existing and forthcoming payroll and pension policy and legislation (including auto-enrolment and HMRC real-time information.)
  • Proficient use of Microsoft Office packages including Word and Excel.

Desirable
QualificationsandProfessionalMemberships:
  • Certificate in Payroll Practice(CIPP) or above.

Knowledge and Experience:
  • Experience of working in the Higher Education sector.
  • Experience in providing advice to managers and staff on payroll and pensions issues.
  • Knowledge of public sector pension rules and legislation including Local Government Pension Scheme and Teachers Pensions.
  • Experience of developing and changing processes to achieve high service levels.
  • Knowledge of year end requirements.

Part 2B: Key Competencies
Competencies are assessed at the interview/selection testing stage / Analysis & Research
  • Identifies and uses a range of sources and types of data
  • Produces reports that combine different types of data

Communication
Oral Communication
  • Delivery methods are chosen and tailored to aid understanding and meet the needs of others
  • Takes action to correct any misunderstandings or mistakes
  • Checks on recipient's understanding and takes action to remedy any miscommunications
  • Adapts style in response to feedback
Written Communication
  • Anticipates the others' needs for information
  • Adjusts the level of content to suit audiences with varying levels of understanding and ability
  • Provides information in a suitable format so that the others' needs are met
  • Uses a range of different formats, chosen to the diverse needs and ensure understanding

Decision Making
Independent Decisions
  • Considers wider impact of decisions, assesses possible outcomes and their likelihood
  • Uses judgement to make decisions with limited or ambiguous data and takes account of multiple factors
  • Distinguishes between the need to make a decision, when to defer and when not to take a decision
Collaborative Decisions
  • Helps others to explore options that initially appear to be inappropriate or unfeasible and recognise when a decision is or is not needed
  • Enables others to contribute to decisions
  • Ensures that options are weighed, outcomes identified and chances of success considered
  • Challenges decisions, appropriately to ensure consideration and processes are robust
Provision of Advice
  • Anticipates and highlights issues that need to be taken into account
  • Outlines possible impacting factors, assessing their degree of influence on the choice of options
  • Ensures previous learning is included

Initiative & Problem Solving
  • Analyses problems to identify their cause
  • Takes action to prevent recurrence of problems
  • Considers possible solutions to identify those which offer wider benefits
  • Obtains evidence to support intuition

Service Delivery
  • Has accurate and up to date knowledge of services available in own and related areas of work
  • Correctly refers customers elsewhere
  • Ensures that the experience of each customer is positive and satisfactory
  • Adapts services and systems to meet customers’ needs and identifies ways of improving standards
  • Learns from complaints and takes action to resolve them
  • Collates feedback and views from customers and keeps up-to-date with market trends to inform service development and make changes
  • Actively promotes services

Team Development
  • Produces material to help others learn
  • Recognises when a colleague needs help and provides appropriate guidance
  • Suggests constructively ways in which other team members could improve their performance

Teamwork & Motivation
  • Helps to clarify priorities and ensure they are understood by all
  • Supports colleagues in need of extra help
  • Acknowledges the achievement of colleagues

Date Completed: / Sept 2016