Payroll and HR Assistant

Band: 2

Salary: £29,795 - £33,073

Location: Liverpool

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full time

Closing Date: 28/05/26

Interview Date(s): WC 22nd June

Job Summary

The HR Operations team is part of the wider People Services function and sits alongside recruitment, policy pay and reward and HR Advisory Services teams. You will work closely with colleagues in these teams to ensure processes run smoothly, opportunities for continuous improvement are identified and worked on and consistent advice is provided. Our key purpose is to manage the employee lifecycle seamlessly from onboarding through to leavers and retirements. We aim to provide high levels of customer service whilst ensuring compliance with internal policies and external legislative requirements and continuous improvement is a key part of all our objectives and deliverables. This is high volume, detail oriented work.

Key Accountabilities:

• Inbox Triage: Managing the central HR mailbox, providing first-line advice and guidance on HR policy, pension, and payroll matters. Duties include interpreting leave entitlement, flexible working, and government security standards.
• Data Reporting: Generating, interpreting, and applying employee metrics for continuous improvement and reporting to internal customers and external organisations.
• Payroll & Pensions Administration: Reconciling monthly payrolls and overseeing pensions administration through 3rd party service providers.
• Pay Run Instructions: Processing variation letters, checking calculated allowances, and adjusting hours for monthly payroll cuts.
• System Maintenance: Carrying out checks and audits to ensure the accuracy of data held on ERP system.
• Lifecycle Actions: Inputs data changes for new starters, leavers, contractual changes, and absences.
• Information Security: Managing physical and electronic personnel documentation securely under strict GDPR laws.
• Security Vetting: Ensuring pre-employment checks are completed and processing security clearance applications for new starters.
• Employee Benefits and Rewards: Processing recognition and in-year rewards and supporting the annual pay award process.

Essential Criteria (to be assessed at application stage):

• Payroll Administration: Previous experience of processing payroll from within a medium to large organisation.
• Vetting and Security: Must be familiar with government security vetting requirements and their application to new starters whilst understanding compliance with Personnel Security Standards.
• Customer Service Excellence: Acts as a professional first point of contact for employee queries, providing clear advice on HR policies while building strong, collaborative relationships with the HR team and wider departmental stakeholders.
• HR System Proficiency: Experience using HR Information Systems (HRIS) to manage employee data and business processes.
• Attention to Detail & Accuracy: Proven ability to maintain high standards of accuracy in record-keeping, such as processing payroll changes or drafting employment contracts.

Success Profiles (to be assessed at interview):

• Experience
• Behaviours: Managing a Quality Service, Working Together, Delivering at Pace, Making Effective Decisions.

Valuing our people:

• Competitive salary
• Generous pension scheme
• A discretionary non-contractual performance related bonus
• Working remotely in addition to working in advertised office location
• Flexi time scheme (available for B1-B6)
• Minimum 25 days annual leave to a maximum service related 30 days excluding bank holidays.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the relevant resources.

We want to make our recruitment process accessible to everyone, so if there is any way that we can support you, please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk.

Working flexibly, delivering outcomes:

GCA operates a smarter working model that balances flexibility with collaboration. Successful candidates are expected to spend at least 26 days per quarter (approximately 2 days per week, pro-rata) at their contracted office, another GCA site, or off-site for meetings. For the remainder of the time, you may work from home or another suitable location that meets business needs.

Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Selection Process: A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitably similar vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview. Should you be placed on a reserve list and want to be removed please contact recruitment@gca.gov.uk. Please note that as part of this recruitment process, if you are unsuccessful at the interview stage but are close to the benchmark score you may be considered for and offered a role at a lower pay band within the same job family.

Government Commercial Agency (GCA) is the largest public procurement organisation in the UK. With over 800 staff, we help thousands of public and third sector buyers in the UK with billions of pounds of spending each year. We have a wide range of commercial agreements to help our customers buy what they need, when they need it - saving time and money.