Payroll and HR Assistant in Liverpool

Do you thrive on maintaining high levels of accuracy and delivering excellent customer service in a fast-paced environment? Join our team to support the delivery of HR services. You will maintain system accuracy to ensure payroll processes run smoothly and act as the direct first line of contact for a range of HR related queries. The role of HR Operations is to ensure that people are paid correctly, and advice is accurate and timely, thereby enabling our people to focus on delivering value for the nation.

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: Inputting 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:

• Payroll Administration: Previous experience of processing payroll from within a medium to large organisation.
• Vetting and Security: 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.

Behaviours:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits:

• 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. 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.