Payroll and Pensions Manager

Bancroft's, one of the country's leading co-educational day schools, is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Payroll and Pensions Manager who will ultimately take ownership of end-to-end payroll operations across the Bancroft's Family of Schools - Bancroft's School, Woodford Green Preparatory School, and St Aubyn's Prep School - covering a combined workforce of approximately 450 staff across three sites in North-East London and the Essex borders.

This is a hands-on role encompassing monthly payroll processing, payroll accounting, pension administration, administration and reporting of benefits and payroll financial analysis, working with manual data inputs alongside an outsourced payroll service. Reporting to the HR Director, you will be the in-house expert on payroll and pensions matters across the group, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery every pay cycle, and providing expert guidance to senior leadership.

Initially the role will be to prepare and manage the payroll operations of Bancroft's School, a mixed workforce of approximately 270 teaching staff, support staff and casual workers. Within the first six months, the successful candidate will work closely with the HR and Finance Teams to review the payroll systems in place across all three schools and establish one system to be implemented across the Family of Schools. This system will need to connect with current and/or new HR and Finance systems. The continuation of the outsourced payroll service will be subject to review once the payroll processes across the Bancroft's Family of Schools have been combined.

Working Hours

The post is 52 weeks per year, the working hours are 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, with 30 minutes unpaid lunch.

Remuneration

The salary range for the full-time role is £55,000 - £60,000 based upon experience. We offer a generous benefits package and have a commitment to supporting ongoing professional development for all of our staff.

Bancroft's School creates a happy learning environment, where bright children are challenged and supported to become the best versions of themselves. Bancroft's is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.

The closing date for applications is 10am on Thursday 19th November 2026. Applications will be considered as they are received, so early applications are encouraged. We reserve the right to interview early applicants should a suitable candidate apply.

Interview Dates:

First-round interviews will take place at Bancroft's on Friday 27th November. Final-round interviews will take place at Bancroft's on Thursday 3rd December.

Bancroft's School is an Equal Opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and expects all staff, contractors, Governors and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. In line with KCSIE, Bancroft's will carry out online searches on shortlisted candidates as part of the process of assessing suitability. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Bancroft's is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.