Employment Services Administrator

INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.

Job title: Employment Services Administrator

Salary: B3 £26,403 – £28,142

Hours: 37 Hours

Contract: Permanent

Location: Merrion House/ Civic Hall

Join the Employee Changes Team – Business Support Centre

Are you an enthusiastic individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment? Do you have a passion for numbers and ensuring employees are paid correctly? We are looking for someone just like you to join our Employee Changes Team, focusing on processing a wide range of payroll related tasks, resolving payroll queries and providing an excellent customer experience both through email and telephone.

To work as a member of the Employee Changes Team, the post holder will require an enthusiastic and professional approach, the ability to multitask and prioritise their own workload whilst working accurately to strict deadlines.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About You

As an Employment Services Administrator, the key responsibilities and requirements are to:

• Handle telephone and email enquiries related to payroll and HR administration.
• Provide a customer-focused service to Leeds City Council employees and external organisations such as schools and academies.
• Serve as the welcoming, enthusiastic, and professional first point of contact for payroll and employment services via telephone.
• Maintain knowledge around payroll policies and procedures such as statutory and voluntary deductions, calculation of statutory payments, application of attendance schemes such as sickness and family leave and an appreciation of the pensions schemes.
• Be welcoming, enthusiastic, and professional attitude.
• Have good communication skills; particularly verbally via the telephone
• The ability to work flexibly to support other teams when necessary.
• Have knowledge of GDPR and data protection legislation.
• Be Committed to the Council’s values.

About The Role

• Manage payroll data for over 40,000 employees, including starters, leavers, and contractual changes.
• Input and peer-check payroll information across multiple payrolls.
• Respond to queries on HR policies, employment legislation, and family leave entitlements.
• Collaborate with HR and other services to ensure accurate and timely payroll delivery.
• Support system changes and contribute to service improvements.
• Provide regular support to the BSC Enquiry Telephony Team. Responding to a wide range of payroll and HR administration queries

Key Responsibilities

• Accurately process payroll tasks and maintain compliance with terms and conditions.
• Provide a professional first point of contact for payroll enquiries.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll policies, statutory payments, deductions, and pension schemes.
• Handle telephone and email enquiries related to payroll and HR administration.

Experience in payroll or finance is desirable but not essential.

What We Offer You

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How To Apply

Complete the online application form.

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

It is anticipated interviews will be held week commencing 29 September 2025

For further information about the vacancy, please contact:

Rebekah Hutchison – 3786481

Caroline Feather – 3786455

Working Hours: Mon–Thu: 8:30am–5:00pm | Fri: 8:30am–4:30pm

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you\’ll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose

Business Support Centre (BSC) is part of the HR and Business Support Functions within the Council’s Strategy and Resources directorate. The BSC has a number of different teams supporting centralised processes including; payroll and HR employee administration services. (Employment Services)

This role is working in the Employment Services Employee Changes Team which is responsible for payroll and HR administration processes for over 40,000 employee records. This includes activity relating to all aspects of employment, ranging from recruitment processes, changes to terms and conditions, additional payments, attendance and leaver processing. You will responsible for delivering key administration duties within demanding deadlines with a customer focused approach.

The team use a range of computer programmes and systems to support services which include those working with teams based across the council in a number of different administration roles.

Responsibilities

• Working with high levels of accuracy for tasks such as checking documents and recording numerical and alphabetical information.
• Identify problems and areas for improvement and offer solutions.
• Supporting staff and develop new team members.
• Use own initiative and judgement where appropriate, providing outcomes and solutions for customers from a range of options.
• Maintain knowledge of payroll processes, legislation and policies
• Work on your own, manage your own workload and use your initiative to adhere to time scales and deadlines.
• Ability to analyse and collate data and use it to produce reports.
• Understanding of legal business, financial, audit, confidential and operational requirements of the service, and the impact on its day-to-day work.
• Deal with and resolve payroll specific enquiries received by telephone and email
• Work flexibly and move within service areas – working at different locations depending on service demand.
• Willing to abide by the Council’s Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety Policies.
• Willing to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

Qualifications

Essential requirements Candidates will only be shortlisted if they can demonstrate that they meet all the following essential requirements.

PERSON SPECIFICATION: Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Skills Required:

• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills with a wide range of people including face-to-face, telephone and written communication skills. Including the processes for dealing with varied information with a range of audiences. (A/I)
• Work with, and within, multiple teams of staff and contribute to its development with suggestions for new ways of working.(A/I)

Knowledge Required:

• Knowledge of the applications, systems and IT programmes utilised by the service and being able to accurately record and retrieve information. (A/I)
• Knowledge of Contract procedure rules, Payroll processing, Recruitment and selection, Children’s safeguarding (A/I) Experience Required:
• Experience of working on your own and using your initiative to adhere to timescales and deadlines.(A/I)
• Experience and understanding of the importance of providing excellent customer services and experience of dealing positively with challenging situations.(A/I)

Essential Behavioural & Other Characteristics

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• Willingness to actively participate in appraisal, training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge and skills.
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements Candidates are not required to meet all the following desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• Experience of working in a payroll environment
• Experience of working in telephony based role

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