Payroll Assistant in Peterborough

Responsibilities

You’ll be part of our in‑house payroll service, delivering accurate, timely, end‑to‑end payroll processing for colleagues across the Council and traded services. Day‑to‑day, you will:

• Run monthly payroll cycles from input to reconciliation, ensuring compliance with HMRC, statutory and local government requirements.
• Administer starters, leavers and contractual changes (including back‑pay, allowances, overtime, deductions, and statutory payments), and produce audit‑ready records.
• Maintain and quality‑check data in our HR/Payroll system (Unit4 ERP) and associated tools, using reports to spot anomalies and resolve issues before pay day.
• Provide clear, customer‑focused advice to employees and managers, working closely with HR Admin and Recruitment to ensure a smooth colleague lifecycle.
• Apply local government frameworks correctly (e.g., NJC grades/allowances) and support implementation of annual pay awards within payroll deadlines.
• Contribute to continuous improvement—documenting processes, suggesting system/report enhancements, and supporting testing when changes go live.
• Help colleagues make the most of the Local Government and NHS Pension Schemes by processing pensionable pay accurately and on time in line with scheme rules.

Team

You’ll join our Payroll & HR Administration service, part of the People & Development function. The service is led by Kellie Wootten, Service Lead – Payroll & HR Admin (MCIPP dip), and works hand‑in‑hand with HR Admin, Recruitment and HR Business Partnering to deliver a seamless end‑to‑end service for managers and employees. We have strengthened our structure to build resilience and career pathways across the team so there is scope to learn, progress, and help shape how we do things. Our ways of working are collaborative and service‑focused: we share knowledge and support colleagues in other parts of the People & Development Team during busy periods to get the job done right first time.

About You

You’re a payroll professional who takes pride in getting pay right and providing a friendly, reliable service. Specifically, you will bring:

• Hands‑on payroll experience in a medium/large, multi‑contract environment—comfortable with end‑to‑end processing, reconciliations, and explaining pay outcomes to non‑specialists.
• Strong systems skills, ideally with Unit4 (or a similar HR/Payroll platform), and confident Excel/reporting ability to validate data and investigate exceptions.
• Knowledge of UK payroll legislation (PAYE, NI, SSP/SMP etc.) and ideally an understanding of local government context—NJC grades/allowances and pensionable pay under the LGPS (we’ll support you to deepen this).
• Attention to detail and judgement—you can spot issues early, apply policies consistently, and keep excellent, auditable records.
• Customer focus and teamwork—you’re responsive, respect deadlines around payroll cut‑offs, and work positively to resolve queries quickly.

Benefits

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in‑store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes.
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro‑rated).
• Access to a car lease scheme.
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances.
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings.
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth.
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day.
• Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network.
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards.

Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from under‑represented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success. We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk. Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.