Payroll and Pensions Officer - AR

Job Description Job Title

Payroll and Pensions Officer

Reporting To

Senior Payroll and Pensions Officer

Department

Payroll and Pensions Finance and Commercial Services

Tenure

Permanent / Fixed Term (as applicable)

Overall Purpose of Role

To support the accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of payroll and pension services for all Police Officers and Police Staff. The role ensures that all payments, deductions, and pension contributions are processed in line with HMRC legislation, Employment Law, Police Regulations, Force Policies, and local agreements.

The postholder plays a key role in maintaining data integrity across payroll and HR systems while delivering a customer-focused payroll service to approximately 11,000 employees.

Key Responsibilities 1. Payroll Processing and Accuracy

• Process monthly payroll input for approximately 11,000 employees
• Ensure all pay data is accurate, complete, and processed within strict deadlines
• Verify payroll instructions and challenge inconsistencies or non-compliant data
• Maintain accurate payroll records in line with audit requirements

2. Payroll Compliance and Governance

• Ensure payroll processes comply with HMRC, Employment Law, Police Regulations, and Force Financial Policies
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of payroll legislation, Police Staff Terms & Conditions, and Force agreements
• Ensure GDPR compliance in handling sensitive employee data

3. Absence and Allowance Management

• Process statutory and occupational absence data including:
  • Sickness
  • Maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave
  • Unpaid leave
• Ensure correct application of pay adjustments and entitlements

4. Pay Changes and Adjustments

• Process increments, temporary promotions, salary variations, and leave adjustments
• Ensure changes are correctly reflected in reckonable pay and pensionable service
• Calculate and process overpayments and recoveries where required

5. Pension Administration Support

• Maintain accurate pension records and support pension calculations
• Provide pension data to senior officers and managers
• Extract and interpret pension system data for calculations and projections
• Ensure compliance with Police Pension Schemes and LGPS requirements

6. Complex Calculations and Financial Adjustments

• Perform complex payroll calculations including:
  • Redundancy payments
  • Termination payments
  • Previous year adjustments
  • Manual payroll corrections
• Apply correct tax and National Insurance treatment in line with HMRC rules

7. Salary Sacrifice and Compliance Calculations

• Calculate National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage implications for salary sacrifice schemes
• Advise on implications for employees falling below earnings thresholds

8. Employee and Stakeholder Support

• Respond to payroll and pension queries from staff, managers, and external stakeholders
• Provide clear advice on payroll, tax, and pension matters
• Escalate complex issues where appropriate

9. System and Data Management

• Use payroll, HR, pensions, and reporting systems to maintain accurate employee records
• Ensure consistency of data across HR and payroll platforms
• Support system audits and corrective actions where required

Key Working Relationships Internal:

• Police Officers and Police Staff (all ranks)
• People Directorate / HR teams
• Trade Unions and Staff Associations
• Finance colleagues

External:

• HMRC
• Pension administrators
• Courts and Child Support Agency
• Banks and building societies
• Other police forces

Person Specification Essential Requirements

• GCSEs (or equivalent) including Maths and English
• Experience working in a payroll environment
• Strong data entry and numerical accuracy skills
• Excellent Microsoft Excel and Office skills
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• Ability to meet strict deadlines in a high pressure environment
• Understanding of confidentiality and GDPR requirements

Desirable

• Payroll qualification (or working towards one)
• Knowledge of Police Regulations or public sector payroll
• Experience with pension schemes (Police Pension / LGPS)
• Experience using payroll/HR systems and reporting tools

Additional Requirements

• Willingness to travel within the Force area if required
• Ability to work flexibly to meet payroll deadlines
• Full UK driving licence (desirable)