Pay and Pensions Officer

Job Title: Pay and Pensions Officer
Location: Hybrid working (Halton Borough Council)
Hours: 20 hours per week
Pay Rate: 14.82 per hour
Contract: Initial 3-month contract (with potential for extension)

About the Role

Halton Borough Council is seeking a knowledgeable and detail-oriented Pay and Pensions Officer to join our team on a part-time, hybrid basis. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with payroll and pensions experience to contribute to a busy and supportive environment, ensuring employees and external payees are paid accurately and on time.

You will play a key role in delivering payroll services within strict deadlines, maintaining compliance with statutory regulations, and supporting pension administration across multiple schemes.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver accurate and timely payroll processes for internal and external payees, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, audit controls, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Assist in the reconciliation of gross to net payroll calculations, identifying and resolving discrepancies.
• Provide technical support across pension schemes including LGPS, TPS, and NHS.

Duties Include

• Offering expert advice and guidance to employees, managers, schools, and SLA clients on payroll policies, procedures, and pension schemes.
• Ensuring accurate calculation and payment of salaries, including handling pay variations, deductions, statutory payments (sick pay, maternity/paternity), overpayments, and recoveries.
• Processing contractual changes such as starters, leavers, and amendments in line with legislation, HMRC guidance, and Council policy.
• Advising on terms and conditions across various employment frameworks (e.g., NJC, JNC, NHS, School Teachers).
• Preparing and maintaining payroll records, including payslips, P45s, and payments to external payees.
• Analysing payroll reports and reconciling discrepancies prior to final processing.
• Supporting monthly payroll and pension reconciliations, ensuring accuracy for statutory and financial reporting.
• Assisting with statutory returns and pension reporting using relevant systems and tools.
• Supporting pension estimates and redundancy calculations to aid decision-making.
• Investigating and resolving pension data issues for schools using external providers.
• Contributing to projects such as TUPE transfers by providing payroll and pensions expertise.
• Supporting system testing and producing user guidance for HR/Payroll systems.
• Undertaking additional duties appropriate to the role as required.

About You

• Essential: Recognised BTEC Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Payroll Techniques / Payroll Procedures qualification, or equivalent evidence of an appropriate level of skills, HR/payroll knowledge, and ability.
• Experience in payroll and/or pensions administration.
• Strong understanding of statutory payroll requirements and pension schemes.
• Excellent attention to detail and analytical skills.
• Ability to manage multiple deadlines and prioritise workload effectively.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to provide clear advice and guidance.
• Experience working with HR/Payroll systems and reporting tools is desirable.

Connect2Halton is a trading style of Halton & Kent Commercial Services LLP- A joint venture between Halton Borough Council & Commercial Services Kent Ltd. Connect2Halton is an equal opportunities Employment Agency & Business. It positively encourages applications from all suitably qualified and eligible candidates.