Part Time HR and Payroll Specialist (3 days/week)

Part Time HR and Payroll Specialist (0.6 FTE)

£42,000-£45,000

West London

Experience with Cintra, Breathe, Sage or IRIS is highly beneficial.

The HR and Payroll Specialist will support the effective day-to-day running of Human Resources, payroll and pensions administration, delivering a high-quality, accurate, compliant, and responsive service. This role will work closely with Finance in regards to payroll and pensions queries. This is a part-time position (0.6FTE) and the successful candidate will have recent experience in an HR and Payroll position.

You are required to have experience of pensions administration and dealing with pensions queries. You are also required to have recent experience which demonstrates your knowledge of UK employment legislation and HR best practice.

This is a hands-on operational role, acting as a first point of contact for payroll and pensions queries, including support for USS and Standard Life arrangements. The potholder will coordinate monthly payroll activity, ensure accurate pension administration, maintain employee records, and support HR processes across the employee life-cycle.

The role is ideally suited to someone who enjoys a varied position spanning payroll coordination, pensions administration, HR operations, and compliance within a small, collaborative higher education environment.

Reporting to the Deputy Head of HR, the main duties are:

Payroll

• Act as a first point of contact for payroll queries, providing timely and accurate advice to managers and employees.
• Coordinate monthly payroll processes in line with internal deadlines.
• Collate, check, and submit payroll data to external providers.
• Run and review payroll reports, identify discrepancies, and support timely resolution.
• Ensure payroll activity is compliant with statutory requirements, including HMRC reporting and National Minimum Wage obligations.
• Liaise with Finance and external payroll providers as required.

Pensions

• Act as a first point of contact for pensions queries from employees and managers.
• Administer pension schemes, including auto-enrollment, contributions, opt-ins, opt-outs, and ongoing member changes.
• Be responsible for the administration of USS and Standard Life pension arrangements.
• Liaise with pension providers and support monthly and year-end pension processes.
• Assist with the administration of employee benefits and related records.

HR Operations & Advisory

• Support the employee life-cycle, including recruitment, on-boarding, contracts, contractual changes, and leavers.
• Prepare job descriptions, adverts, offer paperwork, and recruitment documentation.
• Support the coordination of pre-employment checks, including right to work and DBS requirements.
• Support employee relations processes such as absence management, probation, disciplinary, and grievances
• Maintain accurate, confidential HR records in line with GDPR and internal policies.

Data, Systems & Compliance

• Maintain HR systems and ensure data accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Produce regular and ad hoc HR reports, including headcount, absence, and compliance tracking.
• Ensure HR policies, procedures, and documentation are updated in line with legislation and best practice.
• Assist with audits, compliance checks, and reporting requirements.

General

• Support wider HR projects and initiatives as required.
• Contribute to continuous improvement in HR, payroll, and pensions processes.
• Promote equality, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of the role.
• Adhere to health and safety policies and other institutional requirements.
• Undertake other duties appropriate to the level of the post in line with organisational needs.