Location: Leominster, Herefordshire

Job Title: School Payroll Administrator

Start Date: ASAP

Salary: Dependent on experience

Contract Type: Full-time, interim (with potential for extension or permanent conversion)

About the School

Located in Reading, this thriving secondary academy prides itself on maintaining high operational standards across all supporting departments. The school provides a vibrant, welcoming environment where every staff member plays a vital role in ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. To support their busy business and administrative operations, the leadership team is seeking a meticulous and structured School Payroll Administrator to join their dedicated central finance team.

About the Role

Working in close collaboration with both the Finance and Human Resources departments, you will take ownership of routine monthly payroll administration. This is a key operational post responsible for ensuring all staff remuneration is processed accurately, confidentially, and strictly on schedule.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting in the end-to-end preparation, calculation, and processing of monthly payroll runs.

• Maintaining precise electronic records for salaries, statutory deductions, pension contributions, overtime, and sickness absences.

• Managing administrative workflows for new starters, leavers, salary adjustments, and contractual changes.

• Cross-checking timesheets, claims, and supporting documentation to verify accuracy before final processing.

• Serving as the primary point of contact for routine payroll enquiries from teaching and support personnel.

• Partnering with HR officers and finance leads to investigate and resolve pay discrepancies promptly.

• Administering confidential personnel records in strict accordance with data protection regulations and internal policies.

• Supporting month-end financial reconciliation and generating routine payroll management reports.

The Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate will bring proven background experience in payroll administration alongside strong numerical accuracy and organizational discipline.

Key qualifications and personal attributes include:

• Demonstrable experience running or supporting payroll administrative processes is essential.

• Prior experience within a school, academy trust, or local authority setting is strongly preferred.

• Proficiency in handling numerical data, spreadsheets, and specialized payroll/HR management systems.

• Exceptional attention to detail and a methodical approach to handling high-volume documentation.

• Complete integrity when handling sensitive personal data, with a strong grasp of GDPR guidelines.

• Strong communication skills with a customer-focused approach to resolving staff queries.

• Ability to prioritize workloads effectively while maintaining performance under strict monthly cut-off dates.

Safeguarding & Recruitment

An Enhanced DBS check with Children's Barred List clearance will be required prior to commencement, alongside satisfactory professional reference checks in accordance with safer recruitment standards.

How to Apply

If you have relevant payroll experience and are available to start on short notice, please submit an up-to-date CV for immediate consideration.