Job Description

Payroll and HR Administrator

The Park Academies Trust is looking for an experienced and detail-focused Payroll and HR Administrator to join our central team, supporting all the schools within our Trust.

This is a key role, responsible for managing the monthly payroll cycle and ensuring accurate, timely responses to employee payroll queries. You will also support the wider HR team with transactional HR administration, helping to maintain smooth and compliant operations across our schools.

The successful candidate will have strong organisational skills, and a meticulous eye for detail. You'll be confident working independently, making day-to-day decisions, and delivering a high-quality support service. A flexible and proactive approach is essential, along with a genuine commitment to supporting or school communities.

Details of role:

Permananet, part time, working 30 hours per week (52 weeks).

Salary: 30,290 FTE / 24,560 actual gross salary for 30 hours per week

Closing date: 15th September 2025 (midday)

This role will be based at our Trust offices, at Abbey Park School; however you may be required to travel to other schools within the Trust as necessary.

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Why choose us?

The Park Academies Trust is a family of schools, both primary and secondary, that believes in 'collaboration not competition'. Together we are stronger!

Formed in 2016 with the vision to make a significant contribution to improving education, we are a growing Trust with a strong academic performance and are looking to enhance our team with dedicated and passionate teachers.

Currently eight schools: Abbey Park School, Lydiard Park Academy, Highworth Warneford School, The Deanery CE Academy, Red Oaks Primary School, Orchid Vale Primary School, Bridlewood Primary School and Kingfisher CE Academy, the Trust offers a high-quality educational provision from nursery right up to Sixth Form, enabling staff and pupils alike to benefit from being part of a thriving multi-phase educational Trust.

The positive and caring ethos at all our schools is combined with a clear mission to deliver the richest possible education experience which enables young people to leave our care as responsible citizens equipped to fulfil their personal goals and career aspirations.

We are offering an exciting opportunity to develop your career by joining a Trust which truly values its staff and provides a highly supportive environment.

Do you have:

A professional approach with good communication skills that allow effective communication with all levels of school teaching, support staff and pupils? A standards driven and customer focused outlook? Previous experience of working in HR and Payroll Administration processes? Practical experience of Windows based ICT, Excel, payroll packages, HR Management Information Systems? The ability to effectively organise a What we offer:nd prioritise your workload to ensure critical timescales are met?

What we offer:

A positive and dynamic environment in a Trust which is growing in both size and success A strong pupil ethos centred on mutual respect and fulfilling potential Competitive salary Staff benefits package, including salary sacrifice electric vehicle leasing, affordable technology, cycle to work scheme, shopping and holiday discounts Staff wellbeing: access to On Line Doctor, discounted gym membership, Employee Assistance Programme Attractive pension scheme
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Job Title:

Payroll and HR Administrator

Role reports to (Job Title):

Trust HR Business Partner

Job Purpose:

The main purpose of this role is to carry out accurate processing of payroll and payment of staff using the Edupay system. As part of this, the post holder will be expected to perform the accompanying administration, such as submitting the associated pension reports, recording temporary contracts, and arranging contract variations letters, and ensure these are correctly recorded on the appropriate HR system.

The post holder will be expected to operate with minimum supervision and take ownership of the responsibilities within key areas of the payroll administration function.

Key Accountabilities:

1. Ensure consistency of approach across the Multi academy Trust (MAT)

2. Understand the key personnel, structures, and roles in all schools within the MAT.

3. Take sole day-to-day responsibility for administering and processing payroll on the payroll system, currently Edupay, including but not limited to:

Adding new starters to the payroll and ensuring they are set up correctly.

Processing contract changes and ensuring future changes are diarised for timely and accurate action, including tracking temporary and fixed term contracts and notifying the relevant school prior to their end dates.

Processing pension changes and, where appropriate, refunds for employees, ensuring the correct forms are accurately completed and forwarded to the pension provider.

Keeping the system up to date with information on Tax, NI, pension rates and all other elements affecting staff pay.

Arranging 3rd party orders/payments such as Childcare vouchers and AVCs.

Ensuring the final salary for leavers considers adjustments for accrued annual leave, settlement of active salary sacrifice schemes, and repayment of any owed monies. Any concerns relating to final pay should be raised with the HR Business Partner.

Removing leavers from the payroll system, and providing them with appropriate HMRC paperwork (e.g., P45).

Ensuring all staff receive electronic pay statements and responding to related queries.

Ensuring all requests and actions are properly authorized in line with correct audit processes.

Using initiative when processing payroll requests/instructions and highlighting any that do not appear correct or compliant with Trust processes or approach.

Raising concerns about any other aspect of payroll, pension or staffing with the HR Business Partner.

Maintaining accurate staffing and payroll records on the payroll system.

Updating pay scales in Edupay and Arbor following any approved changes, either nationally and/or as ratified by the Trustees.

Submitting monthly pension reports produced from Edupay to Teachers' Pension Scheme (TPS) and Wiltshire Pension Fund (LGPS) in an accurate and timely manner.

4. Work with the HR Administration postholders to ensure amendments to contracts are confirmed in writing to employees alongside making the relevant payroll changes, using standard Trust letters and ensuring these are returned and filed correctly for audit purposes.

5. Liaise with the HR Administration postholders on queries related to the monthly payroll changes submitted and spot-checking sickness absences have been recorded accurately, highlighting any recurring issues to the HR Business Partner.

6. Review changes made within the month's payroll and record comments to explain variances ahead of the checking process by the HR Business Partner.

7. Where a payroll overpayment has occurred, advise the staff member and, with approval from the HR Business Partner on a repayment schedule, issue a letter to the employee detailing the arrangement and add it to the tracker. Ensure a signed copy is held on file and follow up to confirm repayments are made until the owed monies are cleared.

8. Respond to first line payroll and pension queries, and refer to HR Business Partner where appropriate. Liaise with payroll and pension providers as required.

9. Support the payroll and pension onboarding elements for any schools joining the Trust, including the transfer of their pension arrangements.

10. Perform other tasks as directed by the HR Business Partner or other senior staff such as Director of Finance and Operations and Chief Executive Officer.

Supplementary Accountabilities:

Comply with and assist with the procedures relating to child protection, Health and Safety, confidentiality and data protection including GDPR.

Contribute to the aims of the MAT

Develop relationships and communicate with appropriate organisations, such as payroll and pension providers, and the Local Authority

Participate in training and other learning activities as required

No job description can be exhaustive and the duties may alter in practice or over time. The post holder is expected to use his/her professional judgment to ensure that the role continues to evolve and develop in line with the Trust's changing requirements.

Job Scope:

This role requires the post holder to display a high degree of initiative and responsibility. The post holder will be expected to carry out tasks accurately with a minimum of supervision, and to have day to day responsibility for the successful completion of key areas such as processing payroll instructions, submitting the pension data reports and responding to staff queries.

This role has no line management responsibilities.

Knowledge and Experience:

Experience of using payroll packages to process staff payments.

Effective use of other specialist ICT packages relating to HR and payroll

Full working knowledge of Microsoft Office and Microsoft Outlook

Ability to organise and plan processes/systems in the HR/payroll functions

Attention to detail and a professional approach are essential

Good communicator with both adults and children

Work constructively as part of a team, understanding academy roles and responsibilities within the HR and payroll functions

Decision Making:

Day to day work will be as directed by the HR Business Partner.

Contacts and Relationships:

Trustees, Senior Management and

all

MAT employees,

Payroll providers: Edupay, EPM, FS4S re historical data and other external organisations and service providers

Pension providers: Teachers' Pension Scheme, LGPS

Other statutory bodies

Creativity and Innovation:

To contribute fully to discussion regarding improvements to the payroll and HR processes.

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In accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998, jobholders should take reasonable care to ensure that personal data is not disclosed outside the Academy procedures, or use personal data held on others for their own purposes. In accordance with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, ensure requests for non-personal information are dealt with in accordance with the Academy's written procedures.

This organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment.

Staff must work in accordance with the Child Protection procedures and Child Protection/Safeguarding Policy and understand their role within that Policy.

Job Types: Part-time, Permanent

Pay: 24,560.00 per year

Expected hours: 30 per week

Benefits:

Company pension Cycle to work scheme Employee discount Health & wellbeing programme On-site parking Sick pay
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 15/09/2025