Payroll Officer

ONS operates a flexible hybrid working model across the UK, with colleagues linked to one of our contractual locations in Newport or Titchfield (Fareham).

As part of the hybrid working arrangement there is a 40% minimum office attendance requirement. Attendance is typically at your contractual office, with occasional travel to alternative locations.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s largest producer of official statistics, covering a range of key economic, social and demographic topics. These include measuring changes in the value of the UK economy, estimating the size, geographic distribution and characteristics of the population, and providing indicators of price inflation, employment, earnings, crime and migration.

The Payroll and Pensions team are an integral part of Finance, Planning and Performance Directorate at the ONS, and employee experience is central to our ethos. The team provide a payroll service which meets legislative requirements; we provide effective advice and guidance across the organisation whilst maintaining strong working relationships with key external stakeholders such as HM Treasury, Cabinet Office, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Civil Service Pension scheme (MyCSP).

Pay Unit is a small busy team of 9 split between our Newport and Titchfield (Fareham) sites and you will report to the Assistant Payroll Manager. Our team's primary objective is the accurate and timely payment of wages and salaries to all ONS staff, both site based and in the field. We operate a large monthly payroll, working to strict deadlines with a high volume of transactions, input and checking. We are also responsible for calculating and implementing statutory and voluntary deductions from staff pay and ensuring timely payments to the appropriate agencies such as Tax and National Insurance to HMRC; pension contributions; donations to charities; fees to private healthcare organisations.

We currently have a contract with the company Consultants to Government and Industry (CGI) for the provision of payroll software and services on a ‘semi-managed’ basis. This means that Pay Unit have direct access to input and make changes to employee pay records, ranging from new starters, ‘permanent changes’ (such as personal details), ‘temporary changes’ (such as overtime and Performance Related Pay) through to leavers.

You will receive payroll related information/instructions from a variety of sources, check the validity and authorisation, then calculate and enter into the payroll system. Dealing with pay related queries is another important aspect of the role, whether internally from staff, managers, Human Resources (HR) Advisory Hub, or externally from agencies such as HMRC, Department for Work & Pensions (DWP), MyCSP.

Whilst not essential a proven track record in a payroll post, including the use of a computerised payroll system would be helpful.

Key Responsibilities:

• Calculating and entering data accurately onto the Payroll system in a timely manner to support the activities of the authority.
• Producing high-quality and accurate outputs to time and quality.
• Using Oracle Fusion for data entry and analysis.
• Reviewing information provided by other bodies for quality; identifying and resolving data discrepancies.
• Answering queries and resolving issues through discussions with Human Resources teams, with business areas, or employees.
• Providing support, training, and guidance to other staff/team members.
• Other tasks as requested by management.

For this role you will need to demonstrate skills and experience to meet these Essential Criteria:

• Ability to work to a high level of accuracy and demonstrate attention to detail.
• Highly organised with the ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise work.
• Confident in the use of MS Excel, including the use of basic formulae.
• Ability to work with little supervision using own initiative.
• Proven track record of working as part of an effective team.
• Ability to deal well with employee queries, work confidentially and treat issues with sensitivity.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

The Office for National Statistics is part of the Civil Service, and as such we share a number of key benefits with other departments, whilst also having our own unique offerings to support our 5400 valued colleagues across the business.

Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or already know a bit about our organisation, we hope that the benefits pack attached (bottom of page) will give you a great insight into the benefits and facilities available to our colleagues, and our fantastic working culture.

Inclusion & Accessibility

At ONS we are always looking to attract the very best people from the widest possible talent pool, and we are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a member of the Business Disability Forum and a Disability Confident Leader we’re committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

As part of our application process, you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustments to our recruitment process that you need. If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying, please contact the recruitment team in the first instance.

If you would like an accessible version of any of the attachments or recruitment documents below or linked to in this advert, please contact the recruitment team who will be happy to assist.

Job contact :

Name :
Recruitment Operations
Email :
RecruitmentOperations@ons.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email :
RecruitmentOperations@ons.gov.uk