3472 - Payroll Data Analyst x 2

Job summary

The Payroll Data Analyst is responsible for ensuring accurate and efficient payroll processing by analysing payroll data, identifying trends, and providing actionable insights, leading on process creation and improvement where necessary.

Job description

This role involves working closely with HR, Finance, and ICT teams to maintain compliance with payroll regulations and optimise payroll systems and processes.

Person specification

Payroll Data Analysis:

• Analyse and validate payroll data to ensure accuracy and compliance with UK employment and tax laws
• Identify discrepancies to resolve payroll-related data issues promptly
• Conduct trend analysis to identify areas for process improvement in the pay team
• Contribute to forecasting insights to assist teams prepare for the financial impact of changes in payroll legislation, tax regulations, and events such as industrial action that directly impact payroll costs

Payroll Processing Support:

• Prepare, review, and distribute payroll reconciliation reports
• Provide data-driven support for monthly payroll cycles, ensuring timely and accurate employee payments
• Lead on troubleshooting system/process issues and customer enquiries, implement data-driven solutions and ongoing management of databases and associated tools

Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure adherence to HMRC guidelines, including PAYE, National Insurance, pensions, and statutory payments
• Support internal and external audits by providing payroll-related data and analysis

System and Process Optimisation:

• Work with key stakeholders such as HR and IT teams to implement and optimise payroll systems and processes
• Identify inefficiencies in payroll processes and propose new or improved methods, including suitable automation opportunities. Lead the development of these processes by gathering input from key stakeholders, testing solutions, and providing user support
• Maintain and improve reporting dashboards for payroll KPIs
• Proactively identify potential risks or benefits that could affect supported systems or the business area's operational effectiveness, adopt a holistic approach to problem-solving, and report actionable options to relevant stakeholders

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Act as a liaison between payroll, HR, ICT and finance departments to ensure cohesive data management
• Respond to employee queries regarding payroll data and discrepancies
• Provide insights and recommendations to senior payroll management based on payroll data trends
• Offer continuous end-to-end process support to the Pay and Pensions Team and external teams within the organisation, ensuring adaptability and utilising the most effective communication methods for each audience

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Ability to work with large or complex datasets to identify patterns, trends or discrepancies. You can validate and reconcile data, explain outputs clearly, and use findings to support decisions, improve accuracy, or resolve issues.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,111, Welsh Government contributes £10,751 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

A 45-minute assessment on Technical 1 - ‘Payroll Data Analytics’ will be required at ‘Stage 2 – pre-interview’. More information will be provided in the invitations to that stage.

The assessment and interviews will take place in Cardiff

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

In the case of more than one candidate scoring the same, the panel has decided the following criteria to determining the merit order:

1. Delivering at Pace

2. Technical

3. Experience

4. Welsh

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Kaleigh Simms -
• Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales

Further information

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk