Payroll Manager

Welsh Parliament

Cardiff, UK

On-Site

Expires: Expiring in less than 2 weeks

Flexible

£38,930 - £46,445 per year

Job summary

Purpose of the post:

The Payroll Manager provides payroll expertise and professional leadership to the Payroll team.

You will be responsible for ensuring payments are made accurately and on time using the iTrent Payroll/ HR system. You will manage and oversee the processes and procedures for the administration, management and control of the work of the team. You will ensure that the team operates high standards of control, propriety, regularity and separation of duties and maintains audit trails and records of its work.

Ultimately the role needs to ensure that the services provided by the team are proactive, with a continuous improvement ethos; customer focused; and efficient.

About the role:

The Payroll Team consists of the Payroll Manager, a Payroll Supervisor and a Team Support. The team work closely with Member Business Services, who process payroll actions for Members and Member Support Staff, with final checks for these actions sitting within the Payroll team.

Overall, the Payroll team are responsible for the administration of four payrolls (with different terms and conditions applicable to each):

Members of the Senedd
Member Support Staff
Commission staff
Pensioners

This also includes payment of salaries to the Auditor General for Wales, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, and the Commissioner for Standards.

The processing of actions and checking sits within the Payroll team; the final payroll run is administered by our external Payroll provider, MHR.

Job description

Core Responsibilities:
Payroll administration
• Manage an effective payroll service including managing team members to deliver excellent levels of customer service
• Deal professionally and confidentially with a wide range of pay queries from Members, Member Support Staff, Commission employees and Independent Advisors
• Ensure that payroll runs are successfully completed each month with sufficient checking processes in place to achieve high levels of accuracy and minimal errors
• Undertake detailed calculations in support of all aspects of payroll work
• Complete statutory returns to HM Revenue and Customs
• Process statutory payments such as maternity pay, paternity pay, sick pay etc.
• Administer salary sacrifice schemes including childcare vouchers, bike loans, season ticket loans
• Administer a range of advances including Christmas advances, hardship advances, holiday advances etc
• Ensure that payroll terms and conditions applicable to specific roles are adhered to – for example night allowances, overtime, recruitment and retention allowances
• Process staff travel and subsistence claims
• Ensure that 3rd party payments are managed and paid correctly
• Keeping up to date with legal developments / employment legislation changes that affect payroll, and implementing these as needed

Team management
• Manage, coach and mentor direct reports, providing clear direction, professional challenge and oversight.
• Oversee the team’s work to ensure timely and accurate delivery of services. This includes reviewing and checking work of others within the Payroll team and Member Business Support

• Ensure good controls are in place for the work of the team – such as desk instructions, business continuity arrangements and audit trails

Continuous improvement
• Take a continuous improvement approach, working with the Systems Manager to identify efficiencies and automation opportunities, taking into account future payroll requirements.
• Work with iTrent Systems Manager on development of modules that affect the Payroll team (ie. Recruitment and Onboarding)
• Monitor and report on payroll KPIs, and use this data to identify efficiencies or improvements

Engagement with stakeholders

• Deliver payroll induction to new staff
• Ensure that Payroll policies are up to date, user friendly and legally compliant
• Work with the Wellbeing Manager to identify opportunities to implement and promote non pay financial wellbeing initiatives
• Build relationships with external organisations, including other parliaments
• Work collaboratively across HR to ensure joined‑up people solutions.
• Undertake other tasks or project commensurate with the grade

Person specification

Job Specific criteria:

Have experience of managing monthly payroll services within organisations exceeding 500 employees;
Experienced in dealing with complex payroll queries, issues and challenges, applying own knowledge and experience to troubleshoot and resolve these.
Membership of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals and experience of building links with external organisations or networks;
Is able to clearly demonstrate credibility and competence, with excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, reacting quickly to resolve queries and issues

Desirable criteria:

The following qualities are not essential for this particular post but have been deemed as desirable. These will only be taken into account in the event of two (or more) candidates acquiring the same score at either application or interview stage.

Experience of using iTrent (MHR) HR and Payroll system;
Experience of drafting Payroll policies

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,930, Welsh Parliament contributes £11,278 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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

Apply now!

Details of the Selection Process:

Candidates are required to complete an application form through our recruitment portal addressing the job specific and desirable criteria.

Closing Date for applications:

23:55 14 September 2026.

Your application must be submitted before midnight on the closing date.

You will be updated on your progress via the email address you first register with. Please check your Junk Mail and Spam folders to make sure you don’t miss any future correspondence.

Interviews will be held in person: 23, 24, or 25 September 2026.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Recruitment Team
Email : jobs@senedd.wales
Telephone : 03002007588

Salary range

£38,930 - £46,445 per year