Employee Officer (Payroll)

About the Role

• Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week
• Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent
• Closing Date: 14 May 2026
• Closing time: 11.59pm
• Interview Method: Face to Face
• Legal Right to Work: Applicants must have existing right to work in the UK; visa sponsorship is not available.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): 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the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

Subject to

• 2 references - where possible, we require 3 years' history
• Previous payroll experience, ideally in a local government setting

We are seeking a keen and skilled Employee Officer to join our team, with a focus on payroll administration. The ideal candidate will have payroll experience in a local government setting and embody the behaviours of Manchester City Council.

The HR Operations Service in HROD & T sits within the Corporate Services Directorate and is part of the Council's back office support function for Employee Services, which provides support for Payroll, Pensions, Transactional HR activity, Agency Client, Resourcing, Organisational Management and Compliance. As an Employee Officer, you will be responsible for managing transactional payroll processes and ensuring accurate and timely payment to employees.

Key Responsibilities

• Payroll Administration: Overseeing payroll operations, including processing payments, maintaining records, and resolving discrepancies.
• Employee Support: Assisting employees and managers with pay related enquiries and providing guidance on payroll policies.
• Data Management: Accurately entering data into the system and maintaining up to date employee records.
• Compliance: Ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations related to payroll and employee compensation.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a motivated individual who will contribute to the delivery of our targets, working with your team and the wider service to improve the customer experience.

Required Experience

• An in depth knowledge of payroll, ideally within a Local Government setting.
• Experience of working in a fast paced environment, completing work to a high standard within tight deadlines.
• Experience of managing multiple processes in various IT systems, solving problems and making sound decisions, with excellent interpersonal and team working skills.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to adapt your style to different audiences and situations.
• You will embrace and demonstrate the Our Manchester Behaviours.

Benefits We Offer

• Generous holiday allowance - Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension - You'll be enrolled in the UK's largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave - Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks - Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow - We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member - We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognise three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave - Give back to the community with three days pro rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Inclusive Workplace

At Manchester City Council, we're dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

What We Will Need From You If You're Successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre employment checks required will depend on the role you've applied for, please see the top of the advert for details. These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other Relevant Information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we'll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.