Payroll Officer

About the role

An established and well‑respected organisation in County Durham is seeking an experienced Payroll Officer to join its team. This role offers the chance to own a busy payroll function and deliver an accurate, compliant, customer‑focused payroll service while working closely with senior finance and HR stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Managing monthly payroll processing and payroll amendments.
• Maintaining payroll records for starters, leavers, retirees and contractual changes.
• Ensuring compliance with PAYE, National Insurance, pensions and statutory payments.
• Producing payroll reports and management information for finance and HR teams.
• Administering pension schemes, reconciliations and reporting requirements.
• Acting as the main contact for HMRC, pension providers and other external agencies.
• Supporting payroll audits and maintaining robust control processes.
• Liaising with payroll software providers and supporting system enhancements.
• Managing year‑end payroll activities and statutory submissions.
• Investigating and resolving payroll queries and complex issues.

Required profile

• Previous payroll experience in a busy environment.
• Strong understanding of payroll legislation and statutory compliance.
• Excellent attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.
• Strong organisational and problem‑solving abilities.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Effective communication skills and relationship‑building with internal and external stakeholders.

Required skills

• Payroll software
• Pension administration
• Payroll reconciliations

What we offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Generous holiday entitlement.
• Pension scheme.
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities.
• Supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Stable organisation with a strong local reputation.