Payroll Specialist

Manchester Metropolitan University – Finance Directorate

Looking for a position where your expertise is respected, your voice matters and you'll work alongside genuinely supportive colleagues? Then this could be the role for you!

About our team: You'll join the Payroll Team within the Finance Directorate at Manchester Met, providing a vital service that supports thousands of colleagues across the University. The team is responsible for ensuring staff and pensioners are paid accurately, on time and in full compliance with statutory legislation and University policies.

Working closely with colleagues across People & Organisation Development (P&OD); HR, Finance and academic departments, the payroll team prides itself on delivering a high-quality, customer‑focused service while continuously improving ways of working.

This is a collaborative and knowledgeable team where expertise is valued, ideas are welcomed, and professional development is actively supported! It's a great environment for someone who enjoys problem‑solving, building strong relationships and making a real impact through their specialist knowledge.

About the role: As Payroll Specialist, you'll play a key role in delivering an accurate, compliant and efficient payroll service. You'll use your in‑depth knowledge of payroll legislation to resolve complex queries relating to pay, tax, national insurance, pensions and statutory payments, acting as a trusted point of contact for colleagues across the University.

You'll support payroll validation, reconciliations, reporting and year‑end processes, while also contributing to service improvements and the ongoing development of payroll procedures.

The role is full‑time (35 hours per week) and permanent, with occasional flexibility required around key payroll deadlines.

For further information regarding the role, please see the job description (available on the university's website, accessed by the 'Apply' button).

About you: We're looking for a proactive and detail‑focused payroll professional with substantial experience of delivering a high‑quality payroll service in a complex organisation. You will have:

• Substantial experience of delivering a high‑quality, customer‑focused payroll service.
• Strong working knowledge of UK payroll legislation, including PAYE, National Insurance, statutory payments and RTI requirements.
• The ability to understand, investigate and resolve complex payroll queries relating to pay, tax, pensions and deductions.
• Excellent communication skills, with the confidence to explain technical payroll information clearly to non‑specialist audiences.
• Strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Excel, with the ability to work accurately with detailed and large data sets.
• Experience of working independently, managing your own workload and priorities, while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.

For further information on the person specification and required criteria for this role, please see the job description.

To apply: If you would like to apply, please take the time to review the essential criteria in the job description and submit a CV and Cover Letter (max. 2 pages) that clearly demonstrates your suitability for the role.

For informal enquiries, please contact Alan Ashton: alan.ashton@mmu.ac.uk.

Further information: Manchester Metropolitan University fosters an inclusive culture of belonging that promotes equity and celebrates diversity. We value a diverse workforce for the innovation and diversity of thought it brings and welcome applications from all local and international communities, including Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQ+ individuals.

We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including hybrid and tailored schedules, which can be discussed with your line manager. If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or in your role, please let us know so we can provide appropriate support.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes mentoring programmes, accessibility resources, and professional development opportunities to empower and support underrepresented groups.

Manchester Met is a Disability Confident Leader and, under this scheme, aims to offer an interview to disabled people who apply for the role and meet the essential criteria as listed in the Job Description for that vacancy.