The posting
Contract to start ASAP
Duration: 16 weeks with a possible extension.
Full job description
Payroll Officer – London Borough of Lambeth
Hours: Full-time (35 hours per week)
Contract: 16-week temporary contract from 30 November 2026 to 21 March 2027
Support the Accurate and Timely Delivery of Payroll Services
We're recruiting an experienced Payroll Officer to join the London Borough of Lambeth, based at Lambeth Town Hall, 2 Brixton Hill, Brixton, Lambeth, SW2 1RW.
This is a specialist payroll role responsible for supporting the accurate and timely processing of employee pay, deductions, changes and statutory payments.
You'll work closely with HR, finance, managers and employees to ensure payroll data is processed correctly, queries are resolved efficiently and payroll activity complies with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
About the Role
As a Payroll Officer, you'll manage a range of payroll transactions and employee queries across the payroll cycle.
You'll process starters, leavers, contractual changes and statutory payments while maintaining accurate employee records and supporting payroll reconciliations and reporting.
What you'll be doing:
- Processing payroll transactions accurately and within required deadlines
- Processing starters, leavers and employee changes
- Updating salary, hours, allowances and deduction information
- Processing statutory payments, including sickness and parental payments where applicable
- Handling pension-related payroll deductions and information
- Responding to payroll queries from employees and managers
- Checking payroll data for accuracy and resolving discrepancies
- Processing overtime, expenses and other variable payments
- Maintaining accurate employee payroll records
- Supporting payroll reconciliations and control checks
- Processing tax codes and other HMRC-related information
- Supporting year-end and statutory payroll processes
- Liaising with HR and finance colleagues regarding employee changes and payroll matters
- Preparing payroll reports and management information
- Investigating overpayments, underpayments and other pay discrepancies
- Maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive personal information appropriately
- Ensuring payroll activity complies with relevant legislation and Council procedures
- Supporting continuous improvement across payroll processes
Requirements
We're looking for an experienced payroll professional with strong numerical, administrative and customer-service skills.
You'll ideally have:
- Previous experience working as a Payroll Officer or Payroll Administrator
- Experience processing high-volume payroll
- Good knowledge of PAYE, National Insurance and statutory payments
- Experience processing starters, leavers and contractual changes
- Strong numerical and analytical skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Experience resolving payroll queries and discrepancies
- Good understanding of payroll deadlines and controls
- Experience using payroll or HR systems
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information
- Ability to work accurately under pressure and meet strict deadlines
- Previous local authority or public-sector payroll experience would be highly desirable
- Knowledge of pension administration would be advantageous
- Eligibility to work in the UK
- Ability to provide relevant references/work history
- Ability to complete required pre-employment checks
Why Apply
- Opportunity to work with the London Borough of Lambeth
- Competitive Umbrella rate of £30.67 per hour
- Full-time 35-hour working week
- 16-week temporary assignment
- Opportunity to develop further local authority payroll experience
- Varied role involving payroll processing, employee queries and reconciliations
- Work closely with HR and finance teams
- Professional payroll role within a large public-sector organisation
Benefits
- Weekly Pay
- Company Pension
- Ongoing Agency Support
Additional Information
Client: London Borough of Lambeth
Job Title: Payroll Officer
Location: Lambeth Town Hall, 2 Brixton Hill, Brixton, Lambeth, SW2 1RW
Positions Available: 1
Hours: 35 hours per week
Start Date: 30 November 2026
End Date: 21 March 2027
Contract Duration: 16 weeks
Contract Type: Temporary
Pay Rate: Umbrella: £30.67 per hour
Job Types: Full-time, Temporary contract
Pay: £30.67 per hour
Benefits:
- Company pension
Application question(s):
- Do you have previous experience working as a Payroll Officer or Payroll Administrator?
- Do you have experience processing high-volume payroll?
- Are you confident with PAYE, National Insurance and statutory payments?
- Do you have experience processing starters, leavers and contractual changes?
- Have you previously worked within a local authority or public-sector payroll team?
- Are you able to reliably travel to Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton, SW2 1RW?
- Are you available to start from 30 November 2026?
Experience:
- Payroll Administration / Payroll Processing: 2 years (required)
- High-Volume Payroll: 1 year (preferred)
- Local Authority / Public Sector Payroll: 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
- CIPP or relevant Payroll Qualification (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Disclaimer: On applying for this vacancy, you agree that your personal details will be passed onto our client for their consideration of your suitability for the role. I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to notify iWork Recruitment Limited of any hirer who I do not want my details to be passed onto.
OR122126-11-26
