Finance Assistant - Payroll

School/Department

Grade

Salary Information

Contract Duration

Responsible to

Closing Date

The Finance Service invites applicants for a permanent Finance Assistant (Payroll). You will work closely with the Team Supervisor to undertake a variety of payroll tasks to ensure the monthly payroll is completed and submitted to a tight deadline. Working closely with team members, colleagues in Finance and other service stakeholders will form a substantial part of the role.

You will be educated to GCSE level, NVQ level III or equivalent and will have excellent communication and organisational skills. You will be able to work on your own initiative and as part of a busy team. Good IT skills and knowledge of Excel and Word is essential. Experience of working in Finance is essential and knowledge of the iTrent payroll system would be desirable. You will be a highly motivated, committed, effective and supportive team member able to work flexibly, quickly and accurately to tight deadlines.

This role will be located on campus at Bangor. Through our Dynamic Working framework (https://www.bangor.ac.uk/humanresources/dynamicwork.php.en), there will also be the option to spend some time working remotely (although remaining in the UK) to support work life balance, which will be discussed further with candidates at interview.

Applications will also be considered to carry out this role on a part-time or job share basis.

The ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh is a desirable requirement of this role. The successful candidates will be expected to commence as soon as possible.

Applications will only be accepted via our on-line recruitment website, jobs.bangor.ac.uk. However, in cases of access issues due to disability, paper application forms are available by telephoning 01248 383865.

Closing date for applications: 30 June 2026

Committed To Equal Opportunities

Purpose of the Job

• To work as a member of the Payroll team with shared responsibility for providing a flexible and responsive payroll service including being the first point of contact for routine payroll queries.
• To provide administrative support within the team, completing a range of routine tasks to meet operational and customer service requirements.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Generic Duties

• Work closely with other team members to undertake a variety of Payroll administration tasks as directed, sharing responsibility for providing a flexible and responsive payroll service.
• To be an active member of the wider Finance team, building & maintaining good working relationships with other members of the team in to ensure an understanding of priorities and deadlines.
• Contribute to the development of, and work to, agreed service standards for the team.

Specific Functional duties

• Deal with day- to - day routine Payroll enquiries in an accurate, timely and sensitive manner, escalating more complex issues to the Payroll Supervisor.
• Undertake checking and validation of the iTrent payroll system.
• Liaise with Human Resources and other departments to ensure queries relating to the monthly payroll are resolved.
• Checking the tax, national insurance and other statutory payment and deductions are calculated correctly.
• Perform pre-payroll audit checks on all input data.
• Answer enquiries from individuals regarding their payments.
• Work closely with other team members to undertake a variety of payroll and pensions administration tasks as directed, sharing responsibility for providing a flexible and responsive payroll service.
• Undertake other associated payroll or financial administration as requested.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• The post holder will be expected to participate in performance review and developmental activities.
• The post holder will be expected to comply with the University equal opportunities policies, Dignity at Work and Study Policy and the University’s Welsh Language Scheme.
• The post holder has a general and legal duty of care in relation to health, safety and wellbeing and must take all reasonable steps to ensure a safe and healthy working environment for him/her self and for other members of staff, students and visitors affected by his/her actions or inactions. The post holder is also required to comply with all applicable health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments.
• The post holder must comply with relevant legal and financial policies and procedures and be aware of their responsibilities in terms of the legal requirements of their posts.

Person Specification

Qualifications/Training

Essential

• Minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades A* - C (incl. English and Maths) or NVQ level 2 in a relevant subject area or possess equivalent experience

Desirable

• NVQ level 3 in a relevant subject area
• ECDL Certificate

Experience/Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of working within a Finance function
• Experience of learning new workplace processes and adapting to changes in operational procedures

Desirable

• Proven ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a wide range of people
• Knowledge of the iTrent payroll system

Skills/Abilities

Essential

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel etc) and payroll software system
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
• Is able to understand, use and explain technical terms commonly used in own area of work
• Prioritises work to achieve objectives to the standards expected

Desirable

• Ability to communicate information clearly and confirm that the recipient has understood
• Ability to present written information clearly, accurately, and in a structured format
• Ability to plan daily tasks to meet deadlines
• Experience of handling customer queries efficiently, including identifying when to escalate or redirect issues to the correct department

Other

Essential

• Responds appropriately to queries and requests ensuring that information is conveyed accurately and promptly
• Contributes to the work of the team

Desirable

• The ability to speak Welsh is desirable for this post
• A strong commitment to customer service and a proven track record of handling customer interactions in a polite, helpful, and professional manner
• A flexible approach to teamwork, with a willingness to support colleagues and assist with extra tasks during busy periods

General

The University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We strive to develop a workforce from all sections of the community regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, or age. We promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language through our progressive Welsh Language Policy. We comply with the Welsh Language Standards and are committed to equality of opportunity. You are welcome to apply for any job in English or Welsh and all applications submitted will be treated equally.

We are a member of Advance HE's Athena SWAN Gender Equality charter and hold a Silver award in recognition of our commitment to and progress towards gender equality within the University's policies, practices, and culture.

The University has recently achieved a Race Equality Charter Bronze award reflecting our commitment to building an inclusive and equitable society for black, Asian and minoritised ethnic staff.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

All members of staff have a duty to ensure their actions are in line with the overall environmental aims of the University and minimise their environmental impact.

All offers are made subject to proof of eligibility to work in the UK and receipt of satisfactory references.