Our Story:

Halton is a vibrant local authority with a rich history and heritage, featuring two iconic bridges that connect communities across the River Mersey. Located in Cheshire, Halton boasts excellent transport links between Liverpool and Manchester, as well as close proximity to both Liverpool John Lennon and Manchester Airports.

Our progressive community strategy aims to bring about meaningful, long-term improvements that enhance lives. It’s an exciting time to join us as we develop new policies and transform the way people access services.

We are immensely proud that when asked what’s great about working for Halton, the most popular response from our workforce has been ‘our colleagues’.

Our Team:

The Pay and Pensions Service is part of the wider HR Operations Department, based at the DCBL Stadium in Widnes. The team supports the efficient operation of the Council’s payroll and pension administration, delivering monthly payrolls for over 4,500 employees, including more than 1,500 colleagues working in schools. In addition, the team provides a comprehensive pay and pension service to several external payroll clients.

The HR Operations Service is currently undergoing an exciting transformation as we prepare to transition from iTrent to the Unit4 ERP HR and Payroll System in the second half of 2026, enabling more efficient ways of working.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the team during this time of change.

We are a team‑focused, hybrid‑working service, operating with at least 40% office attendance. We work collaboratively with colleagues, managers and external stakeholders across a multi‑function organisation to deliver shared objectives and high‑quality, reliable services.

Hours: 29.6 per week work pattern to be agreed, though applicants must be available to work on Fridays

Your Contributions:

As a Pay and Pension Officer you will provide clear advice on payroll policies, pay variations, statutory payments, deductions, overpayments and terms & conditions (NJC, JNC, NHS, Teachers) to employees, managers, schools and Service Level Agreement clients.

Support and advise on pension schemes including LGPS, TPS and NHS pension, including auto‑enrolment, contribution rates and benefits.

Accurately calculate and process salaries, allowances, deductions and statutory payments, ensuring compliance with legislation, Council policies and Service Level Agreements.

Manage variations, recoveries and complex calculations with a high level of accuracy.

Support with the production of monthly reconciliation reports to enable accurate completion of statutory and other returns.

Work confidently to strict deadlines and manage multiple priorities within a fast‑paced environment.

Communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, providing excellent customer service at all times to ensure adherence to Service Level Agreements.

Confident using HR/payroll systems and supporting paperless processes.

Have a team‑focused approach, with the ability to work independently and maintain accuracy under pressure.

In addition you will have a recognised BTEC Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Payroll Techniques / Payroll Procedures qualification, or equivalent evidence of appropriate level of skills, HR / payroll knowledge and ability.

If you’re ready to make a real difference, join us on this meaningful journey. Together, let’s build the future and make a real difference for the communities we serve.

Our Offer:

Aside from working with a great team, our employees have access to a fantastic range of benefits, including:

• A generous annual holiday allowance starting at 34 days per year (including bank holidays), pro rata for your working hours, increasing with long service
• Membership of our defined benefit, salary-linked Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) with generous employer contributions
• 3 x Salary Life Cover via Local Government Pension Scheme
• Investment in your personal development
• Free Car Parking at HBC sites
• Flexible working arrangements
• Extensive employee benefits platform including discounted shopping, car leasing, gym memberships, wellbeing hub and Employee Assistance Programme.

Next Steps:

At Halton Borough Council, we want all of our candidates to feel well-informed so if you would like to have an informal chat about this role, please contact Kathy DeBelle, Interim Pay and Pensions Team Leader, 0151 511 7971 kathy.debelle@halton.gov.uk or Andrea Dolan, Pay and Pensions Service Manager, 0151 511 6615, andrea.dolan@halton.gov.uk

Interviews will take place on Thursday 26th March and the morning of Friday 27th March.

At Halton Borough Council we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce and a vital part of this is to encourage diversity in all respects. We are committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and tailored to best suit the needs and strength of the individual. This includes making adjustments for people with a disability, neurodiversity or with long-term health conditions. If you require accommodations, please reach out during the recruitment process so that we can make this the best possible experience for you – resourcing@halton.gov.uk

Please refer to the attached Job Profile for further information about the role and our values.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. If you’re interested, please complete your application as early as possible.

We look forward to receiving your application!