Payroll and hr officer jobs in newcastle

Reports to: Operations Director (Head of Delivery) 
Contract: Part-time (0.5 FTE) 

Role Purpose 

As Payroll Lead, you will manage HOST’s global payroll operations — ensuring that all staff, contractors, and hosted partners are paid accurately, compliantly, and on time. 

You will bring structure, care, and precision to one of HOST’s most essential services: ensuring the people driving climate and social action receive the financial stability they need to do their best work. 

This role supports both internal HOST staff and hosted partners, liaising across HR, Finance, and Community Support to deliver secure, compliant, and efficient payroll management. You will also help develop new systems and processes as HOST expands internationally, ensuring our operations remain smooth, transparent, and aligned with local legislation. 

Core Responsibilities 

1. Payroll Management 

• Manage all aspects of monthly payroll for UK and international employees, contractors, and hosted partner staff. 

• Prepare and process payroll changes (new hires, terminations, pay adjustments) in line with internal procedures. 

• Ensure timely submission of payroll information to Finance and external providers. 

• Reconcile payroll each month, identifying and resolving any discrepancies. 
   

• Reporting cadence: Monthly payroll cycle; quarterly summary to Operations Director. 

2. Compliance and Record-Keeping 

• Ensure full compliance with UK employment law, tax regulations, and international payroll requirements in collaboration with external providers. 

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee and contractor records. 

• Support statutory reporting, including PAYE, HMRC, and pension submissions. 

• Liaise with HOST’s Finance Team on audits and compliance reviews. 
  Reporting cadence: Monthly compliance report; annual payroll compliance review. 

3. System Management and Improvement 

• Maintain and improve digital payroll systems, ensuring data accuracy and secure integration with Finance and HR tools. 

• Support the development of HOSTHub payroll features and automation processes with the Tech Team. 

• Identify opportunities to simplify workflows and strengthen reporting. 
  Reporting cadence: Quarterly system and process improvement review. 

4. Contractor and International Payroll Support 

• Coordinate with the Community Support and Finance Teams to process international contractor payments, ensuring correct deductions and documentation. 

• Liaise with local payroll providers and Employer of Record (EoR) partners to ensure compliance in each jurisdiction. 

• Track and report on cross-border payroll performance and issue resolution. 
  Reporting cadence: Monthly report; immediate escalation of compliance concerns. 

5. HR and Staff Support 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for payroll queries from staff and contractors, providing clear and timely responses. 

• Collaborate with the HR & Operations teams to ensure policies and processes reflect payroll updates and legislation. 

• Support onboarding and offboarding processes for staff and contractors. 
  Reporting cadence: Ongoing; monthly summary of staff queries and resolutions. 

6. Risk and Confidentiality 

• Identify potential payroll or compliance risks, escalating concerns to the Operations Director and Finance Manager. 

• Ensure all payroll data and personal information are handled securely, in line with GDPR and HOST’s data protection policies. 
  Reporting cadence: Ongoing; quarterly inclusion in organisational risk report. 

Key Relationships 

Internal: Operations Director, Finance Manager, Accountant, Community Support Leads, HR & Payroll External Specialist, and Legal Lead. 
External: Payroll providers, Employer of Record partners, and hosted partner representatives. 

Performance Indicators 

• 100% accuracy in payroll delivery and documentation. 

• 100% on-time monthly payroll completion. 

• All compliance and statutory submissions completed by deadline. 

• 100% confidentiality maintained in payroll data handling. 

• Measurable improvements in payroll efficiency and staff satisfaction. 

Qualifications/Experience:  Member of recognised payroll body e.g. CIPP/GPA 

Responsible to: People Services Manager
Location: Home-based, occasional travel may be required.
Grade & Salary: Grade C, £28,148 - £32,519 per annum, depending upon experience, plus 8% employer pension contribution
Duration: Permanent established role
Hours: Full time (37 hours per week)

Job Purpose:

The postholder administers all day-to-day activities within People Services and is responsible for the accurate, timely administration of all people-related data throughout the employee lifecycle from recruitment to retirement. Committed to business process improvement, the post-holder operates within strict confidentiality and compliance boundaries. The People Services Officer role models organisational values and behaviours, providing technical advice to colleagues when required and supporting the People Services Manager across all areas of the team’s work.

Main responsibilities:

• People administration and record keeping
• Always ensure fully compliant employee records, updating as required.
• Process all monthly changes (starters, leavers, contractual changes) accurately and meeting payroll deadlines.
• Bring a focus to gathering diversity data, so that insight and appropriate action and support is possible.
• Maintain and explain annual leave, providing reports as necessary for line managers.
• Ensure that employee files are updated with all relevant correspondence and maintained in line with GDPR, with archiving and data erasure in line with BC’s policy.
• Support the CEO Office and People Services Manager with the annual pay review administration.
• Continuously improve data management processes to enable clear and accurate reporting.
• Support Finance and Payroll with audit requests, meeting reporting deadlines.

Recruitment and selection, onboarding, and induction

• Manage the sourcing and advertising of new roles, once approved for recruitment.
• Support the procurement and management of external recruitment partners and internal assessment panels
• Liaise between candidates and hiring managers, setting up panels and ensuring selection process is effective and candidate friendly.
• Ensure that any reasonable adjustments requested during recruitment are implemented appropriately.
• Support hiring managers with induction and onboarding.
• Support BC induction programmes, providing information and presenting on People Services topics.
• Support on VISA and immigration and DBS checking as required.
• Run the Buddy Scheme for BC.

HR Information and Data Management and Reporting

• Maintain accurate employee data within the HRIS (Breathe), record and update.
• Provide regular standard reporting on key performance metrics for the organisation. (e.g. staff turnover, sickness absence, PDR completion rates, FTE, and headcount.)
• Provide people data for funding bids as required.
• Liaise with the HRIS provider for all system upgrades and maintenance, scheduling and testing new releases appropriately.
• Participate in HRIS provider network discussions to ensure that BC is maximising understanding of the system and services provided.

Learning and development

• Support all aspects of learning and development within the organisation, including diary management, registration, and monitoring.
• Review and improve content for People Services training materials.
• Maintain and report on records relating to compliance / mandatory training.
• Deliver introductory training in areas of expertise, for example recruitment, sickness absence management and contract changes.
• Act as first point of contact for external training partners and e-learning provider, directing and escalating queries as needed.

• Employee relations, engagement, and wellbeing.
  
• Update and format organisational policies under the guidance of the People Services Manager.
• Support with the implementation of the annual staff survey.
• Update and maintain the People Services SharePoint site, bringing accuracy and clarity to the content.
• Support on the administration of benefits schemes (e.g. cycle to work scheme).
• Support on people-related events, such as EDI celebrations and recognition awards (as relevant), ensuring inclusivity and efficient organisation.
• Know when to escalate confidential situations to protect individuals and BC.
• Source and support wellbeing activity that meets BC’s and individuals’ needs, including the Employee Assistance Programme.
• Commission Occupational Health reports as required.
• Provide first-line advice to managers on day-to-day people queries, such as sickness absence.

Project work

Undertake projects for People Services that enable continuous improvement of the services and function and self-development in the role.
Contribute to organisation-wide projects from time to time, bringing People expertise to the project team.

General:

• Promote BC’s values (Excellence, Passionate, Inspiring, Collaborative) ensuring they are adopted in all aspects of the role and leading by example.
• Undertake all duties in compliance with BC policies, processes and code of conduct, role modelling inclusive behaviour to enable a diverse workforce.
• Be cost conscious and respectful of funders’ money. Make good financial decisions to minimise cost and maximise impact by the charity.
• Commit to personal and professional development and learning through the Performance and Development Review process and one-to-one meetings with your line manager.
• Exhibit empathy with the mission and vision of BC, being a good external ambassador for the organisation.

Candidates must have the right to work and be resident in the UK.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early before the advertised closing date and time.
Closing date: Monday, 1 December 2025 at 23:59.
Interviews will be held on either Tuesday 16th or Wednesday 17th December 2025.

As our People Services Officer, you’ll help make Butterfly Conservation a great place to work by delivering efficient, friendly, and accurate People Services support across every stage of the employee journey. From recruitment and onboarding to data management and wellbeing initiatives, you’ll play a vital role in supporting our people so they can focus on saving butterflies, moths, and the natural environment.

We’re looking for an experienced, super organised, enthusiastic, process-driven, and compassionate team player who enjoys helping others and improving how things work. You’ll bring strong attention to detail, great communication skills, and a passion for supporting people and our conservation mission.

REF-225 092