Apprenticeship training course

Payroll assistant manager (level 5)

Ensure that the employer’s workforce is paid on time and accurately in accordance with worker contractual and United Kingdom regulatory/statutory obligations.

• Qualification level: 5 ; Equivalent to higher national diploma (HND).
• Typical duration: 24 months
• Apprenticeship category: Legal, finance and accounting
• Maximum funding: £11,000 ; Maximum amount government will fund ; for apprenticeship training.
• Also known as:
  • Assistant Pay and Benefits Manager
  • Assistant Payroll Manager
  • Deputy Payroll Manager
  • Payroll Assistant Manager
  • Payroll Supervisor
  • Payroll Team Leader
  • Senior Payroll Advisor
  • Senior Payroll Assistant
  • Senior Payroll Executive
  • Senior Payroll Officer
  • Senior Payroll Specialist
• Skills:
  Skills an apprentice will learn

  • Identify the risks and opportunities presented by a payroll provider/customer model. Recommend appropriate service delivery improvements.
  • Manage the provider/customer and other stakeholder relationships necessary to influence successful payroll outcomes (including delivery, customer care and enquiry handling).
  • Communicate complex payroll concepts to customers and other less technical stakeholders; Communicate effectively at different levels of the organisation, selecting an appropriate communication method for the audience.
  • Identify and source all of the information required in a complex payroll case to enable accurate calculation.
  • Analyse and determine complex payroll cases, including pensions, pay and benefits, considering all relevant data and other evidence.
  • Balance the trade-offs between automated and non-automated payroll approaches. Identify and complete payroll calculation manually where needed.
  • Match the payroll decision needed against the skill sets within your team and the risks involved when determining who should deliver the work.
  • Design, implement and maintain payroll administrative procedures and guidance that enables payroll team delivery including technical data, and both business as usual and contingency (disaster recovery) handling.
  • Utilise available technological platforms when delivering payroll operations by balancing the benefits and risks of the system used. As an example, this might mean the latest HMRC reporting tool, or utilising AI/automation advancements.
  • Adjust leadership style to achieve results, having regard to both individuals within the team and how the team works together.
  • Interpret and apply all payroll legislation, guidance and case law pertinent to a complex case.
  • Quality assure your own and your teams payroll calculations to ensure accuracy and compliance. Ensure that you and your team act compliantly when transacting customer payroll by deploying a quality assurance process proportionate to the payroll issues.
  • Make recruitment and retention decisions/recommendations, as necessary.
  • Co-ordinate and manage your team's payroll workload in order to meet key performance indicators and contractual obligations.
  • Reconcile your teams final payroll run.

Full information on Payroll assistant manager (level 5) is available from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

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